by Superintendent Mitch Wainwright
I have had the good fortune to be able to work with young people for a long time. Watching students grow and gain confidence in the classroom as they master a new subject is a very rewarding experience. I have also had the opportunity to coach many of the same students in a variety of sports. The same thing can be said for an athlete as their hard work turns into growing confidence in their own ability to face any challenge.
In the classroom, it was an individual challenge. On the athletic field, I was always involved in team sports. I think back to my playing days and how important it was to help the team be successful. Even after I became a coach, it was always about the team. The success of the team was dependent on the role each person played. There were many conversations with the players about how the scoreboard never indicated which player scored, but that the team scored points or runs. The most successful teams I had the good fortune to work with were teams that supported each other. I cannot be successful without helping my teammates to be successful. The team became another family where you could always count on being supported.
There are countless examples of this in Mineral Point. If you walk the halls by the gym, you see plaques that recognize teams for their success. When the wrestlers have a home match, the wrestling mat is covered with individual names of champions, but even more impressive is the number of team championships listed. For a non-wrestler, even I know there are many team championships that occurred without any individual wrestling champions.
The recent passing of Coach Ron Murphy has brought back a lot of memories about the coach, and the teams and individuals he helped mold; lessons that do not only apply to the classroom, or athletic field, but to life!
We are currently trying to work as a team now in Mineral Point. The community, healthcare providers, and the school district are all working against the virus. As vaccines roll out to more people, we all see the light at the end of the tunnel. There have been no short-cuts for any of us. Many people have been impacted negatively, even more than once. But if we can lean on the strength of the team, each other, we will get through this and be stronger for it.
By making small sacrifices now, without realizing it, the team may help every member of the school and community come through this event, and one day look back and think it was not such a big deal to do this. Resilience and determination are important skills, and by working together we are all doing our part to help each other. Hang in there, #PointerNation!