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One of the things that draws people into sports is a sense of belonging or family.
At least that always was the case for me, but I grew up in a household with sports playing an impactful role.
My brother and I had some fun times, although golf wasn't really his thing.
It's not that he was a bad golfer, but the sport takes a certain temperament. He just didn't possess that trait.
Speaking of brothers, Greenhills Golf Course superintendent Alex Easthom experienced a little of the late Toby Keith's "As Good As I Once Was" recently on the links.
During an every-man-for-himself Ravenswood versus Ripley rivalry death match at Greenhills, Easthom was joined by little brother Kelan Lucas, his current Red Devil golf teammate Marshall Creel as well as Ripley's Cam Goode and Austin Donohew.
The senior-to-be Lucas led his older brother by two strokes at the turn and finished with a career-best 3-under par 69.
Easthom, who is capable of going 7-under on the back nine, birdied two of his last three holes but carded an even par 72.
"Good job, I'm proud of you," Lucas said Easthom told him, after losing to him for the first time.
Lucas quipped he had to "be careful" what he said about the match that didn't really count for anything because his older brother is also now his boss.
"He spends an enormous amount of time helping me with every aspect of my game, from equipment, to practice, to swing mechanics," Lucas admitted.
"He's always there for me. My dad even said once I got to a sub-five handicap, there isn't much he can do to improve my game, and that Alex has it from here."
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Someone who always was there for anyone at anytime -- 1970 Calhoun County graduate Mike Stump -- passed away suddenly on Tuesday.
A truly down to earth guy who was larger than life in more ways than one, Stump touched the lives of so many.
After graduating and spending four years in the U.S. Air Force, Stump came back home with wife Jean, graduated from Glenville State and then started his teaching career.
The ex-Red Devil was the head coach for wrestling, football, baseball and golf.
During his tenure on the mats from 1987-2015, the Red Devils finished as Class AA/A state runner-up four times (2002, 2006, 2010 and 2015) while capturing 10 regional and as many Little Kanawha Conference championships.
A 2015 inductee into the West Virginia chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Stump coached 21 individual state champions and had two dozen runners-up, which included five grapplers winning the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award.
Randy Wilson was Stump's first individual champ back in 1991 and Cole Boatright was his last in 2015.
He coached a trio of All-Americans in Ben Laughlin, Jared Haught and Cole Ritchie.
Starting in 2017, the top coach in Class A was presented the Mike Stump Coaching Award, which was bestowed to Wirt County's Danny Life.
Among his numerous accolades as a head coach, Stump was honored as the Class AA/A Dix Manning Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2015, while also winning the NFHS Mideast Sectional Coach of the Year in 2008.
"He was my baby brother, my nuisance to put up with all of our growing up years. He was such a little thing that we never thought he would grow up to be the man he was," sister Patti Hicks posted on Facebook. "But he was a hero to me. When he went into the service, he was so short and small, and the first time I saw him after basic, he had grown at least a foot taller than I was.
"Well, that might be stretching it a little, but not by much. When he went to college, he was my inspiration to go also. I was so proud of him. Funny, I never told him that. But I always have been. Now he's gone and I can't tell him. But I think he knew anyway. Long story short, he wasn't my coach, or my buddy. He was my brother, my only living member of my childhood. And I miss him so much. Love you Michael Stump."
Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com