Olufolabo Ogunyemi

Founder | Fire Captain

About Olufalabo

Olufalabo Ogunyemi is a fire captain, former college basketball player, husband, and father whose life has been shaped by family, athletics, service, and hard work. After attending boarding school and earning the opportunity to attend college on a basketball scholarship, he later spent years coaching his own sons in football, baseball, basketball, and track—experiences that allowed him to see sports from both sides of the game, as an athlete and as a father.

Why Soul of the South Sports Foundation

The original idea for Soul of the South Sports began with Olufalabo more than two decades ago and his love for basketball. What started as a dream of creating basketball tournaments eventually grew into something much bigger: an opportunity to use sports as one part of helping young people prepare for what comes next.

His S.O.U.L. | Legacy

Preparing for a future bigger than the game.

For Olufalabo, legacy begins with knowing where you come from and being intentional about what you leave behind. His Nigerian heritage and the example set by his father have shaped the way he raises his own children—with an expectation that each generation should build on what the generation before them started.

Beyond the Title

Family

Olufalabo is a husband, father of three, and older brother who loves his family fiercely. Whether he is coaching from the sideline, advocating for his children’s goals, or reminding them to handle their responsibilities before anything else, family is at the center of who he is.

Sports Connection

Basketball has been part of Olufalabo’s life for decades. He attended boarding school as a basketball player before earning a college basketball scholarship, and later became a coach to his own children across multiple sports. Today, his role has shifted from player and coach to father and advocate—supporting one son through college athletics while making sure his daughter has the same support as she pursues her dream of becoming an architect.

Something to Remember

“Know who you are, stay true to who you are, and never let anyone else define you. What is meant for you will be for you.”