THOSE IMPORTANT PEOPLE

As a mentor, Coach Leonard was always the first person I turned to when I had new ideas — and the first person there when things were falling apart. As the athletic director at Lancaster Catholic, he linked his name with mine, publicly supporting both me and the name Sports Stop.

Coach Leonard introduced me to countless officials and directors across the LL League, and his support truly laid the foundation for the company’s beginning. He provided me with opportunities, advice, funding, and — most importantly — always had my back, especially when I found myself in trouble with teachers or staff during high school

Once I realized I could start covering sports beyond Lancaster Catholic, one of the first places I looked was a Warwick basketball game. After being connected to Mr. Hazel by Coach Leonard, we had a quick phone call and email exchange where he was more than happy to let me attend.

Since then, I’ve covered dozens of Warwick games, and every time, Mr. Hazel has been welcoming and supportive. He’s always up for a conversation and constantly looks for ways to help, whether that means connecting me with school staff, athletic directors, or others in the athletic community.

He’s become a trusted mentor — someone I can go to when I’m unsure about something or need guidance. We’ve had many meetings over the years, and I’ve asked him for more than a few favors, which he’s always helped with — simply because he wants to support what I’m doing.

Throughout this journey, my girlfriend Victoria has been one of my greatest sources of support.

She’s always been there to listen — no matter how packed her schedule is — and she never hesitates to help me bring my ideas to life. Whether I’m figuring out how to make a plan possible or just getting through the day-to-day, Victoria is always willing to step in.

From helping me stay organized to sending emails on my behalf, she’s constantly behind the scenes making things happen. Her support, patience, and willingness to help — no matter how small the task — have meant everything to me.

Collin is both a personal friend and someone I work with — and he’s one of our most involved sponsors. We regularly call and meet up over meals to talk business and share new ideas.

He’s been there for me in many ways, including financially, but what I value most is his time and genuine friendship. One of my favorite memories with Collin was on a drive home when I felt very strongly about the situations and challenges I was facing at the time. I asked him to pull over so I could explain the situation and bounce some ideas off him, and we ended up pacing around a parking lot for an hour, talking and laughing. That moment perfectly captures Collin’s commitment — not just as a partner in business, but as a friend who shows up when it matters.

Even before Sports Stop was created, Mr. Stoltzfus was there.

As the teacher of the broadcasting elective, I first met Mr. Stoltzfus during my sophomore year of high school. I had tried — and failed — to join the media team due to the upperclassmen-only rule. But with his support, I was inspired to create Sports Stop — originally just as a way to build my portfolio for the team and my future.

Mr. Stoltzfus gave me hundreds of opportunities to use broadcasting equipment before I was even officially on the team. He backed me from the start, and because of that support, I was able to cover dozens of Lancaster Catholic games. We built a strong bond through the amount of time I spent in his classroom, and he was always open to teaching me — even before I was “qualified” to be there.

Everything I know about technology, video creation, photography, and professionalism in this field, I owe to Mr. Stoltzfus. Once I officially made the team, he became not just a teacher, but a true mentor and inspiration. Now, after graduating from Lancaster Catholic, I’m proud to call him a friend.

I became friends with Drew during my senior year at Lancaster Catholic through mutual friends. As we got to know each other, I started talking to him about some of the challenges I was facing while building Sports Stop. Thanks to what he learned in the entrepreneurship elective and insights from his dad’s business background, he always had something useful to add.

Eventually, Drew and a few of our mutual friends became partial owners of the company. While the others have since stepped away, Drew stayed involved. His impact wasn’t just in the funding he provided — it was in how much he understood the day-to-day of what I was building.

One moment that stuck out was after my meeting with H&L Team Sales, when they officially became a sponsor. I showed up to school in black dress pants and a blue button-up — definitely not the usual look. When I got to lunch, Drew looked at me and said, “Did you get it?” I said “Yeah,” and he stood up and shook my hand. It was one of those moments where I realized he really got what I was trying to do.

I met Chris years ago, and since then he has been a steady source of support for Sports Stop. He’s given me rides to games when I couldn’t drive, helped cover the cost of equipment, and stepped in whenever other needs came up. While I don’t have any wild or funny stories to share, Chris has been a consistent and dependable presence since Sports Stop began operations.