Month: June 2024

OneofUs.Care Night with the Strasburg Express Baseball ⚾️ team and Mr. Jay Neal !

Every year we get out a Lifetime Achievement Award, our highest honor 🎖 and that Award is proudly called the Jay Neal Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2024 it was Rick Nester that received the Award and Woodstock legend Jerry Walters the year before. Jay Neal is one of the few people that reached out to guide two hard working struggling folks back when we needed someone to care ❤ about them.

I’m proud to list Jay Neal on a very short list of people that led us to the point where we can do for others in the manner that we can. Somewhat retired from his day job of being an Attorney, Jay spends his time in the press box at the ball field he is responsible for – the Strasburg Express.

If asked, Jay will tell you that the Strasburg Express exist today because I brokered the deal to get them here. That fact there’s a Baseball ⚾️ team playing under the guidance 🙏 of someone with the class of Jay Neal remains near the top of my Feel Proud List !

For the Hokie Football fans out there you will 💘 the fact that he graduated 🎓 from VT and played Defensive Back while in the Land of Hokies !

Brandi Cochran – Mitchell received The Call from Hollins University

Hollins – Carroll County High School and Hollins University alum Brandi Cochran – Mitchell received the ultimate honor Saturday afternoon when HU inducted her into their Hall of Fame Saturday afternoon.

Cochran – Mitchell graduated from Hollins back in 2005, playing basketball all four seasons at the University located in the outskirts of Roanoke. During her playing days she was known for giving her team whatever it needed as well as from any of the five spots on the floor.

During her playing days she was still Brandi Cochran, fresh out of Carroll County High School, where she also played four seasons ( 3 Varsity, 1 JV) of basketball. CCHS bookended her time at Hollins as the moment she graduated from College she headed back to her hometown of Hillsville to begin her career as a teacher.

Shortly after beginning her teaching career she married (2007) and Mitchell became the hyfened name. Staying busy in a manner that few could match, BC-M found the time to further her education, start a family and step into her Father’s footsteps as one of the Gate Keepers to the Carroll County AAU basketball program.

Up until the just concluded season one of the many, many hats worn was the Assistant Coach for the Lady Cavalier basketball team. During that run the team claimed just the second and third State titles in the history of the High School.

Full speed ahead has been the gear that Cochran – Mitchell has been operating in for the entirety of her adult life. Getting her to slow down long enough to accept the Award might have been a challenge in itself.

When asked to reflect on what accepting the honor meant to her Cochran – Mitchell was as elegant in her response as she was determined on the basketball court.

” I’m so incredibly lucky to have the support system of my former coaches, parents, brothers and husband. I couldn’t do this without them”, said Cochran – Mitchell.

” I became the person I am today because of the education I received at Hollins and basketball was what got me there. I found my voice and the confidence to speak up when I feel like I need to and I will always do that especially if it means I’m standing up for kids.”

The list of accomplishments here go well beyond anything done on the gym floor

” I love basketball and I love Hollins and I’m so thankful for the doors basketball has opened up for me,” added Cochran – Mitchell.

Back at the LU Track 👣 for Corrie Delp’s Day in the Sun 🌞

The National Anthem was just played at 11:50 am, marking the switch from the morning session to the afternoon session. This means our Corrie Delp is inching closer to her first of three attempts at the Long Jump!

Mom and Dad 👨, who is one of her Coaches are here with us as is Head Coach Shawn Montgomery. Linda is heading out with Corrie to be able to capture Delp in action 🎬.

Corrie is the middle of five Delp daughters and many of them have joined Dad 👨 in track 👣 at CCHS.

Blue Ridge timing.com is the site for all results from today’s events.

Our super Sophomore is the only one of our multi sport stars 🌟 that has track as her main sport. The events that Delp competes in outside of the Long Jump are the 100, 200 and relays.

The journey to Lynchburg for Delp started back in the sixth grade. Back then it was longer distances, cross country events but the switch happened rather quickly. Rather quickly is how Delp does everything!

The Long Jump event came into play back in her Middle School 🏫 days. Delp is competing in the State Long Jump event for the second consecutive year.

We are inching closer to her first attempt ! Stay tuned…

“I guess its just us now.”

The line is from an episode of Aaron Sorkins Newsroom roughly a decade ago and its very fitting for our efforts as we turn to June.

Everyone that believes there is something wrong with today’s society have their own opinion as to why that is and I’m no different. My answer is Social Media and the 24/7 World it has created = social media is the Devil.

45 years ago I was told that I would never make it as a writer if I wasn’t willing to write mean. My answer back then was I guess I will never be a serious writer.

Fast Forward a few decades and as we try to stand for our beliefs through our Non-profit organization, I have a multitude of people telling me that we cannot make progress in our efforts without Social Media.

I spent the past few months testing my theory that these folks are mistaken and after exhausting myself further, I am now convinced of that fact.

10 to 15 hours a week trying for months now to see if it would actually lead somewhere and I have reached the well researched conclusion, not in my case.

Facebook runs at a speed that makes the Autobahn look like a School Zone. Here’s what I can say as fact, there are some folks that use it for good intentions but for everyone of them there’s 10 others.

Roughly six months later I have reached the conclusion that I truly appreciate 🙏 the small group of dedicated people that actually enjoy reading my efforts and might have an understanding of what my mission in life is.

So, I still encourage folks to share the stories that I create for them in the manner that they feel most comfortable. But please understand that everything that I write has a purpose and none of them are written in hopes of getting Facebook likes.

They are designed to capture a moment in someones life and frame it for them. The trick is getting someone who the story is not about to actually read the story.

On that note 📝, I will add one more thing before I walk across the street here at Liberty University to frame a story for the Delp family 👪 as Corrie competes in the State Long Jump.

Donna Nester, Bill Gallimore, Danny Dean, Kris Richardson and Trish Clontz and others like you – God Bless You 🙏. My time and effort is better suited focusing on how to improve my efforts instead of playing in traffic on the Autobahn !