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On January 8, 2020, Colton Sell stood proudly as the Weld County Board of Commissioners kicked off its board meeting by proclaiming Eaton Reds Day to honor the band for winning its first state championship in school history.
As valuable life lessons are learned throughout one’s life, the Eaton High School senior — who spent four years in band — had one of the most significant further instilled in him during the celebration: the importance of hard work.
“It reaffirmed to all of us you always have to work hard because you never know who’s watching,” he said. “Just like we never thought we’d win state, it was even further out of our minds that we’d ever be recognized by Weld County.”
Proud parents snapped photos as the band took in all it accomplished. Still, Sell saw the board’s proclamation as something much more impactful: a fitting end to a season full of self-growth.
In his junior year, he was chosen to be the band’s drum major — essentially a captain-type position responsible for helping other band members learn routines and adding elements to performances. At first, he didn’t enjoy the leadership role, but after seeing continued progression his senior year, and feeling the enjoyment that came from helping others, he knew it was too hard to walk away from after high school.
Thanks to inspiration and belief from Eaton High School Band Director Logan Doddridge and the significance of the board’s proclamation, Sell, who wanted to go into biology, decided to follow his true passion for music. Now pursuing a music education degree in his second year at the University of Northern Colorado, he has the goal of one day becoming a music teacher and high school band director himself.
Regardless of what the future holds, he will never forget the pride he felt on that day in January.
“I felt happier for the other band members than I did for myself,” he said, expressing his memories of the day. “I was certainly happy to be there, but to see them all smiling and living in the moment, getting what they deserve, that’s what brought me joy.”
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The Weld County Board of Commissioners began the tradition of regularly recognizing Weld County state champion high school teams in 2017. First reserved for athletic teams, the board recently began recognizing academic teams for their accomplishments. However, the idea was actually sparked by the success of a team just a little bit younger. On December 23, 2015, the commissioners proclaimed Greeley Bears Day, to honor the Pop Warner football team for turning an 0-9 record into a 12-2 record the following season, enabling the Bears to reach and win the Southwest Regional Championship game in Dallas.
Despite the young age of those recognized, the memory stands out to former Greeley Bear Jace Reid, now a junior at Northridge High School.
“I remember that day being very exciting,” Reid said, who was just 10 at the time. “Football teaches many life lessons, and learning to work together is one of them. The board has to work together all the time and to hold one another accountable. So, being recognized by the people who put teamwork into practice in everyday life was important for us to see. The teamwork we learned playing on the Greeley Bears doesn’t just apply to football, but also the rest of our life collaborating and working with other people to accomplish a common goal.”
Weld County Commissioner Chair Scott James agrees. Since 2017, more than 30 proclamations have been presented to Weld County schools at a board meeting.
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“These proclamations are a great opportunity to commend our young people for exhibiting many qualities we admire in our residents — among them hard work, determination, teamwork and the ability to consistently adapt to challenges in pursuit of a goal,” he said. “When our young people exhibit these characteristics to win state championships, it’s special and should be celebrated. Those same characteristics can propel them to success as future leaders of their communities.”
While Sell has found success in college and Reid is excelling in high school, United States Marine Lexi Eckes fondly remembers being part of state champion cheer teams at Highland High School in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and being honored by the board. Those moments being recognized served as examples to team members of the impact they could have beyond high school and instilled a belief in her that by striving for excellence, good things can happen.
“It felt nice knowing that there were people who cared and were proud of what we were doing,” Eckes said. “It showed us that if we do our best and put everything [into a goal] there is always a reward at the end.”
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By Baker Geist, Weld County Communications Specialist; photos by Jennifer Finch and Jess Reid
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