LOCAL COLUMNIST

Mayor's moment: Rooting for our city

On the day after Thanksgiving, the El Dorado High School Wildcats won their home game against Marion with a score of 60-27, sending our team to Little Rock for a shot at winning the title for the CHAMPIONSHIP!

Although I am rarely in attendance for the actual game, I am always in the loop via Facebook friends. The excitement and pride are no different. I am praying that they bring home the victory!

I admit that I know very little about football. I am by no means an avid sports fan at all. I enjoy the fellowship of attending the games at times. I am always impressed by the team effort required for success. It amazes me at times how skillful and talented some of the players may be, but for them to succeed they must have the ability to play well with the entire team. We are all aware of the term "teamwork makes the dream work!" Every team has the dream of winning!

What is the purpose of the fans? Not only are they spectators, but they are also the motivators! El Dorado fans are awesome! I have no doubt that the stands in War Memorial Stadium will be filled with Wildcat fans on Saturday! They will be cheering for and critiquing the players, yelling at officials if necessary and telling the coaches what to do. There will be plenty of "wildcat" purple on display for a unified show of support for the team! We bleed purple!

While everyone won't be able to attend the game, we are all rooting for the team to win! It may seem like a small part, but every part is needed to secure the victory! We need the players of course, but what happens if the coaches don't show up? Won't they need the bus drivers as well? Once they arrive. what happens if the fans, family and friends are no where to be found? Even though they aren't our main concern as Wildcat fans, there is no championship game without the other team. Yes, every part, person and position are vital for the win! Someone is even in charge of the victory party!

As I have mentioned, I do not know a lot about sports. I do, however, know about teamwork. It is a requirement for everything in life. May I take this opportunity to compare our beloved Wildcats to city government? Like the Wildcats, we all may have amazing abilities, but they do not work well if we do not work together. Our fans and our coaches are the citizens of this city. We must listen to and learn the "plays" given during our practices and locker room discussions before, during and after the "game." We must be willing to accept the critiques and criticisms at times that make us better players.

Ultimately the coaches are also our fans! They are excited when the plays are executed correctly. They are pleased when we have taken their critiques and criticisms, hopefully constructive, and implemented them so that we can all succeed. Wouldn't it be amazing for our city government to win the championship?! We could do it every year, or even several times a year if we could focus on all the components and not just our individual positions.

Many ask me about the "Movement," and it is simply "teamwork." It has the same number of letters too! The best thing about both is that everyone has a part to play, and every part is important!

El Dorado, let's be prepared for all our victories! I'm praying that the Wildcats bring home the victory on Saturday to a home that is victorious!

Veronica Smith-Creer is the Mayor of El Dorado. She can be reached at [email protected].

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