Three generations of the family of prominent Austin ObGyn Dr. Harold Wayne Brumley gathered on opening day of West Austin Youth Association’s (WAYA) soccer season for a ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly renovated Brumley Field. Thanks to H-E-B’s generous support, the multipurpose field now features artificial turf, lighting improvements, new fencing, and a modern drainage system, transforming the field into a state-of-the-art recreational space for the community.
Special guests, parents, and children joined the celebration and enjoyed refreshments and live music by Mr. Will before the ceremony. Wayne Brumley, Dr. Brumley’s son, spoke about what the re-dedication means to his family and how the new field will inspire the next generation of young athletes. He praised the H-E-B and WAYA Family Day sponsors for making the field improvements possible, and thanked the University of Texas and City of Austin for their 45 years of support.
WAYA Executive Director Melissa Morrow said, “We are here today because a group of community members, members just like you, wanted to make sure youth had a place to play, learn, and grow. In re-dedicating this field to Dr. Brumley, we know he would want us to include the names of the initial Board, including George Ramsey, Neil Kocurek, Einer Juul, Hayes Pitts, Susan Auler, Dan Moody, Ed Small, Ann Coates, Ron Shultz, John Braziel, Bert Tate, Bruno Ybarra, Harold Skaggs, Lee Yeakel, Art Shepperd, Rod Edens, John Genung, Bethea Brindley, Dave Larson, and Dealey Herndon. They had the vision and courage to make it happen.”
In the late 1970’s, Dr. Brumley envisioned a recreational facility that would provide both indoor and outdoor spaces for youth to play baseball, basketball, and football. He mobilized support from neighbors by going from living room to living room in the evenings after work to solicit help putting up walls, installing plumbing and donating asphalt and electrical services. He even provided his own ranching equipment and bulldozer to clear the land for the facility and field, which were completed in 1980.
Over the years, WAYA programs have expanded to include soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, kickball, gymnastics, and their own WAYA preschool. WAYA serves over 15,000 kids a year from 50 different zip codes through sports, camps, classes, and clinics for youth.
One face missing from the large Brumley family in attendance was Maryann Brumley Sayers, a daughter of Dr. Brumley. She and her family regretted that they were unable to attend, but they were honored to be included and sent well wishes for the ribbon cutting.
For more information on WAYA programs and opportunities for support, visit www.waya.org.
Photo Credit George Schemagin
