The Boro Buzz Episode 9: More Than a Game! 🎀

This is not just another episode it's a Boro Buzz, we are honoring a life that truly meant the world  to this community. Her legacy lives on through the Laura Lisk Memorial Soccer Jamboree & the Laura Lisk Memorial Scholarship! #lovelikelaura 🎀

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:00

And welcome back, Borough Buzz.

SPEAKER_01 0:01

It's the Borough Nation, and welcome to the Borough Buzz, the all-access path to everything sports in and around the borough. We're talking inside the lines and behind the scenes. Athletes, coaches, reps, and the stories you don't hear on game day. If it's happening in the gym, on the field, or in the locker room, you'll hear it here. This is the Borough Buzz.

SPEAKER_06 0:26

Today we got special edition. Something that's near and dear to my heart. I wanted to go off track. I know we're going to talk a little sports, but it's about a scholarship that I think is huge in this community that is not recognized, or not, I say recognized, but not as blown up as much as it should be in a positive way. We're coming off the sixth annual Laura Lisp Memorial Jamboree, and there's a scholarship called the Laura Lisp Memorial Scholarship. And if you look established in a memory of Ashboro High School alumni, Miss Laura Lisk employed the blue comet spirit and was kind, intelligent, and a joy to be around. Her parents, Reynolds and Mary Liss, established a scholarship for a senior female athlete, preference to a soccer or volleyball player who exhibited sportsmanship throughout the entire athletic career. Criteria also includes involvement in the community service projects, our volunteer clubs. And what better guest in this episode? And turn up the volume. You're going to be shocked who we got here. But first we got Mr. Tyler Liss, Laura's brother, right here. I got him on camera. Everybody knows he loves to talk. We're going to see who can talk more today. That's what we're going to see. How you doing today?

SPEAKER_05 1:27

What about you?

SPEAKER_06 1:29

And then we got Reynolds here, Laura's dad. Yes. What's up, Mr. Reynolds? And then we got lovely Mary right here. How you doing? This is mom. This is mom right here. Before we dive into who Laura was, um, so Tyler, I'm I'm gonna call him on the spot. When I was in third grade, um I had my first ever date. It was a date. Um, yeah, that was hard to believe, you know, me going on a date in third grade. Um I was at I went on a date with Laura Lisk, and there's this brother that comes in um and he tries to intimidate me. I ain't gonna lie, he's stocky, he plays football. I was a little scared. Um but Reynolds and uh Mary have my back and they took me to drive some go-karts. And uh Tyler looked at me and I'm making this up, but he told me if I didn't beat him, I couldn't date her anymore. So, you know, as we can say, I lost. Um and uh but it's okay. Um but a little bit about that. Um, first, as we get started, um one, I want to thank y'all for being on the Borough Buzz. Um, this means a lot. Um, this is something I really want the community to know about. Um, and I feel like y'all are so humble that I had to put you on the spot and bring you here so y'all would talk about it because you won't unless people come up to you because you just you don't want to be the spotlight, and I get that. Um, but talk a little bit about let's talk about the scholarship and how it you know come to happen basically.

SPEAKER_00 2:39

Yeah. Well, I'll start off. Yeah, um, Jay, that so Emily Ramon, who is the ladies' soccer coach for the high school, uh actually coached Laura. She was an assistant coach for a travel soccer team that Laura played on when she was in middle school.

SPEAKER_06 2:55

And Laura just really um She was on the enemy though, too, didn't she coach at NAMS, Emily? The enemy, because we went to Sam's, Laura and I, right? We had to Yeah, yeah, I think I think she told me she was at NAMS, so I thought I said yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:07

Maybe later on, yeah, yeah.

unknown 3:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:09

Yeah, but um, but but Laura made a big impact on on Emily's. Uh she saw she was a Laura was a tough competitor, and um she played hard, but she always showed good sportsmanship. And um, she told me one time she had uh she and this girl were going at it one game, just I mean, tooth and nail. And Laura flattened her on a play, and she stopped and reached down and pulled her up. And that's Emily thought, wow, you know, seeing her go at it like that and then showing that kind of sportsmanship, that just stuck with her. And um years later, you know, Laura accident, she passed away in an auto accident in 2016. And uh, I guess four, three, four years after that, Emily came to us and said that she would love to do a soccer jamboree. We didn't realize what a soccer jamboree was at that time, but uh do a jamboree to raise money for uh maybe possibly a scholarship in Laura's name at Ashware High School. And we were just blown away because tell you, to be honestly, I I really didn't even remember Emily. She was there one year, and um but we've become very close with her since then, and um the tournament has has grown. We just had the sixth annual and it's grown every year. Uh it's been a been a tremendous success. Uh this year, we've got so many great friends, sponsorships, that we're probably gonna add over ten thousand dollars to her scholarship uh this year. With we would love to see this one time eventually being maybe a full scholarship for somebody. That'd be several years down the road and take a lot of jamborees and and and a lot of giving. But uh the scholarship is growing and it's just something that really warms our heart, uh just un unbelievably so.

SPEAKER_06 5:14

And going off of that, um, Mama, tell the community, you know, because this is about the community. Tell talk a little bit about your girl, Laura List. Tell the community what she was like, um, her big heart, why it's so important. I mean, because I everything, y'all talk about her competitive side, but I thought she was the sweetest girl in the world. I mean, I when I found out from Tyler that you should have seen her on the the court, volleyball court of the soccer field, I was like, dude, she'd give the shirt off her back. I was like, man, she must have a really competitive side. Holy cow.

SPEAKER_03 5:40

Yes, she did have a very competitive side. She um uh her passion, I think, was really volleyball. Uh, she loved soccer, she loved playing for uh That was a good volleyball team she was on too. Yes, it was and she made uh the uh varsity soccer and volleyball team as a freshman.

SPEAKER_06 6:00

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 6:01

So there are not too many freshmen that can say that. And so we were very proud of that, and she played for Beth Luck.

SPEAKER_06 6:09

Oh, yeah, Coach Luck.

SPEAKER_03 6:11

We just love dearly, and but she had some great coaches in middle school along the way. She loved Gina Allen. Gina Allen was um a wonderful coach and friend and supported her. But that's where her love and drive of sports started was in middle school. She started playing travel soccer, travel volleyball, and then it just progressed through high school, and um we even went to High Point University. She thought Laura won Laura thought she wanted to play in college, but once we met with the coach at High Point University, and you have to get up at six o'clock in the morning. Yeah, I'm and you've gotta have practice, you gotta go to school, you gotta lift weights. Laura's like, no, I I don't think I want to do that.

SPEAKER_06 6:58

What do you think about that, brother? Would you get up that would you get up that early, Tyler?

SPEAKER_05 7:03

Yes, for for football, I would have. Laura really, she had a lot of talent. I think she had more natural talent than I had.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_05 7:13

Um, tough to say.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

First time he's admitted that.

SPEAKER_05 7:16

Wow, we got it on the record, Tyler.

SPEAKER_06 7:17

It's on the record. You just admitted that.

SPEAKER_05 7:20

Um but you know, so she really, I guess to my mom's point, she she really loved sports, um, but she was also just a good girl, right? And and that's kind of what we want to highlight, and her scholarship just kind of brings to the table and and benefits the female athlete at Ashborough, right? Is is just embodying, you know, just a really good um student uh with with a good heart and who loves to compete, right? So um that's that's just what what we want and and and what Laura would want as well.

SPEAKER_06 7:55

And you're talking about um you mentioned that we talk about athletics, but before we dive into the scholarship, talk about, you know, Daddy, talk about your baby girl's heart.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

Oh Lord, well, you mentioned Mary mentioned Beth Luck, and uh anybody that knew Beth Luck just loved her to death. She was uh she was a fireball. Um and she told us a story. She didn't really know Laura. Um and when Laura came out as a freshman that that first day, she looked, she said, Oh, who's this little girl? and said, didn't think she's gonna last long. And because that team, I think they had five girls that graduated that year that went and played college soccer on that team. I mean, they were they were really good. And um so she thought, well, we'll we'll just see what she does. Well, Laura got out there and she held her own with everybody from the first day on, ended up as a starter on that team. There were only two freshmen that made the team, ended up as a starter, started all four years. Wow. But uh Beth, she and Laura were they were a lot alike, really. They were both super competitive. And um, when they got together, I tell you, it was um a a a sight to see, but they they became very, very close, very tight.

SPEAKER_06 9:15

Yeah. And um just you know, the scholarship, let's go down and talk about the jamboree. But Laura, you know, the accident happened unfortunately. Um wonderful girl. Um, I know it broke a lot of people's hearts in this community. Um instead of, you know, most people could just get in a hole and just, you know, mope and do nothing and just cry and say, you know, why, why, why? But you three decide to do something different. Talk about the steps that happened after that. You know, it hurts, yeah. Talk a little bit about that. But then what pushed you to start this instead of just saying, I want to keep it quiet, I don't want to talk about this, I don't want to pretend like this didn't happen. Um talk about that. Because we all know she's looking down in heaven and smiling ear to ear right now.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

Well, it's it's all about our faith. It's all about our faith. Right. I mean that that's where all that the strength comes from.

SPEAKER_03 9:59

Um and our community the community was friends, oh my gosh, all the pink bows that King Grady started. I mean, there were so many pink bows, and I remember being in that dark hole and not wanting to get out. And then at some point, you gotta get out. And but we also had uh Kurt Lormer come over, a dear friend, a principal um at the Ashboro City Schools, and he came over every morning and made us coffee. We would wake up, there was Kurt, six o'clock in the morning, ready for us to get up. And then, you know, the pink bows started, and there were pink bows around town, and we rode around and looked at that, and we were just so lifted up by the community, by the love and support of the pink bows, by the cards, just and I just wanted to share. I've uh we had a wonderful and long um, you know, visitation at the funeral home, and we heard so many great Laura list stories, and I'll just share one real quick. There was one young man, and I can't remember his name, and he said, you know, I'll always remember Laura because she would come up to me. She wouldn't sit with her friends, she would come up because I was sitting at the lunch table by myself, and she would come up and sit and have lunch with me. So we really found out about Laura's heart through the visitation and all the stories and the people that came and shared their Laura stories, and so that was awesome. That was Laura's heart.

SPEAKER_05 11:40

Well, I think it's a a a great segue, right? Um, and Jonathan, just bring it in here and and talking is is difficult, but I think what along with our faith, what has really helped us with this is the community, right? And and just Laura's scholarship is about this community. It's also about Laura, but it's about the community that has supported us and that supported her. And so just having this jamboree every year um be able to benefit more than just Laura, benefit the community. Um, the sponsors, you know, with with my mom, she she handles has handled a lot of that over the years. Um, my dad and I have just kind of trickled in behind. Um we we joked this year we called her the machine, right? Um because it with the weather and and the month that it's in February, it's been extremely difficult to have the tournament. I think we've had it three out of the six years, right? But we still have the community, even when we don't have the tournament, donating and supporting us, and and that has allowed to get this scholarship to where it's at. So we just thank everybody, all of our sponsors, our friends. Jonathan, we thank you for bringing us on to talk about this. But this is this is really we we want this to benefit the community. And um, Laura was was wonderful. She was my best friend. And um well, most of the time.

SPEAKER_06 13:09

We got stories here, Daddy.

SPEAKER_05 13:12

We don't have the time. Um but but a lot of just um just just huge thanks to um to my mom for for going out and and to my dad for kind of being the the oversight to to this and and Emily, right? I mean, like my dad said, Emily has just been tremendous. Um she and I have really we've joked a lot, but she she's a really, really awesome person and a great coach for the girls, right? Um similar to Beth in that where you know she's she's a fighter, and but she wants to see the sportsmanship. So just kind of seeing her carry that and embody that, I think what Beth and Laura, I think they'd be really happy to see what was going on.

SPEAKER_00 13:53

Just to piggyback on what they said, talking about the community, so the support that we got. There were over one thousand pink bows in Ashborough between the florists they sold, and that that's a fact. Uh they I think Bird sold something like close to 800. Yeah, but the others, but there were over one thousand pink bows all over this town. Channel eight and channel twelve both did news stories on it. Yeah, they came on their six o'clock uh broadcast. But that the community was incredible. Um the visitation started at 3 30 in the afternoon. The last person came through the line at 1 a.m. Wow, wow, and that was Sherrill Robert Graves. He was gonna be the last person. It was one o'clock in the morning, and you know, you get out of life what you put into it. And and Laura, she lived life with a passion, and and she was all about love and loving people and the underserved, and the underserved people, but she put that into her short life, and you see what happens when when people do that. If you live a life of anger and hate and just going around with with malice in your heart all the time, you never get anywhere. This wouldn't have happened to somebody like that. But Laura, the love that she showed, she just had that, she that was in her DNA. Um so that's what sustains us. That that first jamboree that we did got it snowed the day before it happened. Okay, so they said, uh, you can't use the fields. It's gonna tear them up, they're gonna be too wet. So Emily called um Joel, the Four Saints, and said, Well, can we have an event there on like at lunchtime on Saturday?

SPEAKER_03 16:00

Because we had ordered all the food, we had the t-shirts, everything, you know, was ready to go. And Joel's like, sure. Yeah, come on up, and people came up, they bought the to-go plates, they bought everything.

SPEAKER_00 16:13

We sold we sold everything. We sold sold everything. We raised, didn't even have a jamboree, and we raised over $14,000.

SPEAKER_06 16:22

That's awesome. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

Doing that, but that was just more another example of this community and and loving her, supporting her. But she is she was such a light.

SPEAKER_06 16:36

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 16:36

She was a light in this world, and um that's that's what happens when you live like and Laura wasn't perfect. I'm nobody's perfect, yeah. You know, I mean, she she had lots of faults just like we all do. But she really did love people.

SPEAKER_06 16:52

I was gonna say every time I see her, it could be 10 years from now, she would give you she would give me a hug and just like Jonathan! And I'm like, hey, what's up? Because you know, her McCain, you want to see Charlotte, yeah. Yeah. So, but yeah, um, going off of that, go ahead, Greg.

SPEAKER_03 17:04

I was gonna say, talking about Charlotte, oh my gosh, that's a whole nother story. You know, um, Laura went to Charlotte and there were actually two pink bows outside the Charlotte sign on uh 49 in her honor. And then we had a lifelong friend, uh Brian Marley, who arranged for us to get Laura's diploma because you know the accident happened Thanksgiving weekend and she was supposed to graduate two weeks later. Well, our friend arranged it so that Laura could get her uh diploma posthumously, it was presented to us. We got lots of great letters from um some of her classmates at uh Charlotte. We met some of the professors behind the scene. We decided not to sit through the ceremony. That was just gonna be too tough.

SPEAKER_00 17:57

Couldn't take that.

SPEAKER_03 17:58

Yeah, but we did get her diploma, we got lots of love, we got letters even from Charlotte University.

SPEAKER_06 18:06

Heck yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:07

UNC Charlotte.

SPEAKER_06 18:09

And that's that's that's incredible, especially the pink. I don't I don't think I've ever looked so good into pink now. You know, I never really wore pink until you know these shirts came out. You're pulling it off, man. I know, man. I know you're in touch with your feminine. Um takes a man to wear pink. Amen to that right there. Um, the scholarship. So as we're listening, I know we don't have much time left, but I want to go off a few and don't rush your answers on this. Um, and anyone can talk on this. The scholarship, you've raised the funds every year. Um, and it comes if I'm a let's say I'm a business and I I'm listening to this podcast hearing about you know how amazing this this whole organization, I say organization, but this foundation is, and I want to donate to the scholarship. How can how do I go about that if I'm a business owner? Or just a person in general that want to donate.

SPEAKER_03 18:52

Right. Well, uh what we did was you just write the a check to Ashborough City Schools Education Foundation. And then a memo line you just put the Laurelist Soccer Jamboree. That way it goes to the Laurelist Soccer Jamboree, and then that'll go into that fund, and out of those funds, then we give out a scholarship to the senior female scholar athlete at the end of the year.

SPEAKER_06 19:18

Okay, and that soccer jamboree, um, it's going on six years. Um, how how have you watched it grown? Anyone can talk on this right here.

SPEAKER_05 19:27

Well, it's it's like I said earlier, having it fit having three out of the six years, it's it's been tough, but I I think really, you know, we didn't have it last year, so it it skipped a year last year. But the year before last, we had Lake Norman come out. This year we had Western Alamance come out. Um, two schools that are really powerhouses as far as women's soccer. Um, Western Alamance won the state championship last year, and um they have retooled and and are looking to just be really competitive again this year. So Emily has done just a fantastic job. That that all kind of falls on her as far as in her relationships with other other coaches across the state. But we've really had some great competition, um, some some heavy top end, and we've also had local competition. So a huge thanks to Southwest who has participated every year, Jordan Matthews out in Siler City. Mr. Randolph, I mean, Mr. Randolph. So I see Trinity there last weekend. Uh Trinity, Trinity was there. Trinity was there. So yeah, just um great participation locally, but also reaching out a little bit too. 50 Northwood High School was there this year, so you know, up near Pittsburgh. So really um the competition and the teams that have attended um are are there. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:44

But she the first year she was kind of struggling to get eight teams. Yeah, she got them. And uh this year we had 12 for the first time. And I think if we had more fields, we could have we've probably gotten more teams. So um it's we can see that growth there.

SPEAKER_06 21:01

You better tell the sportsplex to watch out. We won't have to start using those fields.

SPEAKER_00 21:04

Well, we talked to the sportsplex, but it's it's so booked up for these two weekends.

SPEAKER_03 21:10

And the reason that we have to have the soccer jamboree this weekend, the girls by law can only scrimmage one week before their season starts. So that's why it's always the same weekend. And this is hopefully maybe an encouragement to the sportsplex, even though they've got the fusion, they've got the Carolina Corps.

SPEAKER_06 21:30

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:31

Booked, maybe they might consider putting us on their schedule next year.

SPEAKER_06 21:35

And um, two more questions. Um, one, if I'm watching this as a student and I want to apply for this scholarship, what's the criteria? How much is the scholarship, and where do I go to apply?

SPEAKER_00 21:47

Well, it's it's going to twenty five hundred dollars this year. Yep. Okay, we've got gotten there and within um From a thousand.

SPEAKER_05 21:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:55

Yeah, from a thousand. And we hope that within four years it's gonna be five thousand. Scholarship.

SPEAKER_06 22:01

So uh you get I'm gonna hope for ten. We're gonna keep watching it grow. I gotta go film it. It's gonna keep growing.

SPEAKER_00 22:06

Well, what you what you do is if you've got twenty thousand dollars, you can give out a ten thousand dollars, I mean a thousand dollars every year from now we'll never put a dime in it. Yeah, but we're still we we're trying to build it now and it's in its in its infancy. And um sky's the limit.

SPEAKER_03 22:22

Yeah, but if you're a student and you're looking for scholarship help, all you have to do is just check with your Ashboro City School Counselor, they'll guide you. Or coaches. Or coaches and they pay attention, y'all. That's right.

SPEAKER_06 22:36

Um, my last question, um, and thank y'all for being on here. Um full circle. I know we're not even halfway there yet. This is gonna be we're gonna look back from 30 years from now, maybe we'll be on here again a podcast. Um, and I want you what would you think if Laura standing in front of you right now where I'm sitting, what would she what would you tell her and what do you think she would say to you?

SPEAKER_03 22:57

Wow. Um I think she would just be so proud that we're doing this in her honor.

SPEAKER_00 23:03

Oh yeah, absolutely. Absolutely she would. And 30 years I'll be 98, so you'll be here.

SPEAKER_06 23:09

My neighbor's 91, Howard. So shout out Howard, he's 91 going strong, baby.

SPEAKER_05 23:16

Yeah, I you know, again, just uh we can't screen community enough, right? Um and and to my dad's point, you get out what you put in, and I I I do think she would be very proud. Um, just living out her legacy, right? That's we all cope in different ways, um, friends, family. But for me, just living out that just just love and and loving everybody and treating everybody the same.

SPEAKER_03 23:42

And she would be proud to be remembered and not forgotten. Yeah, because that's your biggest fear when you lose a child. You know, that's just not the right order. It just doesn't make sense in your mind. But for her to be remembered, I think she would also say, rock on, keep on trucking, keep on going.

SPEAKER_00 24:03

One last comment, Jonathan. That Zeb Holden, good friend of mine, he's county manager, he volunteered on Saturday and helped out. And when he was leaving, he came over. We're good friends. We were talking, he said, gosh, Reynolds, he said, I know this has got to be hard for for you and your family being out here and seeing all this. I said, Zeb, it's the opposite. I said, it's what gives us strength and seeing all this that was created in in Laura's honor. I said, no, it doesn't make us sad at all. It it this is what gives it gives us energy. Yeah, and we feed off of that. And what's that, done?

SPEAKER_03 24:39

Maybe a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 24:40

Well, it it just it it pumps me up.

SPEAKER_06 24:43

I'll tell you what, man, I've never seen pink look better, and we're gonna put a picture up uh than in Bank of America Stadium. Um and that's something that um and as we sign off, I just want to say we're gonna show this picture um as I'm talking. Um and I'm telling you, Bank of America, I think they need more pink in there. Um and I know you guys are seasoned ticket holders to the Panthers, so uh give them a shout out for doing that. But I want to thank you guys for all you do for this community. I mean, even before this foundation, Tyler, how much you do, how friendly you are. Everywhere I see you, man, everyone loves you to death, bro. Um and I love you, man, like in my home brother. Um Reynolds, you you're awesome, man. I can't say enough good things. Even when I see you at the gym lifting, um, I'm like, man, maybe when I hit his age, I'll be lifting that much. I don't, I don't know though. But and then Mary, um, I think the world of you. Um, and I want you guys to know that uh I I believe this this is gonna be big. I think in the next 10 years, we're gonna be sitting here going, wow, we're giving away $50,000 scholarship. We're giving a full ride. Um I I truly believe that. Um, but I want to thank you guys. Any last remarks before we sign off here on episode six of the Burrow Buzz?

SPEAKER_02 25:44

Thank you, Jonathan. We love you. We appreciate everything you've done.

SPEAKER_06 25:48

Nah, I just like I said, just be just doing being here, you know. Like I said, Laura's so impactful, even in my life, like I said, because I know her and my sister were good friends, and seeing you guys happy and what you're doing is awesome. So that's why I want to say it. Love you, all three of you, like my own family.

SPEAKER_00 26:02

And every time I go to the bank and sit in that stadium, I'll think about you. That ribbon board and what you did.

SPEAKER_03 26:08

For us at the bank, yes, with the ribbon. That was awesome. And that's truth. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 26:13

Yep. Well, thank you, Jonathan. Love what you're doing, man.

SPEAKER_06 26:15

Love you, bro. Um, well, thank you all for tuning in on the Borough Buzz. Uh, make sure you share this. I'm telling you, share it, share it, share it. We need to get this out there. Um, and if you see Tyler Reynolds, Mary, come up to them and just ask them about Laura. I'm sure they would love to talk about her. Y'all got great memories. Um, they'll tell you how to you know apply if you want to see it in person. Um, if you want to talk to them, just sit down with them. I mean, Tyler, they might need to buy you a drink, right? Reynolds, they're gonna have to take forever. Um again, thank y'all for tuning in. Share, hit that heart button, and then we'll see you next time on the Borough Buzz. Ready to dominate social media? Meet Core AI Media, your expert team of videographers and digital strategists powering data driven campaigns with cutting edge AI. We analyze, target, engage, monitor in real time, and deliver results that surprise industry standards. From skyrocketing engagement to crushing your goals, we are measured by results. Contact Core AI Media today at info at coreaiimedia.com. Let's grow your brand fast.