10 legacy questions asked of Joey Sorters

On July 25, 2017: 10 questions were formulated with the idea of presenting them to Prairie Grove High School assistant principal Joey Sorters in regard to his late son Jarren’s ongoing legacy which Joey and his wife, Donna, carry on through the Play4Jarren Foundation. Perhaps, those questions are relevant now, maybe to the Pea Ridge community and Cotton family reeling from the unexpected death of Pea Ridge sophomore, Ayden Cotton, 15-year-old son of Roy and Jamie Cotton of Pea Ridge. Ayden wore jersey No. 24 as a member of the Blackhawk varsity football team. He died Thursday, Jan. 9, after collapsing at work.

1. Hebrews 11:4 NIV states, “And by faith, Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.” In what ways is Jarren still speaking to you, your family, and the community?

2. Parents tend to want to imprint their values upon their sons. While you weren’t privileged to continue this role into Jarren’s adulthood, how do you and Donna deal with the emotions of perhaps, at times, feeling robbed of not getting to usher him into manhood?

3. On the other side of that issue, there must be many ways in which you take satisfaction for the values you were able to impart unto Jarren in his short life. Will you please expound on that?

4. Please describe how the fact this happened to your family has become a motivating force in seeking to help other families facing similar challenges?

5. As a coach, you probably have seen players who were reluctant to step into the batter’s box or field a ball, yet, many times over we have heard Jarren was not afraid to die. Please describe this rugged courage he exhibited in the face of odds stacked against him?

6. Statistics show the death of a child takes a toll on marriages and some marriages don’t survive such an ordeal. What intentional things do you and Donna do to protect your marriage and safeguard your family?

7. There have been cases in which a surviving sibling felt neglected because of the amount of attention focused on the death of a child. In what ways do you nurture and protect your son, Jackson, so he doesn’t feel like a base-runner left stranded?

8. Please describe the impact of the gift of visual images Billy Don Cates has captured through his camera lens in photographing Jarren’s last baseball game?

9. Please define compassion and what that means to you and your family and how it has played out in tangible expressions through the Prairie Grove community and others?

10. Anything else you feel is noteworthy, feel free to mention?