They left things better than they were when they found them…

Bad news this week with Big Jim Modlin stuck in the hospital for the holidays….Jim(Ragsdale HS/ECU basketball legend) has been forced to battle his on-going staph infection again and right now the future does not look good for “Big Jim”…There’s hope he would be out of High Point Regional Hospital for the holidays but, they’re not sure when and if Jim will be able to come out of that hospital….You have to hope and pray that Jim will make it through this extremely tough ordeal….Jim has always had a way of leaving things better than they were when he found them…

Old radio pro Buddy Bray, who has always been a big sports fan, had his leg amputated last week and he is now in a rehab center in Greensboro…Buddy could dunk a basketball back in his hay-day and his line always was, “what high school did that kid go to?”, when asking about a college hoops talent…Buddy was always one who left things better than they were when he found them…

Others in that same boat of leaving things better than they were we found them include, the old coach Bill Slayton(SEG), who is still a steadying influence on our community…We spoke earlier in the week, about the job that former N.C. A&T coach Don Corbett did over the years in the community and how he left things in much better shape than they were when he found them….Others along the way are men like the current Western Guilford and SEG basketball coach Jim Clontz, Charlie Gamble III, who gave us Charlie Gamble IV and Coach Gamble III worked so hard in the community for many years and got very little recognition for it….A special thanks to both Coach Gambles….Johnny Smith was one of the men who put in many a days work, on baseball fields all over this county and never really said a word, he just tried his best to raise his sons and to get those baseball fields into the best possible shape he could….

All of these people that I am mentioning left things in a lot better shape than they were when they found them and they have put in many years of service….Others that I have run into this week that could use some props and a little recognition are, the Gunns down at Eastern Guilford, where they have worked many years to keep that basketball program growing and to put Adam Gunn in a position where he can carry on there, or at the college level one day….Tommy Pursley(NEG) did that with his son Brock, he helped prepare him to coach on the collegiate level and a coach like Bob Via, prepared his son Michael to play(football) on the college level(Virginia Tech)…

Tony Sutphin got his son Cal ready and I saw those guys the other night and Cal is wearing his college colors from Liberty U, in a good way….They’re leaving things better than they were when they found them….David Nettesheim over at Rice Toyota has been doing that for a long time and he has become a big connection to help older members, like Coach Slayton and many more that need a hand in the community….A man like John Primm, the former AD at NEG did things the right way and he left the athletic landscape in our county much better than it was when he found it….Donald Moore Sr. with the Greensboro Grasshoppers has done the same thing…Taking on numerous community projects and he made the end results show up much better than they were when he took over….Many of those that I have been mentioning have made things get much better and did it along with their sons along the way, having their offspring see how it should be done, when you are attempting to make the community a better place…Donald Moore with Donald Jr,. Mr. Nettesheim with his son Matt, Tony with Cal, Coach Gamble with Charlie IV, Mr. and Mrs. Gunn with Adam, Bob V. with Michael V., Coach Pursley with Brock, Johnny Smith with his three sons, and on we go….Coach Kent at Page and Coach Eaves at N.C. A&T could fall right in here with the theme on teaching and their sons….Three more father-son duos that we have seen work wonders include, Kevan Moore-Clint Moore, Keith Miller-Tiger Miller and Greg Johnson-Will Johnson……They all have left things in a lot better shape than they were when they found them…..

Coach Roscoe over at Northern did not have any children, but he made it point to help the kids at that school and he sure has left things better than they were when he found them….

We could go on and on and we will, if you will send us a few names…Why not keep the list going????? Send us what you’ve got and we will try and keep it growing….

You like this topic, or do you think it shows up like another mountain in a mole-hill????? You never know, you just let it go……

4 thoughts on “They left things better than they were when they found them…

  1. i hope big jim pulls through and gets better hate to hear about buddy bray both are good people it makes you wonder why bad things happen to good people

  2. Jim’s efforts will be missed and the same can be said for coaches Slayton and Gamble, they were good ones too.

    What ever happened to Coach Gene Banks that used to be over at Smith coaching basketball?

  3. You hang in there Jim. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Also listened to Buddy Bray years ago. He is another great one.

    I certainly hope we are not saying any goodbyes to either of the Gamble boys. They have been and are making a big difference at SEHS. I didn’t know Gable Sr during the ole days but I am very impressed with his approach with the boys. I think by the twinkle in his eyes…he is having fun. Gamble Jr’s experience and knowledge is irreplacable. He and his son are class acts. I hope they stick around SE for a good long time. As you said they have already made it better than was before.

  4. Jim, You better get better as Andy needs you to keep him out of trouble in the booth. We’re pulling for you.

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