09/04/2026
He was “seen” and that made all the difference!
So glad I got a chance to stop in and grab a new Huskers hat yesterday on my day trip to good ole North Platte. 💙
I’m from North Platte, and in middle school, I was blessed with the opportunity to be a mentee of the TeamMates Mentoring Program. I got matched with a local business owner and community member, Tim O’Conner (brother of Coach O’Conner).
He owns The Sports Shoppe & Big Red Etc, and from the moment we met, he has always believed in me and spoken life into me. It’s so important to have people willing to feed your potential and steward you toward greatness.
After I moved to Lincoln for high school, we naturally chatted less and less, but the love has always been real. The impact is cemented.
When I walked in yesterday, he almost didn’t recognize me, as it’s been many years. After a second take, he greeted me with a huge smile and hug. We got to catch up a bit, & he told me it’s no surprise that I turned out to be an amazing young man and he always knew I would, complimenting my “million dollar smile.”
I’m so grateful to know this man. Thank you, Tim. You’ve inspired me in so many ways, but most importantly, you saw me. Just feeling seen was always enough.
So to anybody reading this… take time to appreciate the people around you. Speak life into others. They’ll always remember it. As Del Whitman quoted the other night at the Lincoln Arts Awards…
“Which is more important,” asked Big Panda, “the journey or the destination?”
“The company,” said Tiny Dragon.
