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“We want to help our community”. That’s the mantra Randolph-Henry baseball coach Josh Barmoy wants to instill in his players. When they’re not on the field, even like now during the offseason, you’ll find them helping at church fundraisers, cleaning up the school or, as they did Sept. 18, organizing food and moving supplies for a food bank in Charlotte Court House. 

“We really don’t have a set limit or quota for what we do service project wise,” Barmoy said. “We are available to our community and try our best to help when there is a need.” 

This was the team’s first time helping with a food bank, but they’ve also done work for Charlotte County Christmas Parents, they’ve raked leaves at various individual homes in the community for people who can’t do it themselves and they’ve learned how to power wash and paint the dugouts and benches at Randolph-Henry. 

This past season wasn’t too bad either for the Statesmen, as they went 17-7 on the year, including a 7-game winning streak to finish off the regular season. Also, then-senior Luke Skelton got a unique opportunity to finish out his high school baseball career with an invite to play in the Virginia Baseball Coaches Association All-Star game. And while Barmoy is focused on training and continuing to build the program on the baseball diamond, he sees these community projects as another way of doing just that. 

To Randolph-Henry baseball, service is important   

“Service projects are important because it is an opportunity to make a difference in others’ lives,” Barmoy said. “When you think about what a team is, this embodies it. Putting others’ needs above our own for the greater good.”

A special project the team is working on this year will involve VS. Cancer, a pediatric brain tumor foundation based out of Raleigh, North Carolina. The team will be raising money later on, to help fund brain tumor research, as well as supporting families of children with brain cancer.

That can mean helping them pay for transportation or a place to stay. Some of the VS. programs include funding child psychologists at hospitals, with the goal of helping patients cope with their diagnosis, treatment and survival. We mentioned housing and transportation before, but VS. Cancer also helps families of patients cover grocery bills while treatment is going on as well. We’ll be revisiting this when the Statesmen officially start raising money. 

But beyond all the benefits, Barmoy said, it’s fun to get the team away from the field to bond and learn more about each other. 

“It’s amazing to see the different personalities and skills our guys possess off the field,” Barmoy said. “I know we benefit from these experiences just as much as those we serve!”