Our overall community has much to be proud of as our student-athletes have rewarded us with an exciting winter season.

We give a heartfelt congratulations to the Monroe girls basketball team and the Black Hawk girls basketball team on earning their silver and gold trophies, respectively, in Green Bay this past weekend.

The sports season is long and it’s so difficult to reach the state tournament, let alone making it to the finals. The Cheesemakers had an incredible year with numerous fantastic victories. All basketball programs want to win the ultimate prize and the Monroe girls were just one game short. That doesn’t diminish the incredible journey the team provided for their community, school, parents, families, friends and fans. Reaching the championship is a huge accomplishment for the Monroe girls basketball program and reflects on the entire school district. We’re so pleased to have covered the Cheesemakers on this historic run.

Black Hawk entered the season with the motto of “Unfinished Business” as they reached state last year, but did not earn the championship. Black Hawk’s unfinished business was completed at the Resch Center with a phenomenal victory in the title game. It was closing out an epic year that was such a positive reflection of the school district, community, tight-knit families and fans.

In the case of both Monroe and Black Hawk, the ultimate hat’s off goes to the athletes on the team, from the starters to those who worked their hardest in practice and coming into games off the bench to provide a complete, outstanding team. All team members share in everything during the season. They are forever linked as teammates, who have shared a unique experience.

In each sport, whether a team makes a deep playoff run, or simply works together to have the best season possible, there is a commitment. This commitment starts with the coaches, both those who coach as part of their careers and then all of the volunteer coaches, statisticians, scouts and organizers for the program who have an interest in working with youth and allowing them to be part of something positive.

We have this in every sport, in every season. Dedication is evident from hockey and wrestling to basketball — all winter sports and all prep sports in general. There’s a great deal of sportsmanship that is instilled in the players through the coaches that provide life-long lessons. Blessings abound when people work together to make a commitment to excellence. This isn’t just in prep sports, but in the performing arts, academics and countless positive extra-curricular activities.

What is fun to see as a fan is the excitement and investment of positivity in supporting one’s community and being true to one’s school. We can’t forget the contributions of cheerleaders, dance teams, trainers and pep bands. They are a huge part of adding to the experience that is prep athletics.

A team doesn’t have to win, and an athlete doesn’t have to be the best, to take something positive away from participation. Even non-athletes find their niche in the stands as fans pumping up the teams and showing school spirit.

This week, the New Glarus boys basketball team will participate in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association’s state boys basketball tournament. The Glarner Knights have had an outstanding season and the team, community and fans have showed the positive attributes mentioned above throughout the season. We will be watching them and wish them the best as take to the floor at the Kohl Center as state qualifiers.

It’s a privilege for us to cover local prep sports. We commit a great deal of resources to this. In our efforts, we are supported by the overall business community, which allows us to not only cover the team in print, but provide online coverage, including updates on Twitter and Facebook as games progress.

In our print editions, we’re creating a historical record of these milestones. The businesses that show their support in print regarding all things about sports, performing arts, academic achievements — all the way through the results of the Green County Fair — will be historically remembered as supporters of the coverage of these young people during a time in which they’ve shined for all of us to see. The editions of the Monroe Times that include sports results, photographs of youth event coverage, and the positives as children grow into adults, become keepsakes — looked back upon many times by the athletes, their families and interested members of the community. This record wouldn’t exist without the support of our partner businesses.

The excitement, anticipation, success, happiness and pride we’ve all felt by supporting youth in the things in which they have chosen to participate is part of the reason why our overall community is a wonderful place to raise children.

— Matt Johnson is publisher of the Monroe Times. His column is published Wednesdays.