When the city of Stigler was looking to build a multi-million-dollar sports complex, they turned to the partner they’ve always been able to count on: Choctaw Nation. The response was one of the largest financial contributions to the community to date. And by July 2019, the Stigler Sports Complex was packed with athletes, fans and fanfare.
Bobby Mouser was looking for ideas. As the City Manager of Stigler, he was looking at opportunities for growth and something that would provide citizens with something to do as well as be a source of pride for the community. What he realized was that the roots had already been planted.
“There were 600 people attending baseball games in Stigler, Oklahoma four nights a week,” he recalls. “You couldn’t even walk around for these tremendous crowds.” From that thought, the idea to build bigger and better ballfields was born. Mouser and other leaders quickly got to work designing a state-of-the-art ballpark and sports complex.
Next came the hard part: funding the facility. With Choctaw Nation official scheduled to be in town, Mouser set up a meeting to discuss economic development. “It’s a win-win for everybody,” the city manager explained to tribal leaders. “We’re going to bring a large number of people to town.”
Within a month, the tribe was on board — in a big way. Choctaw Nation’s sizable donation helped Stigler build the multi-million-dollar project and it’s already paying substantial dividends. Tournament weekends see the town’s population double in size and local businesses reap the benefits. “None of that would have been possible without the generosity of the Choctaw Nation,” sums up Mouser.
Stay Informed
Stay up to date on the stories about all the unique ways state-tribal partnerships work for the benefit of everyone in the state.