Damon William Cochran

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... a young rebel was born on Tuesday, August 26, 1975, at Community Hospital in Geneva, IL, to proud parents, Renis & Leonard Cochran. One of two kids, Damon has a sister, named Gina. The family lived in Oswego, IL, a suburb of Chicago, which is about 20 miles south of the hospital where Damon was born. Renis has described Damon a good boy, but he was definitely a handful and her & Leonard have countless stories to tell. He was always into something and a relentless joker.

As a young kid growing up in Oswego, Damon participated in many extracurricular activities. While some of you might not know Damon as an athlete, he was! He excelled in baseball, football, track, swimming and water polo. His favorite, of course, swimming was his favorite. He was a member of the Aurora YMCA Sharks, excelling in the butterfly, winning many meets. He would eventually participate in Nationals and qualify for the Olympic Trials. He also was able to add a Baseball State Championship to his list of accomplishments.

Damon was a popular native Oswegan and still maintained many of those contacts and friendships throughout the years. I'm sure we could be here for days with the stories and shenanigans we would hear about. His best friends growing up were Ryan Peat & Dave Harizon. He was a member of a group of friends referred to as the “Fab Four".

I was asked to share a story… Peaty told us about a road trip they were on and he says they were in the Little League World Series in Michigan. They had a block of rooms at the Holiday Inn and Damon shared a room with a guy named, Mike Flaar. Now keep in mind, Mike is a Division 1, full ride scholarship football player. He was 6'5" and pushing 275. When they woke up in the morning Damon turns to Mike and asks, “Man, was I rubbing your butt last night?” Mike responds, “Umm, yeah, I think so.” Peaty says he still remembers laughing so hard he cried. When I heard the story I immediately pictured Planes, Trains & Automobiles with Steve Martin and John Candy.

Damon graduated form Oswego High School in 1993, earning a scholarship to NIU, Northern Illinois University were he played Water Polo and earned his Associates Degree. Damon was always a quick learner and strived for excellence. He was a great listener, always playing devil's advocate with me. He loved to share his knowledge and was what I call "Old School" in many ways. He wanted to pass his knowledge on to others doing so in a very empathetic and encouraging way. I guess that's what helped him excel in coaching. He not only wanted to teach the basics of the sport he was involved in, but also sportsmanship & core values. He was every players biggest fan and wanted to help develop the young man or woman inside the player.

In 2001, Damon moved to Las Vegas where he would meet & court, a Las Vegas Teacher from New Mexico. On June 14, 2003, he married the love of his life, Bridget Cleveland. They lived in the home they still occupy today adding first a son, Brayden on May 17, 2006 and then a daughter, Kylie on April 14, 2009. Our kids have grown up together along with many friends in the League. Damon was a Corrections Officer when he and Bridget were first married, but soon switched to Realty where he enjoyed a long career, as he did not enjoy corrections.

Being from the Chicago area, Damon, was a lifelong Cubs fan. So, of course we had a rivalry their as well, as I am a lifelong Dodger Fan. I would often ask, “How many years has it been?!” But, he was still faithful. We would even debate who was better, Harry Carey or Vin Scully…So, win the Cubs knocked my Dodgers out of the playoffs I got behind them as the National League Champions and they brought home the trophy for the first time in 108 years. I'm glad he got to see that in his lifetime, even though I would still tease him and say, “Ya know, I'm good with them winning every 108 years or so…” And, I would get a big grin!

We also shared a love for movies and music often quoting various scenes from different movies, but I could never keep up with the amount of knowledge he had. He also taught me about his love of obscure sports, specifically Cornhole and Disc Golf, of which he excelled at both and either knew personally or knew of the professional athletes in those sports.

He spent the last 8 years, Spring and Fall, as a dedicated coach and manager at Mountain Ridge, logging countless hours on our fields at tryouts, practices, and games, both regular & post season. Damon took great pride in the Ridge and what our organization meant to him. He loved to announce at our playoff & tournament games. He and I had the chance to announce and keep score at the last A-Ball Battle Born Game, enjoying every player introduction, song, and he joyously took every opportunity to make fun of me. As an All-Star Coach for the Ridge, Damon was part of last year's State Championship team in the 9/11 Division and was looking forward to coaching this year's 12 Team and the possibility of moving on to represent our league, district and state at the West Regional Tournament.

Damon, a good hearted, fun loving, life of the party, generous, sincere, lovable guy, will be remembered as a beloved husband, father, brother, son, friend, and dedicated coach & manager. He was an example of what we should all strive to teach our players regarding life lessons, community and sportsmanship. Damon is survived by his wife of 15 years, Bridget, son, Brayden, a 7th Grader at Cadwallader MS, daughter, Kylie, a 4th Grader at O’Roarke ES, and many friends and family.

Some may ask…who was Damon Cochran or Cochran as I liked to call him. He was a rebel, who was loved by everyone. He loved the kids and wanted to provide the best experience for all, not the few. He truly bled Mountain Ridge Blue. Often imitated but never duplicated!! Until we meet again! I love you, Brother! -by Mike Scott