For my last column of the regular season, I decided to go in a direction that (I’ll admit) might be a little atypical. 

Traditionally, I salute the season and what it meant across the board to the more-than-400 schools that kicked off their schedules in August and chased the chance to play in the last games of the year. And while it was great to see a lot of you and we’re blessed to be with you as much as we are, one school stays with me... 

And they stay with me a lot...  

We’re blessed to be where we all are on a daily basis. But I would, at the same time, remind us all to think about those near to us -- and not necessarily next to us. We don’t know what the person next to us may be going through and it never hurts to ask. 

I wanted to catch up with Apalachee Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Ralph Neeley to see how things are going.

How are you (in the collective sense)...?

“It's a new normal for everyone (not just on campus) and I don't want folks to forget about what happened and what the community is going through on a daily basis. We are doing alright. Our focus continues to be directed toward helping our kids and community handle the effects of our tragedy. When we are able to make progress with handling our thoughts and feelings, we can take steps in educating our kids. We obviously still need help with that as we are not professionals in dealing with trauma, and we are still trying to get a handle on our own thoughts and feelings. We are seeing a lot of progress and celebrating successful steps in our journey. Our kids are resilient, and our staff is amazing. Our staff has always worked hard to do ‘what is best for kids,’ and that is very evident now. I am proud to be a part of this work family.” 

Do you (in the collective sense) need anything? And, I know that's an open-ended question and it can go in a million different directions. But no matter how large or small, I think folks should know how they can help in the short and long-term.  

“We still need grace. We are navigating this journey with many unknowns and unanticipated challenges that continue to arise. We are trying to progress toward getting back to a strong focus on academics and extracurricular activities, but student and staff mental health is still our priority. Many, including myself, have a strong desire to see our school return to the way things operated before September, but, honestly, we are not remotely close to that. Our staff’s job descriptions have changed dramatically. Maybe, with the change of a new semester in January, we will continue to make progress toward a return to some sort of normalcy. Until we get there, we know that there will continue to be consternation because our kids and our community want to be able to have a ‘normal’ school year. Our kids deserve to have a ‘normal’ ending to the 2024-25 school year, especially our seniors. We just have not been able to get there yet.”

What is it that you want folks not to forget about from the last few months going forward?

“And, along those lines, I am very proud of the culture that our coaches and teachers have created in our school. We are known for ‘doing things the right way.’  We have good kids that represent us very well. We will work hard on returning to that being our image. Our kids and staff are resilient, and we will regain that public perception. I hope that the resiliency of Chee Nation will be the lasting impression the rest of the state and nation holds on to.”

What's the Apalachee holiday message for those of us on the outside looking in?  

“Give back. We have had a lot of people throughout the nation invest into our journey of healing. We are encouraging our programs to refocus on giving to others during this time. ‘Pay it Back’ if you will. There are so many individuals and entities that have given to our kids and faculty that we will never be able give an appropriate ‘thank you’ to. Their investment into our kids is truly priceless. We hope to at least be able to show them that we want to follow their lead of giving and investing into others. Hopefully that will show that their investment into us is not only making an impact on us individually, but also our community. If you keep up with our social media pages, you will see many of our groups actively giving back.” 

I know we at GPB Sports named Coach Mike Hancock as our "Coach of the Year" and he made the statement (rightfully so) on social media that it wasn't just him. How big an effort are we talking about across all levels there to make sure Apalachee has as many good days in a row as possible?  

“There are too many people and community members to count. We will never be able to appropriately thank all of them. Coach Hancock is a humble and private man, but he, unfortunately, was placed in a very public position with our situation. He handled the situation with professionalism and grace. His faith and his character were evident throughout the process and continues to be a major part of our healing. Coaches impact kids in a variety of ways, including being a pillar of strength in tumultuous times. Coach Hancock is a pillar. His staff and support system are amazing. Our principal, Ms. (Jessica) Rehberg, has been a pillar. Our superintendent, Dr. (Dallas) LeDuff, has been a pillar. Our softball coaching staff, led by Brooke Houlihan, has been a pillar. Our volleyball staff, led by Joey Alfonso, has been a pillar. Our cross country staff, led by Blasé Leverett, has been a pillar. Our competition cheerleading staff, led by Katie Hicks, has been a pillar. Our winter sports coaches are now deep in their seasons and helping kids heal. Soon our spring sports programs will begin and help another wave of students in their healing journey. We lean on all of them for leadership and they deliver for us and our community. We have a strong team that we can rely on, whose focus remains on doing what is best for our kids. I cannot overstate how proud I am of the people I work with and the entire Chee Nation.” 

And, those were the questions I had off the top of my head to catch up with Coach... 

So, just a reminder... 

Love those around you- regardless of what your definition of “around” is geographically... 

Don’t be afraid to ask and check in ... you may get an unexpected and welcome conversation and ... 

Be there for one another ... I’m, probably, one of the worst at that one specifically. But do your best in that regard -- and I’ll try to remind myself on that one.

Have a fantastic holiday season! I can’t thank everyone for all they do (at GPB and outside the building) and Signing Day will be here before you know it... 

Play it safe, everyone! I’ll talk to you soon!