During my years on the sidelines coaching the football team, I lived by a simple, powerful truth that we drilled into every player: "We Are One."
On the field, it meant that no individual was bigger than the team. If the line didn’t block, the quarterback couldn’t throw. If the defense didn’t hold, the offense couldn't score. It was about collective effort, shared sacrifice, and looking out for the guy standing next to you.
Today, as I serve on the McCook Community Foundation Fund (MCFF), I realize that "We Are One" isn't just a locker room chant—it’s the blueprint for how our town thrives.

The "Scout Team" of Kindness
Paying it forward doesn't always require a checkbook. Sometimes, it’s a random act of kindness—the "scout team" work of daily life.

• It’s clearing a neighbor’s sidewalk after a Nebraska snowstorm.
• It’s buying a coffee for the person in line behind you at the coffee shop.
• It’s taking five minutes to encourage a young person who is just starting their first job.

These small acts are the "fundamentals." They built the culture of McCook. They remind us that we belong to each other.

Investing in the Future Season
But as any coach knows, you also have to prepare for the seasons to come. That is where MCFF comes in. When we give to MCFF, we are ensuring that the opportunities we enjoyed are still here for the next generation.
We often say in McCook that "Tradition Never Graduates." We take pride in our history, our work ethic, and our successes. But tradition isn't just something we look back on; it’s something we have to fund and fuel for the future. By "paying it forward" through MCFF, we ensure that the tradition of a strong, vibrant McCook continues long after we’ve left the field.
"You don't play for the name on the back of the jersey; you play for the name on the front." In this case, the name on the front is McCook.

Our Turn to Step Up
McCook is a special place because we don't wait for someone else to solve our problems. We huddle up, we make a plan, and we execute. Whether it’s through a random act of kindness this afternoon or a gift to the MCFF that will grow for decades, you are part of the "One."

I’m asking you to join the team. Let’s make sure that when the next generation takes the field, they have everything they need to win—because in McCook, our tradition of giving will never graduate.

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Jeff Gross serves as the vice chair for the McCook Community Foundation Fund but most people probably know him for his time on the sidelines at Weiland Field, as the head football coach for McCook High School from 1998-2021.