During the softball game tonight, I shared with my friend and press box partner, Kevin Burress, my analogy about every so often it would be nice for someone to put a quarter in the horse.

You have to remember that I have no official role in any part of the things I try to do all spring long. What is that exactly ? Attempting to show support for all 12 coaches and their student athletes through a combination of announcing events and creating stories for them and their parents.

It went way beyond a hobby and then past a full-time job. There are days when I have to remind myself where I’m going to be that day. The current streak is now at calling something somewhere 19 out of the past 21 days.

Tonight ( Wednesday ), it will be Cavalier Park for the Middle School Softball game, and then on Thursday, it will be what I call a split double header. Starting with Carroll County – Fort Chiswell Varsity Softball and then crossing the Boulevard to announce the Girls 👧 Soccer game versus Radford. I struggle with the fact that I will miss the Girls JV game, especially after they have had to sit out the last three times the varsity played.

Why might be a great question, and it’s an easy answer. When you are chasing equality for all, no game or match should go without sound. Thankfully, Casey Burcham has two options each night at Bill Worrell Field, but that is the exception, not the rule.

Joshua is someone who I have a boat 🚢 load of respect for, so when he took the time to acknowledge the effort, it meant something to me!

If you are going to help Rick Nester with his program, then you have to do the same for Terry Warf in my world 🌎 anyway. By extension, I have been trying hard to call one of the games for the Middle School Softball team all season, and we are set to that later today.

Shawn Montgomery and Jon Delp are easy to help for a number of reasons. First, they are incredibly likable, and second, they only compete at home once a year.

Lawrence Nesselrodt at West Virginia Tech University and Vickey Ritchie with the Special Olympics are both people that I happily help whenever possible.

That takes us to the four coaches trying hard to move the needle forward in regard to soccer. Adrienne Harris McGuire, Forrest Johnson, Brittany Kinney, and Jeremy Puckett give everything that they have to their sport, and three of the quartet have class rooms they are responsible for during the day.

There is nobody on the list above that I would want to say no to, but there are days when the combination of announcing and creating stories afterward can be a challenge. On those days, it truly helps when someone who actually works in the school system takes the time to say, “I see you and appreciate what you are trying to do for our students ( and parents ).

Linda Edmonds is a special lady, and she raised her ” little boy ” well ! Know that the students at St. Paul are in good hands 🙌 with Principal Edmonds.