Ford embraces forward thinking through skill development program, Lufkin Forward 2.0

By KAYLEY FRAZE The Lufkin Daily News

Those interested in Lufkin’s future can rest assured one of the visionaries moving it forward has her eye on the ball.

Ivorie Ford, owner of F.I.F.T.H. Quarter Performance, joined Lufkin Forward 2.0 in December 2021 because she believes East Texans can progress if they are willing to open themselves to new experiences.

“If we are forward thinking, if one person progresses, then their group of people can progress and it becomes a ripple effect to the community, then it goes to the city, then so on and so forth,” she said.

Ford was born and raised in Lufkin and, with the exception of when she attended the University of Texas in Arlington, has lived here her whole life. She graduated from Lufkin High School in 2011 and studied exercise science in college.

“Growing up, I’ve always been an athlete and I really understood at an early age that life would be more than just sports for me,” she said. “Originally, I wanted to go to school to be a physical therapist, so I went to school and was exposed to a completely different side of the sports industry, which really piqued my interest on the training aspect with that particular degree from internships that I was a part of.”

Ford said her time at college offered her the chance to experience different things she wished she would have had the opportunity to experience growing up as a student athlete in Lufkin.

“It was really the training,” she said. “I wish I had somebody to really take the time and not just encourage me about where I was already advanced but to really help me work on what I would consider minute details about mechanics, mobility, flexibility, strength, conditioning, mindset, nutrition, the holistic approach of being a great athlete.”

Ford graduated from UT Arlington in 2015 and stayed in the area for about a year but ultimately moved back to Lufkin.

“It was laid on my heart to move back to meet that need that I wish I had when I was a student-athlete here, so in transitioning, I moved back and I was really just doing general fitness because I was trying to find my way,’’ she said. ‘‘But as the years have progressed, it’s become evident to me that my calling, my ministry, is really just to student-athletes so that’s one of the things I’ve taken more time to do.”

Ford started F.I.F.T.H.

Quarter Performance in 2019 to fulfill that calling. It provides her a way to connect and mentor athletes not just on the court or field but in life in general, she said. The program provides skill development sessions in basketball and volleyball and strength and conditioning.

The program has grown over the years, but Ford said she still has some major goals she wants to accomplish to better serve athletes.

“Really, I just want to provide more services that we can help athletes not have a rural city mindset but to understand that we do have resources and opportunities that can help you go to the next level — it’s just them being exposed to them,” she said. “In Lufkin, we’re geographically disadvantaged because we don’t have a lot of resources that the city has. My goal is to not necessarily take them there but to bring it to them.”

Ford said she believes God placed her on this earth to share firsthand the things she has experienced. That transitions into Lufkin Forward 2.0 because they are all forward thinking, she said.

“I believe that F.I.F.T.H. Quarter Performance adds value to that in that that’s what we’re standing for — not to have the mindset that just because we’re in East Texas we can’t do certain things,” she said. “Starting with youth athletes, we’re able to connect with the future generations — if we can cultivate that mindset then it’s only gonna better the city.”

That’s important, Ford said, because one of the reasons she found it difficult to move back to Lufkin was she felt it was complacent.

“It was a breath of fresh air to me that city officials and leaders really were putting forth an effort to do things different and to bring about a change for the people,’’ she said. ‘‘That’s what I’m all about: bettering ourselves, making sure we’re moving forward, progressing and making sure we’re putting ourselves in a position to grow.’’

Kayley Fraze’s email address is kayley.fraze@lufkindailynews.com.