“Coach Rev: The Legacy” will make its public premiere at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 25, at Ordway Hall on the Amarillo College campus.
The documentary chronicles the life and impact of Palo Duro High School Head Football Coach Eric Mims, Sr., who is the first Black head football coach in Amarillo Independent School District during the post-segregation era and the first Black athletic director in AISD history. It tells the story of Mims and his siblings’ upbringing in the Hamlet neighborhood, serving in his fathers’ church and family-owned funeral home, his love of football, and a variety of light and funny moments with former teammates and family. Mims also serves as pastor of his late father’s church, New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church.
The documentary premiere is free and open to the public, with doors opening at 6 p.m. The Chicken Coop food truck will be on-site before the screening, and a question-and-answer session with Mims will follow the documentary.
In “Coach Rev: The Legacy,” they examine how Mims uses athletics to minister to young men and women, and why his hiring to the position of head coach transcends beyond the football field.
Mims is is a 2000 graduate of Palo Duro High School, and returns to his high school alma mater to change the culture, the mentality and lives.
From West Texas State Normal College (now West Texas A&M University) offering education to only white students in its first years, to Amarillo’s place in the famed “Green Book” — which was a guide for Black people traveling across the country during the Jim Crow era and filled with information on businesses who were friendly to Black people — to Amarillo College becoming one of the first public colleges in Texas to integrate, segregation is an ugly but important part of the area’s history. The film examines how it helped shape the city of Amarillo, its school system, its athletic teams, and ultimately its future.
Other community news
The Don Harrington Discovery Center (DHDC) is hosting two screenings of the 1986 “Labyrinth” movie with David Bowie as part of their Summer Flicks series. One is for adults-only at 7:30 p.m., and another is family-friendly, at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 25. All community members are invited to enjoy the magical Jim Henson movie. Popcorn, drinks, candies, and other snacks are available for purchase. The adults-only screening will also offer a concession wristband ($25). General admission is $5 for the to the family-friendly screening, or $10 for the the 21+ only screening. IDs will be required at check-in, and doors will open 30 minutes before each showtime. Tickets can be purchased on DHDC.org.
Amarillo Netplex, located at 3723 SW 58th Ave. is launching Leagues After Dark, a new Friday night adult recreational league series, on July 31. The program will run every Friday at 6 p.m. through a Championship Night on Aug. 28, hosting pickleball, 3v3 basketball, and volleyball leagues simultaneously and giving adults across the city a weekly option for organized competition, according to facility officials. The league series is built around the venue’s newly upgraded lounge, which will offer alcohol service and an elevated food menu on league nights. Adults, 21 and older, who are not registered to play are welcome to visit the lounge on Friday nights as well. Registration is open for both full teams and free agents of all skill levels, with divisions for men, women, and co-ed play. Team and free agent registration closes July 24 at AmarilloNetplex.com/league-bash.
Bank of America has announced that Stefani Zysling was promoted to Global Commercial Banking Relationship Manager in Amarillo. She succeeds W. Ashley Allen, who recently retired after 30 years with the company. With a background specializing in agriculture and experience as a corporate controller, Zysling is well positioned to support clients navigating today’s agricultural environment. She will serve as a trusted advisor to clients in the agricultural sector, supporting and managing cattle portfolios across the Panhandle and surrounding areas.
This week’s Furry Friend is Tom. “Tom has a silky short-haired coat in brown/gray with black striping and spots throughout. Tom has large, inquisitive golden eyes and a classic tabby ‘M’ on his forehead. Tom arrived with a cat named Katie when their elderly person could no longer provide the care they needed. Tom was very much loved and is looking for a forever home. Sweet Tom will make a wonderful companion with many years of love, play and fun to offer.” Amarillo SPCA adoptions can be made at the shelter, 11901 S. Coulter, noon-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Call 806-622-0555, or visit www.amarillospcashelter.com or www.adoptapet.com.
State Representative Caroline Fairly’s office is accepting applications for the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program (TASSP) for the 2026-2027 academic year. “Every year, I’m reminded of how many young people in the Panhandle are ready to step up and serve,” said Rep. Fairly. “TASSP gives them a real path to do that. This scholarship pairs a quality education with a commitment to this country. I’m so grateful to be able to play a small part in connecting a student to a career of service.” The scholarship provides eligible students up to $30,000 per year for up to four years of study at the Texas college or university of their choice. Full eligibility details are available through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board at www.hhloans.com. Students residing in House District 87 who would like to be nominated by Rep. Fairly should contact her Capitol office at caroline.fairly@house.texas.gov for application instructions. Applications must be submitted to Rep. Fairly’s office by Sept. 1.
For generations of Amarillo families, Labor Day weekend meant gathering at Medi Park with lawn chairs and picnic blankets, listening to the Amarillo Symphony under the stars, and ending the night with a spectacular fireworks show. This September, that cherished tradition returns in a bold new way. The Amarillo Symphony is partnering with the Don Harrington Discovery Center to bring back Discover!, a beloved Amarillo tradition from 1989 to 2004, in celebration of the Discovery Center’s 50th anniversary. Discover! 5.0 will take place Sept. 5 at John Ward Memorial Park (formerly Medi Park). The all-day festival will begin at noon with hands-on STEM activities, live entertainment, food vendors, community exhibitors, and family attractions before culminating in the evening performance. The Amarillo Symphony will celebrate the patriotic spirit to mark not only the center’s 50th, but also the nation’s 250th anniversary. Tickets start at $5. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for event updates, performer announcements, and ticket information.
Almost $12 million in campus refurbishment projects are underway at West Texas A&M University this summer. “We’re finishing out roof replacements after the 2025 hail storms, as well as doing deferred maintenance and repairing mechanical issues,” said Dr. Todd McNeill, vice president for business and finance. Among the most prominent projects is a $37,614 refurbishment of the recreational pool inside Virgil Henson Activities Center, which will be closed from July 31 to Aug. 30. Other campus projects include about $5 million in roof replacements on six buildings; a $1.7 million replacement of the air handling unit in Old Main; about $100,000 in sprinkler repairs; more than $500,000 in projects at Palo Duro Research Facility; and more than $100,000 in concrete, asphalt and parking lot restriping projects.
Wildcat Bluff Nature Center is adding firebreaks as a way to slow or stop the spread of wildfires. In partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS), over 7,400 linear feet (appx. 130 acres) are projected to be cleared in the northeast quadrant of the property. Wildcat Bluff is also clearing firebreaks around its neighbor in nature, the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Both entities were forced to evacuate during fires in May, which burned within a mile of the property. The fire breaks are part of their multi-year Creek Restoration and Landscape Rehydration Project, building on improvements already achieved with Ogallala Life (now a part of Ogallala Commons). The USDA NRCS program lets them to work on invasive mesquite tree removal and restore the West Amarillo Creek. Timelines for a controlled burn on the property are to be determined.
Bluey’s Big Play The Stage Show is making its way across Australia and will be at the Amarillo Civic Center Complex on Tuesday, Sept. 15. Tickets on sale now via panhandletickets.com Get ready for giggles, games and a whole lot of Heeler fun!The show brings Australia’s favourite family to life in a playful 45-minute performance packed with music,imagination, big heart, beautifully crafted puppets and all the charm of the Emmy Award-winning TV series. Audiences will see Bluey, Bingo, Mum (Chilli) and Dad (Bandit) as they embark on a fun live adventure. For more tour dates, ticketing details and information, visit blueylive.com.
Theresa Caputo — known worldwide as the Long Island Medium — has touched the lives of millions over the last two decades. Now, Amarillo fans will get their chance at healing when the television personality and best-selling author appears live Friday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m. at the Amarillo Civic Center Auditorium. Known for her unique ability to communicate with those who have passed on, Theresa meets face-to-face with her fans as Spirit guides her through the audience, and a full-stage video display ensures that everyone in the theater has an up-close experience. Tickets are on sale now; learn more at www.theresacaputo.com.
West Texas A&M University alumni will gather in Arlington to enjoy major league baseball and fun. Buff alums will sit in a reserved section of Globe Life Field, 734 Stadium Drive, for the Texas Rangers’ game against the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 8. Game time is 6:15 p.m. Discounted tickets offered through the WT Alumni Association are $40 each. Tickets are expected to sell out; go to mercury.wtamu.edu/alumni-events/.
For WT’s Great Books Series, Dr. Ryan Brooks, associate professor of English, will lead a discussion of Don DeLillo’s short story “Baader-Meinhof” at 7 p.m. July 21 at Burrowing Owl Books’s Amarillo location, 2461 W. Interstate 40 in Wolflin Square. The story was inspired by a 15-painting series called “18. Oktober 1977” by the German artist Gerhard Richter, who created them in 1988, Brooks said. Read more on the WT newsroom website.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: ‘Coach Rev: The Legacy’ to premiere at Amarillo College July 25
Reporting by Kristina Wood, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kristina Wood, Amarillo Globe-News | USA TODAY Network
