Tributes to a Coach: Believe Bigger, Achieve Louder, Motivate Stronger

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Coach Jim Clayton: Bam son, this is Shoot It Straight, the podcast where life blessings don’t come sugarcoated and excuses get bitched.

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Randy Black: I’m Randy Black, podcast guy, professional question asker, and apparently the only one

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Randy Black: Who doesn’t yell pam, son, in public?

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Coach Jim Clayton: Well, we’re working on that, Randy.

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Coach Jim Clayton: I’m Jim Clayton, coach, mentor, motivator, and the guy who still thinks a whistle may be the best motivational tool known to man.

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Coach Jim Clayton: Each week we’re taking what?

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Randy Black: Gyms learned from the court, the drills, the discipline, the drive, and translating it into real world success.

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Coach Jim Clayton: That’s right.

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Coach Jim Clayton: This ain’t just about basketball.

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Coach Jim Clayton: It’s about showing up when life presses full court.

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Coach Jim Clayton: It’s about pushing through when the clock’s ticking down.

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Randy Black: And if you’re looking for fluff, well, you might just want to ride the bench.

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Coach Jim Clayton: We’re here to help you believe bigger, achieve louder, and motivate strong.

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Coach Jim Clayton: So buckle up and whatever you do, keep shooting it straight.

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Coach Jim Clayton: Bam, son

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Randy Black: Welcome back to Shooting It Straight.

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Randy Black: I’m Randy Black, and this is a very special episode that I wanted to put out for everyone.

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Randy Black: What we’re going to do today is take some time to listen to some tributes.

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Randy Black: that uh came in.

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Randy Black: We set up a voicemail box and in Jim’s obituary uh and online with the Facebook group and different places we

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Randy Black: Ask people to call in and share some some gym memories and some gym stories.

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Randy Black: And we’ve put those together and we’re going to put them out here uh on this episode of the podcast today.

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Randy Black: Uh so we’re gonna we’re gonna dive right into those and get those going.

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Randy Black: Uh but when those are finished up, uh I’m gonna come back on and share a little bit of of what I shared.

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Randy Black: um at at Jim’s services uh at his funeral service uh back on um several weeks ago on uh September twenty seventh.

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Randy Black: So let’s dive in.

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Randy Black: Let’s check out these great tributes that came in, all about Jim, and then I’ll be back with you here very shortly.

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Alyssa Allen: Hi, this is Alyssa Allen.

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Alyssa Allen: And

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Alyssa Allen: To be honest, I’m a little late to this.

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Alyssa Allen: But whenever I had anything anything on my mind

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Alyssa Allen: whether it be for shooting or just random absolutely random out of pocket life stuff.

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Alyssa Allen: I knew every time I would come in on a Saturday I could I could tell it all to him

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Alyssa Allen: He was like he was honestly like another dad that I could I could go to for advice, whether it be basketball advice or life advice.

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Alyssa Allen: He just

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Alyssa Allen: He was that kind of person to me.

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Alyssa Allen: He made me feel like another daughter to him

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Alyssa Allen: And so did Anne.

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Alyssa Allen: The whole family made me feel honestly like another daughter to them and I will never forget the impact that it’s had on not only my ball career, but just on me as a person.

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Alyssa Allen: I strive to really

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Alyssa Allen: to really be just like what he what he says, believe, achieve and motivate.

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Alyssa Allen: Not only in just basketball, but in life itself.

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Alyssa Allen: And that the stuff he told me and talked about with me, basketball and life skills

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Alyssa Allen: will always be put to amazing, beautiful use in my life and I don’t think I will ever forget anything he’s ever told me.

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Alyssa Allen: I even have I he’s I have a whole

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Alyssa Allen: note in my phone just on shooting tips he gave me at the last the last time I was there.

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Alyssa Allen: And I don’t need ’em.

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Alyssa Allen: I don’t need the tip.

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Alyssa Allen: ‘Cause I’ve been so much.

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Alyssa Allen: I’ve talked to him so much I can hear his voice in the back of my head

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Alyssa Allen: when I make a bad shot.

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Alyssa Allen: Or if I drop my hands I can hear ’em I can hear ’em yelling at me from across the gym.

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Alyssa Allen: Ah, don’t drop them hands.

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Alyssa Allen: Don’t drop them hand

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Alyssa Allen: I can hear it plain as day in the back of my head.

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Alyssa Allen: And I can hear all the advice he’s given me, all the reassurance that I am

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Alyssa Allen: more than good enough that I’m a dang good player and I should act like it.

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Alyssa Allen: And that I’m plenty smart enough to do whatever I want to do in life.

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Alyssa Allen: And that just honestly to live life to its fullest

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Alyssa Allen: And I really I do think that’s what he did.

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Alyssa Allen: He lived life to the fullest and did what he loved.

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Alyssa Allen: And I I aim to be at least

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Alyssa Allen: half as good as he was.

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Alyssa Allen: In basketball, in life, in everything.

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Alyssa Allen: Because honestly

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Alyssa Allen: I’m so, so glad I got to have such a good role model in my life.

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Alyssa Allen: He truly was the best

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Alyssa Allen: that I could have had, in my opinion, in my eyes.

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Alyssa Allen: His Lord knows he helped me through

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Alyssa Allen: a lot of rough patches in my game when I needed a father figure to go to for advice.

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Alyssa Allen: I could tell him anything.

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Alyssa Allen: I really could.

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Alyssa Allen: And I’m so, so thankful.

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Alyssa Allen: I started Sport City U and going down gyms, as I called it.

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Alyssa Allen: for as long as I did.

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Alyssa Allen: And I I’m just so thankful I got to meet him and to be in his life and for him to be in mine.

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Alyssa Allen: It was truly the biggest lesson I think I’ve ever had in my entire life

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Alyssa Allen: Thank you.

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Amichi Watson: Uh my name is Amichi Watson.

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Amichi Watson: Uh I happen to be a teammate of uh Jim’s uh back at West Virginia Tech

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Amichi Watson: uh in uh nineteen seventy seven nineteen seventy eight.

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Amichi Watson: Uh I just wanted to offer my condolences to his family.

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Amichi Watson: Um Jim was a a great player

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Amichi Watson: and even better person.

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Amichi Watson: Uh so he will uh really truly be missed and again I I was just glad that I had the privilege to play with Jim.

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Amichi Watson: Thank you

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Isabella Hemmings: Hi, this is Isabella Hemings.

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Isabella Hemmings: Jimmy Love teaching basketball and was dedicated to teaching it.

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Isabella Hemmings: He helped me and other kids get better at basketball and you made us more confident in our skills

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Isabella Hemmings: I’ve been going to Jimmy’s for seven years and I have improved so much with his help.

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Isabella Hemmings: He put a smile on my face every time I walked into that building.

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Isabella Hemmings: He always helped me with my shot and taught me new things every single week

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Isabella Hemmings: Jimmy always had faith in me and believed that I could be a good player.

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Isabella Hemmings: He always had the best attitude while touching me.

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Isabella Hemmings: He never let his personal struggles affect the way.

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Isabella Hemmings: Because when I was ha having a bad day and I was upset about my shot, he always heard me up.

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Isabella Hemmings: Rest in peace to me, I will never forget you, damn son

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Jan Ramey: This is Jan Raimi, and I’m really thankful that you’re doing this for Jim and H Coach Clayton and his family.

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Jan Ramey: Um my girls are twin girls from Hurricane, West Virginia

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Jan Ramey: Reese Raimi and Riley Raimi and Jim has been such an inspiration and impact on them from the time that they were four years old up until now.

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Jan Ramey: We we saw Jim as recently as a month ago and

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Jan Ramey: Um, you know, he sharing his wisdom, knowledge of the game um has just been we we are just so so grateful.

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Jan Ramey: I have a short story that I want to share about um

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Jan Ramey: a time when they were going to one of the group camps at Sports City U and it’s a funny story.

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Jan Ramey: Um, my girls were probably five years old.

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Jan Ramey: I was out in the waiting area

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Jan Ramey: uh kind of watching in like parents do.

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Jan Ramey: Jim was standing in front of all the kids, you know, giving one of his prophetic speeches that he always does, the motivate motivator that he is

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Jan Ramey: Um, I look up for my cell phone um because I’m not watching the whole thing.

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Jan Ramey: I can’t hear, but I look up and my twin girls are wrestling on the ground

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Jan Ramey: in front of Jim Coach Clayton while he is making a speech.

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Jan Ramey: I was appalled.

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Jan Ramey: Oh my goodness, to see them doing that while this

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Jan Ramey: This great man with all of his knowledge and wisdom are sharing that with them and they are wrestling like they don’t have a care in the world.

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Jan Ramey: Oh my gosh

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Jan Ramey: But it wasn’t long until Jim Coach Clayton got their got their attention and they straightened up really straight

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Jan Ramey: And from that point on, I don’t know what was said, but from that point on they listened.

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Jan Ramey: And every conversation that he had from then on, they were all ears and eyes straight at him.

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Jan Ramey: He was an amazing person.

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Jan Ramey: That’s just one story.

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Jan Ramey: I could share s so many stories of the the greatness of this man and what he’s meant to our family.

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Jan Ramey: And Elizabeth West

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Jan Ramey: We share in your pain, uh, but we also share in those wonderful memories.

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Jan Ramey: We love Coach Clayton and thank you for um

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Jan Ramey: Just thank you.

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Jan Ramey: Thank you for allowing us to share our story and our life with him.

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Jan Ramey: Bless you all.

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Jan Ramey: Bye-bye.

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Emily Rohr: Hi, my name is Emily Rohr.

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Emily Rohr: And when I first met Coach Clayton, I was seventeen years old and my last name was Phil Reed.

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Emily Rohr: And it was uh between my junior and my senior year of high school.

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Emily Rohr: And I had heard about FDU through my AAU coach um out of Columbus, Ohio.

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Emily Rohr: And at that time I am from just outside of Steamville, Ohio originally.

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Emily Rohr: So my parents, no new knowing how much I love basketball, allowed me to do any AE team in Columbus because there weren’t any locally.

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Emily Rohr: And um we drove to Columbus, which is like a two and a half hour drive um twice a week for practice and for games and

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Emily Rohr: I remember just hearing about Coach Clayton from you know some of my teammates and my AU coach and stable sending and going to this extreme house camp that was happening that summer

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Emily Rohr: And I dumped on the very primitive version of the internet we had at that time, but um soyton had a website and after reading the description of the extreme hoods camp, I was like, I have to do this

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Emily Rohr: And so I begged and I tweeted because it cost about a thousand dollars and I made promises that, you know, no Christmas or birthday or graduation gifts would need to be purchased.

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Emily Rohr: This is all I wanted

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Emily Rohr: And so I show up at this camp that my parents dropped me off that for two weeks.

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Emily Rohr: And I remember that first day feeling uh you know, excited but a little uncertain and just sitting in that

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Emily Rohr: you know, awesome, awesome facility with all the hoops on the walls and all the stars and all the quotes and just Coach Clayton’s presence filled the room and I hung on every word

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Emily Rohr: I was so excited to be that in the presence of somebody who had such a love for the game and so much knowledge to share

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Emily Rohr: And I’m someone who usually was motivated by external factors.

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Emily Rohr: You know, I had the coaches get on me to kind of get every last drop of whatever talent I had

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Emily Rohr: But with Jim it was just effortless, he made me want to be better.

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Emily Rohr: Um I had never worked harder in my life and that continued with me through my senior year

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Emily Rohr: of um basketball and thro what I had of my college career that unfortunately ended early due to an injury.

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Emily Rohr: But then it spilled over into my coaching and as coached

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Emily Rohr: as a varsity head coach, as a varsity assistant, and I was actually able to bring it full circle and bring coach

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Emily Rohr: uh to my high school in Hansburg, Pennsylvania that I taught at.

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Emily Rohr: And this was in twenty sixteen, August of twenty sixteen, so me and Carla came.

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Emily Rohr: And uh he was just so amazed that our mascots were the Big Mac.

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Emily Rohr: And you know, I remember him being like, The Big Mac, Big Mac

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Emily Rohr: And just every day, just you know, his energy was infectious and I had told um told the girls, I was like, Listen, this is one of the best people you’re ever gonna meet.

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Emily Rohr: You’re gonna be

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Emily Rohr: you know, inspired by him beyond these couple of days you’re gonna spend with him and and surely’s truly they were.

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Emily Rohr: Um

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Emily Rohr: But we went on to win the first spectional championship in school history that year and there were so many things he passed into those two days, not just trolls, but you know, just motivation, just you know, positive thinking, teamwork, little things

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Emily Rohr: And I remember we did this big group drill, I forget what it was called, but it was we were in a big circle and we had to do like bounce, bounce, pass, bounce, bounce, pass, and the girls all had to be in a rhythm together

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Emily Rohr: And he said that no one had been able to do it, you know, for a certain amount of time to make it the whole way around the s the square and we were the first ones to do it and he took a video and put it to some cool music and posted it on the social media

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Emily Rohr: and it would pop up every now and again and he’d always send it to me when it popped up in his memory.

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Emily Rohr: Um and I know Coach, you know, he he was only my coach for about uh that two weeks and then, you know, I attended another event

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Emily Rohr: and I kept in touch with him, but he truly was one of those voices that I always heard whenever I was going through something tough and still as an adult

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Emily Rohr: You know, I would I would come across a post on social media and I always took something away from any interaction I had with him, whether it was just reading something he wrote, watching one of his videos, jumping on one of his lives

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Emily Rohr: um being in his gym and it’s something that, you know, grew in me and I’ve been able to pass on to all of the young athletes that I’ve coached.

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Emily Rohr: So

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Emily Rohr: I’m truly thankful for everything he did for the game of basketball and everything he did for me, but I cannot even imagine how far his reach goes, you know, especially the kids who

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Emily Rohr: worked with him from a young age to Holy Share College and I just I know everybody’s hurting right now.

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Emily Rohr: Um

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Emily Rohr: especially his family and I just really want to extend my condolences to everybody.

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Emily Rohr: Um I was able to attend the camp with his daughter Elizabeth and I know she

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Emily Rohr: she knew how special her dad was and to watch the two of them and and the bond they shared was really nice and I saw, you know, her her tribute to him and how they got to attend a concert together

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Emily Rohr: A couple weeks ago and it just warmed my heart and I’m so glad that, you know, Clayton family you have all this wonderful memory and all of these memories that we’re sharing

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Emily Rohr: He was expected special man and his reach is going to continue to extend so far beyond this lifetime.

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Emily Rohr: You know, it’s going to be passed on from player to coach, from parent to child, and so on and so forth.

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Emily Rohr: And

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Emily Rohr: as my s my eight year old son gets ready to start playing back to buy, I really always hope to be able to bring him down to the lab and I still hope to, but it just makes me sad that he’s not gonna get to meet Coach Clayton.

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Emily Rohr: Coach Clayton’s not going to get to meet him in person.

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Emily Rohr: So

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Emily Rohr: Um again extending my my very sincere condolences and just I hope that you all find comfort in these memories, in your memories, and

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Emily Rohr: You know, I I will continue to wear my damn son shirt with pride and I’ll be excited for anybody who will come up and ask me what it means.

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Emily Rohr: Oh what’s your shirt, you know?

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Emily Rohr: Believe, accuse, motivate, bam sun

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Emily Rohr: suggest it.

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Emily Rohr: You know, that mental part of the game, that’s a big part of it.

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Emily Rohr: And I always enjoy sharing my stories about again, sending my sincere condolences and

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Emily Rohr: I’m just very, very honored to have known him and I’m a better person because of it.

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Kathy Hosaflook: The name is Kathy Hossaflook.

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Kathy Hosaflook: And I was in the school system for several years and knew Jimmy and what a wonderful, wonderful person he always was

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Kathy Hosaflook: He was always very nice and had a big smile and always talked with me any time that I saw him.

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Kathy Hosaflook: And he will be greatly missed in the neighborhood.

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Kathy Hosaflook: God bless

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Laverne Evans: Hello.

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Laverne Evans: Uh my name is Laverne Evans.

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Laverne Evans: I’d like to first of all say my send my condolences to

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Laverne Evans: And Elizabeth and Wes and the rest of the family um as um Jim was a great man

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Laverne Evans: Um I’m saddened that I didn’t get the opportunity to get down there as I’ve been tr trying to get back from Portugal to get down and coach with the wonderful teacher, coach he is.

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Laverne Evans: He was.

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Laverne Evans: And that um

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Laverne Evans: I w hoped that uh to be able to get down and see what all the great inspiration that he was and to

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Laverne Evans: uh all the kids and all excuse me, people that were touched by him.

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Laverne Evans: I followed him for many years as I reached out and we were in contact

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Laverne Evans: And he has all the wonderful work he is, the skills, how he touched everyone of all ages and um

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Laverne Evans: Even though I wasn’t there, he’s always touched in me and I was least blessed at the conversation we have had

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Laverne Evans: and hope that I may be able to hopefully help continue his great work that he has achieved.

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Laverne Evans: Rest in peace.

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Laverne Evans: Hashtag BAM

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Laverne Evans: To you, my friend Jimmy.

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Laverne Evans: And now you’re with the Lord, he’ll take care of you.

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Laverne Evans: Amen.

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Laverne Evans: God bless to you, um, Jimmy’s family, and God bless to you all

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Laverne Evans: Good night.

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Mark Hatcher: This is Mark Hatcher, uh head basketball coach at Logan High School.

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Mark Hatcher: Um Jim has been a friend of mine for uh many years.

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Mark Hatcher: Um

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Mark Hatcher: I’ve got to know him through all the coaches uh throughout the state and everything.

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Mark Hatcher: My father, Coach Akers, uh Hunton East and Hangton High were always big rivals of Logan.

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Mark Hatcher: When he started Sports CDU, uh wasn’t too many years later that I started to be the head coach at Logan and we had a really bad year.

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Mark Hatcher: I called him up and said, Hey coach, I need I need help

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Mark Hatcher: I need some grills, I need some new stuff.

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Mark Hatcher: And uh he and Shane Wagner, we worked at a deal where they came down and worked over thirty kids.

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Mark Hatcher: I think for six straight Sundays in the fall, my second year that I was a coach and really the the skills that I learned from him and the

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Mark Hatcher: uh the techniques that I learned, the way he motivated kids, the way he made it happy and fun and but still challenged them and um and you know, he challenged her confidence.

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Mark Hatcher: He he

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Mark Hatcher: He had a way about him that um you know, that just made kids wanna wanna go to him and and work for him.

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Mark Hatcher: And um I appreciate you coach for teaching me those things and uh

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Mark Hatcher: working with me and I got out of coaching for ten years and got back into it last year and you know we had a good year and everything and uh

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Mark Hatcher: I caught him up in the spring, caught Ann and and him, and I said, Hey, I I got like six kids.

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Mark Hatcher: I’d like to buy every spot for you for and have ’em over there every week and he made

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Mark Hatcher: They made sure to to fit me in my own personal hour for all Logan kids and um it was just a great thing.

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Mark Hatcher: The kids were just uh when they heard about this the other night they were all uh they all sent me messages and were all very sad and um but they all were touched by you coach and I’ve had a lot of messages from all the players that I’ve sent to you and

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Mark Hatcher: you’ve worked with over the years, boys and girls from Logan.

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Mark Hatcher: Um we really appreciate everything that you and your family did and um you were a legend coach and uh

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Mark Hatcher: Uh just thank you for um being a part of my life.

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Mark Hatcher: Thanks, coach.

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Matt Dorsey: Hey brother.

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Matt Dorsey: Matt Dorsey here.

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Matt Dorsey: Um

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Matt Dorsey: Jim, I want to thank you so much for your mentorship, your friendship over the years, all the basketball talks we’ve had on the phone in person.

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Matt Dorsey: Um forever grateful for the time that I’ve had to spend with you even over the last few years, over the holidays when I come in town from Florida to be able to come to the lab and help you out with workouts

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Matt Dorsey: Um just hang out, talk hoops, talk life.

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Matt Dorsey: Um You’re always even killing the thing to me, full of energy

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Matt Dorsey: Always believing, achieving and motivating the next person to be the best they could be, and uh seeing the greatness within each person that you came in contact with

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Matt Dorsey: Um I remember calling you when my son was having an issue with his jump shot and I knew I needed a different um set of eyes to see where the issues were and

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Matt Dorsey: Um, you were the perfect man for the job and I remember bringing him into your facility, I believe it was eighth, ninth grade, and you repped out

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Matt Dorsey: the bad habits and he he he was a sponge.

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Matt Dorsey: He soaked it all in and went back and worked on it when he when he wasn’t with you.

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Matt Dorsey: And to this day he still

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Matt Dorsey: does all the habits and the form shooting that you taught him and of course I constantly preach to him uh to keep those things consistent.

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Matt Dorsey: So I’m thankful that you influenced him.

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Matt Dorsey: Um news of your passing

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Matt Dorsey: Um hit him as well pretty hard.

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Matt Dorsey: Uh he called me the day after uh you passed

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Matt Dorsey: And I had found out myself and hadn’t had a chance to speak to him and um I could tell the impact that you had on him.

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Matt Dorsey: Um

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Matt Dorsey: now a twenty year old um sophomore in junior college playing with big goals to play high level division two uh in the MEC and perhaps maybe one day be a professional.

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Matt Dorsey: Um he is inspired by your your influence of being the best shooter you could possibly be because shooting is a separator.

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Matt Dorsey: That’s something that both of us have always agreed on.

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Matt Dorsey: And with that said, I I thank you for your time this summer when I called you about life and some issues and decisions that I was looking to make to potentially come back home.

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Matt Dorsey: And I’ll never forget what you said to me and it still rings in my ear to this day.

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Matt Dorsey: You said, Matt, live your life with no regret

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Matt Dorsey: And that’s why I intend to do moving forward.

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Matt Dorsey: And Jim, we will carry on your legacy and we will make a difference

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Matt Dorsey: And impact others in your honor and for the glory of God.

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Matt Dorsey: Rest in peace.

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Matt Dorsey: We will continue to spread your message to believe, achieve, and motivate the next generation.

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Matt Dorsey: Once you know I love you, brother, and your legacy will live on for generations to come.

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Matt Dorsey: Bam.

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Perry Estep: Hello, my name is Perry Estep.

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Perry Estep: I’m a longtime uh coach for 38 years and teacher of 44 years.

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Perry Estep: in Putnam County.

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Perry Estep: I’m also uh entering my forty-ninth year of basketball officiating for the Kanaw Southern Board and I first ran into Jimmy whenever he was coaching in Cabell County

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Perry Estep: Uh, but more so my impact with Jimmy comes whenever I was diagnosed with colon cancer uh the day I retired, uh June fifth of last year

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Perry Estep: I ran into Jimmy at the infusion center as he was taking infusions as well.

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Perry Estep: And he and I actually sit beside each other several times

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Perry Estep: uh doing chemotherapy and in fusions, um and he would always tell me, Don’t worry about this, we got this.

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Perry Estep: I was stage three B and he was stage four and he laughed about how

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Perry Estep: I could never catch him and that we would always make sure that uh we would celebrate someday, uh, whenever we uh

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Perry Estep: were uh cancer free.

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Perry Estep: I was just diagnosed a few months ago uh in remission and so far cancer free uh with colon cancer and we will celebrate uh together someday soon

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Perry Estep: Um, but it’ll only have to be in heaven.

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Perry Estep: Um, Jimmy was the most inspirational, positive thinking, influential, loving, caring human being I have ever met

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Perry Estep: He always believed, achieved, and motivated with his banned philosophy, and he will forever be a hero to me.

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Perry Estep: Uh it’s with deep regret that I already have a vacation scheduled in Florida uh during his funeral or I would be the first one there.

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Perry Estep: I can promise you that.

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Perry Estep: But I will be there in spirit.

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Perry Estep: I will be there in heart.

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Perry Estep: I love the man.

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Perry Estep: I I I look at his post all the time.

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Perry Estep: He posted me positivity on a daily basis to encourage me when he was going through the same thing that I was going through

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Perry Estep: That’s just Jimmy Clayton.

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Perry Estep: I love the man.

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Perry Estep: Bam.

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Perry Estep: Bam, son.

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Randy Black: So on September twenty-seventh, we

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Randy Black: had the funeral services for Jim and many people there.

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Randy Black: I was one of eight people who spoke that day and was so proud to be a part of that and and to share

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Randy Black: my story with Jimmy and some things about him.

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Randy Black: Um and if you listen to the last episode we put out, it was a release of a recording from 2018.

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Randy Black: with Jim and there was a question I asked him at the end of the episode that was so so poignant that I had forgotten I’d even ask him

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Randy Black: that that question.

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Randy Black: So just to remind you, this is what that question was and what Jimmy had to say.

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Randy Black: What is it that you want Jimmy Clayton to be remembered for?

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Coach Jim Clayton: You know, I I I thought about this for a long time.

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Coach Jim Clayton: I heard somebody say, if you had to write your your you know, your y in one word, what would it be?

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Coach Jim Clayton: I I thought about that for a while, and you know, it’s just like

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Coach Jim Clayton: That was passionate, consistent, caring, positive.

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Coach Jim Clayton: That’s really me.

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Coach Jim Clayton: That’s that’s it.

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Randy Black: Passionate, consistent, caring, and positive

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Randy Black: Those were Jim Clayton summed up in four words.

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Randy Black: The exact words he wanted to be remembered for.

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Randy Black: So at his service I spoke about those four words in Jim’s life.

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Randy Black: We looked at Colossians chapter three, verse twenty three, where it says, And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not unto men.

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Randy Black: And that was Jim Clayton.

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Randy Black: He did everything in his life wholeheartedly.

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Randy Black: Whether he’s taken the time to draw up a play, or he was explaining a lesson in the classroom, you could see the fire in his eyes.

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Randy Black: His passion inspired those around him to give their best because he was always going to give you his best.

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Randy Black: 1 Corinthians 4, verse 2, reminds us that moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful.

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Randy Black: And Jim was faithful.

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Randy Black: Jim was consistent.

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Randy Black: He was a steward of his time, of his talents, and of the people that were entrusted to his care.

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Randy Black: His consistency built trust

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Randy Black: And that trust built relationships that lasted long after the final classroom bell rang, or after that final buzzer sounded

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Randy Black: Romans chapter 12, verse 10 tells us: be kindly affectionate one to another, with brotherly love, in honor preferring one another.

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Randy Black: And that was Jim’s heart.

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Randy Black: Jim chose to love, to encourage, to support.

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Randy Black: For him, caring wasn’t just words.

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Randy Black: It was action

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Randy Black: And his caring was not passive, it was active.

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Randy Black: It was taking the time, it was offering encouragement, and it was giving of himself to others so freely

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Randy Black: In Psalms 118, verse 24, it says, This is the day which the Lord hath made.

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Randy Black: We will rejoice and be glad in it.

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Randy Black: And Jim Clayton lived that.

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Randy Black: His joy was contagious, and his outlook always remained positive.

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Randy Black: He reminded us that each day was a gift worth celebrating and living fully.

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Randy Black: And I’m going to paraphrase this, but he would always say that you can’t look back at yesterday because it was the past.

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Randy Black: And you can’t look at tomorrow because tomorrow isn’t technically a day.

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Randy Black: You have to live your life for today because it’s a gift.

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Randy Black: That’s why they call it the present.

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Randy Black: And at 1201, the day’s going to reset.

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Randy Black: So don’t let yesterday be better than today.

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Randy Black: Jim Clayton was passionate, consistent, caring, and positive.

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Randy Black: And I had the chance to say, Jim, thank you for your life.

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Randy Black: Thank you for your guidance.

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Randy Black: And thank you for your friendship.

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Randy Black: You are beyond deeply missed.

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Randy Black: Your spirit, though, your lessons, your laughter, is going to live right on in every one of us.

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Randy Black: We all need to follow the model that Jim established with BAM.

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Randy Black: We need to work to believe bigger

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Randy Black: To achieve louder and to motivate stronger.

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Randy Black: Just like he said on the intro to this show, and just like he did every single day of his life.

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Randy Black: Bam, son.

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Randy Black: So just a quick update about the show.

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Randy Black: We are technically still on a hiatus.

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Randy Black: Uh I’m working out some details on what’s going to happen.

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Randy Black: with the show.

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Randy Black: So please continue to hang on, continue to follow us.

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Randy Black: Follow us on Facebook.

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Randy Black: You can look us up, shooting it straight podcast on there.

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Randy Black: Make sure you’re subscribed to the show and your podcast app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, a modern podcast app like Podcast Guru, TrueFans, Fountain, whatever it is you use to listen to podcasts.

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Randy Black: Make sure you’re subscribed.

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Randy Black: Um, I think we’ve got things narrowed down.

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Randy Black: I’m working on a plan right now with someone who is potentially ready to take the seat, to take over the microphone.

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Randy Black: That was Jim’s, uh, so we can keep this going.

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Randy Black: And we can continue to spread those ideas and continue to to

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Randy Black: To keep Jim’s legacy alive, to keep things going so that we remember him every single day

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Randy Black: So until next time, keep an eye out on things.

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Randy Black: Make sure you check out our website.

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Randy Black: You can do so by heading over to shootingitstraightpodcast.

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Randy Black: com.

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Randy Black: There on the website, you’ll see any updates we’re going to put out about what’s going to happen.

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Randy Black: So keep an eye on it.

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00:31:58,120 –> 00:32:07,000
Randy Black: Make sure you’re paying attention and remember to always stay positive, always be consistent, always share your passion.

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Randy Black: And always make sure that you’re telling people how much you care about them.

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Randy Black: Just like Jim Clayton.

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Randy Black: Keep shooting it straight.

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Randy Black: And remember, always, always believe, achieve, and motivate.

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Coach Jim Clayton: Bam, son!