It's time to be a team player

By Tim Eberhart, executive director
Rainsville Chamber of Commerce
Newspaper column for August 27, 2010 edition

When he accepted the Heisman Trophy in December, Mark Ingram thanked God, his mother, father, grandparents and sisters. He thanked his aunts and uncles.

He then thanked his teammates, “especially the offensive line.” Next, he thanked the Tide coaches, university officials, the sports information directors, the trainers, and even “all the teachers” at the university.

It was evident the humble young man truly considered his Heisman Trophy a team award, and God and all the people he thanked—including his aunts, uncles, and teachers— were part of that winning team.

He was right. The offensive line, and the strong running back himself, deserved a lot of credit. But, it took the whole broader team to bring the trophy to Tuscaloosa for the first time, and to achieve 14-0 perfection.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a ceremony this week where a local team was presented with an award for, literally, perfection. Honda of America presented a double award for quality and delivery performance to the employees at Rainsville Technology, Inc. (RTI). That means the RTI team exceeded national expectations for the parts they make, and for delivering those parts on time, every time.

Less than 10 percent of the nearly 600 Honda of America suppliers recently received awards. Less than five percent received double award.

Every time you and I see a beautiful new Honda Pilot, Odyssey or Ridgeline, let us take pride in knowing that the award-winning employees at RTI make over 35 different parts for those vehicles.

“The secret is to work less as individuals and more as a team,” Knute Rockne, whose winning percentage of 88 percent as Notre Dame’s coach from 1918 to 1930 is still the record, once said. “I play not my 11 best, but my best 11.”

On Rockne’s team, the players with the most talent could be on the bench while the players that understood the importance of playing as a team could make the starting lineup.

I want to be a team player. Do you? Let us team up with local merchants to sustain jobs and the funding support they provide for community organizations, and youth sports and programs. Let us remember to shop local first.

Tell your aunts, uncles, and teachers to do the same.


Contact info

Rainsville Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 396; Rainsville, AL 35986

115 Main Street West
PHONE: 256-638-7800