by Michael Caldwell

Life is pretty much a team sport.

Sure, it may be hard to distinguish the field of play and the proverbial scoreboard may not always be apparent but, make no mistake about it, teams are all around us.

A team, in its simplest definition, is two or more people working together.

That’s it. Sounds simple right? It isn’t.

Just ask any sports team or group of individuals who have failed to reach an objective about how being a part of a team is anything but easy.

Personalities get involved. Personal agendas are at play. Egos and skill sets don’t always align.

Perhaps nothing embodies a team more than a family. Each person has a role to play. Strengths and weaknesses are maximized and minimized, respectively, in families that function together well.

Just about every job involves being part of a team and, much like a family, every person has a role to fill.

Personally, I get lots of credit for what we believe are very positive changes going on at The Jessamine Journal, but it is far more about the team than me.

Like a head football coach, I get way too much credit when things go right but it is also my responsibility to take the blame when something goes wrong. The individuals are what makes the engine go.

And, also like in football, many of the “players” don’t get the recognition they deserve. Customer service and production are the offensive linemen of the newspaper. Advertising and the newsroom are like the quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs who are critical to success but also garner more headlines.

Each and every person has to work together to achieve victory. If you get can get all the moving parts aligned, that is when greatness happens.

A community is a team, too.

It takes a variety of individuals and organizations to carry a city or county to victory.

Nicholasville has a great team.

City and county government are each players, as are the individual agencies underneath those or affiliated such as, the Chamber of Commerce, tourism, economic development and many others.

A whole other group of players is the business community who works together to create a positive atmosphere.

And the great thing is there is no limit to the number of players who can be on these “teams” in the competition of life.

Each and every Jessamine County citizen has the opportunity to be a part of something greater than themselves by getting engaged and involved in the positive momentum that continues to build here.

The old cliché is that “there is no I in team.” That is true, but there certainly has to be a “you” in community.

Michael Caldwell is publisher of The Jessamine Journal and Jessamine Life magazine. He can be reached at (859) 469-6452 or by email at mike.caldwell@jessaminejournal.com.