National Championships
Due to Weatherford College winning the national championship in women’s rodeo and TCU advancing to the national football championship, the Weatherford area has recently experienced an unusual amount of buzz and excitement. Alumni from both institutions have widely celebrated the athletic accomplishments of their alma maters. Even graduates of other institutions join in the enthusiasm of rooting for the home team. It is fun to be part of a group that is associated with a winning team.
Legendary college football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant knew what it took with win national championships…he won six. At the time of his retirement in 1982, he was the winningest coach in college football history. Bear Bryant said, “At Alabama, our players don’t win Heisman Trophies. Our teams win national championships.” For Coach Bryant, it was all about the team. He knew that winning national championships required a cohesive team working together toward a common purpose.
Basketball superstar Michael Jordan said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” It is interesting that some of the highest achieving individuals place such extreme value on collaborative teamwork. These exceptional people wisely realize that even with all of their extraordinary individual talents and abilities, it takes a team working together to win championships.
The strength of both Weatherford College and our broader community is that we have so many stakeholders who realize that they are a part of something much larger than themselves. Their selfless commitment and dedication to this larger cause creates a context where amazing things can occur. The pervasive cooperation and collaboration of the stakeholder collective builds a unity in the community that makes even the impossible possible. It is a miraculous team!
The new year brings hope and excitement filled with abundant opportunity. Together we are a group of imperfect human beings bound by the common purpose of making this world an even better place. This year, we will continue to do great things for the benefit of our students and the benefit of our community…and we will do so as a team.
Tod Allen Farmer
President, Weatherford College