MITCHELL IS AN INSPIRATION TO ALL

It was a regular afternoon for Barbara Mitchell.

She ran some errands and did some housework before picking up her daughter, Anne, at school. That pickup turned out to be one of the ones that parents hate.

Getting into the car, Anne, who was a fourth grader at the time, was crying. Barbara’s mind quickly started to wonder as all parents’ minds would. “Was Anne sick? Did Anne get hurt? Did someone bully Anne? Were the kids making fun of Anne?”

Probing through the possibilities, Barbara finally got to the root of the tears.

“She looked up at me and said, ‘all I want to be is a Goblin,’” said Barbara.

There are many opportunities to be a Goblin in the Harrison School District, but Anne is not the average person. She has been blessed with an extra chromosome.

Anne suffers from Trisomy 21, which is the most common form of Down Syndrome.

“Having a disability has not stopped Anne,” said Barbara. “She took regular tests in high school with some modifications. She is a normal girl.”

After the declaration of wanting to be a Goblin, the Mitchell family allowed Anne to pick her path. She chose golf.

Anne worked hard and made the Harrison Lady Goblin golf squad, which was not an easy task. During Anne’s four years of high school, Harrison won two state titles and finished second once. They finished fourth Anne’s senior year.

Just being on the team was not good enough for Anne. She wanted to win.

In her last junior varsity match in high school, Anne shot a nine-hole 57 and earned medalist honors. She defeated the second-place girl by 18 strokes.

Having Anne on the team may have been better for the Lady Goblins than they were for Anne.

“It was an extreme pleasure to coach Anne Mitchell,” said David Stahler, who was her high school golf coach. “Her attributes as a team member are those that stand out today.

“She never had a bad day,” continued her old coach. “She brightens up those around her and she made them feel special as she greets everyone with a hug and a smile.”

As a Goblin, Anne was the ultimate teammate.

“Anne has always been dedicated and hard working,” said Stahler. “But the thing that stands out as a team member the most is the way she puts her teammates first. She has a servant’s heart. I am thankful for the opportunity to have coached Anne and now to call her my friend.”

After high school comes college and Anne was ready for higher education. She took classes at North Arkansas College. It was there that she moved into her role that she has held for eight years — manager of the Lady Pioneer basketball team.

“She is our biggest fan,” said Lady Pioneer basketball coach Stacie Klott. “She loves her team and always wants to be there to support the girls.”

Even though Anne is competitive, she has a soft heart for the team.

“She is so sweet and we love her so much,” said Klott. “After a game that we may have lost, she will tell me that it is ‘OK, coach. The team played hard.’ She helps me keep things in perspective. I couldn’t imagine my life without my Anne. She is a true blessing from God!”

Even though Anne’s high school competitive days are over, her golf is not.

Living outside 15th hole on the Harrison Country Club course, Anne is always hitting a golf ball.

“If someone needs a straight shot in a scramble, Anne is your person,” said her father, Jerry Mitchell. “Her shots are always straight down the fairway.”

Stahler stated that Anne had a little John Daly in her. “She grips it and rips it.”

Anne’s special attraction to golf also helped her receive national recognition this past year. She was one of the winners of an Adidas Makeover Contest.

“That made me happy,” said Anne about the contest. “I got all kinds of things from them. I got shoes, and a coat, and a bunch of clothes.”

Women’s professional golfer Paula Creamer picked Anne as one of the three winners in the Adidas contest. Creamer hand-selected the outfits that were given to Anne, who was also featured in an online story on the Golf For Her website.

The Mitchells settled in Harrison because of Jerry’s job as executive director of the Area Agency on Aging. That move has been a perfect fit for Anne.

“I love the Harrison School District,” said Barbara. “The kids were wonderful to Anne. They took care of her. Coach Stahler let Anne be a Goblin. I can’t say enough good things about the school.”

Barbara continued her praise.

“The community has been so supportive of Anne and her golf,” she continued. “The most important part of playing golf is that it makes Anne believe in herself. That is all a parent wants for their child. It is what we want for Anne. We want her to believe in herself and not let the Down Syndrome define her.”

Anne is a doting aunt. Within the next week she will have two nieces. She has a three-old niece named Mia, and Emerson should make an appearance before July is over. Anne’s brother is Justin and his wife is Lauren.