Local Lives, Lasting Impact - Ralph Winland

Over the past 36 years of making Wyoming my home, I’ve crossed paths with hundreds of people who’ve made a profound impact on the lives of others, some in very public ways and others quietly, behind the scenes. As I approach my own retirement and find myself feeling a bit nostalgic, I’ve decided to begin an occasional feature series highlighting individuals in the Big Horn Basin who have touched so many of our lives in meaningful ways.

When this idea first came to mind, countless names of remarkable women and men who have served our community came to mind, but my thoughts kept returning to Ralph Winland.

I feel like I’ve known Ralph for most of the past 36 years. I’ve seen him at countless Lovell and Rocky Mountain sporting events and got to know him a bit more during the months he served as interim principal at Rocky Mountain High School. But this past week, I had the chance to sit down with him for an hour and truly get to know the man behind the familiar smiling face.

Ralph very reluctantly agreed to be interviewed, but once we got talking, it turned into a fun look back at his life, his passion for young people and his deep love for his family.

We talked easily for about an hour, but the moment that stuck with me most came at the very end. As we were wrapping up, Ralph shared a story that spoke volumes. With visible emotion, he recounted the story of a young woman who spent only a short time at Lovell High School. She’d faced a tough childhood, at times even homelessness. She was the kind of student who often falls through the cracks. But Ralph saw something different. He recognized her intelligence and encouraged her to believe in it.

After graduation, he worried she might fall into the same patterns that had affected her family. But years later, she walked into his office and said proudly, “Look, Mr. Winland, I made it.” She wanted him to know how much his belief in her had mattered. He gave her a chance, and she made the best of it. I believe it’s the small things like this, the quiet acts of support and belief, that often have the greatest impact.

Much of Ralph’s life has been defined by basketball, from his playing days and his coaching career to watching his sons play and coach, and now on to a third generation. But I was grateful for the chance to see another side of him.

One thing that quickly becomes clear in any conversation with Ralph is just how hard he’s worked throughout his life. He remembers hauling hay as a teenager for five cents a bale, and he may be the first person ever to retire from education, then spend his summers hauling bricks as a hod carrier.

In his early years at Cowley Elementary, he juggled bus driving, teaching, coaching and even custodial work, all while earning barely $6,000 a year. He never went a year without coaching, often leading three high school sports teams while also coaching his sons’ baseball teams all summer. Like many teachers, Ralph echoed a familiar truth: You need a summer job to make ends meet. Until he became a principal, that meant taking on whatever odd jobs he could find each year.

Ralph Winland has spent his life showing up, for students, for athletes, for his family and for his community. And sometimes, just by believing in someone, he helped them show up for themselves, too.

Going into the interview, I would’ve said Ralph’s greatest passion was basketball. But by the end, it was clear, his true passion is his family. He speaks with deep pride about his sons, grandchildren and now his four great-grandchildren. When it comes to the strength and closeness of his family, he gives most of the credit to his high school sweetheart, Robyn, whom he’s been married to for nearly 60 years. In his words, “she deserves 90 percent of the credit,” and he’s more than happy to take just 10.

It’s not hard to find Ralph Winland’s basketball credentials online: Wyoming High School Player of the Year, collegiate stints at the University of Wyoming, Miles City College and Eastern Montana in Billings, 201 wins as a high school coach, two state championships and a legacy extended through his sons, who together have claimed four more coaching titles. But Ralph never made much of those accolades. What really lit him up was talking about the athletes he coached.  He started listing the great athletes he’s coached … but then said, “There are too many, and I don’t want to leave anyone out.”

One memory Ralph often returned to was the intense rivalry between Lovell High School and the Wyoming Indian Chiefs. He could still rattle off the names of the great players on those Chiefs teams, calling them not just the best in 2A, but some of the best in the entire state. He spoke with deep respect for Myron Chavez, calling him one of the finest high school players he’d ever seen.

He remembered vividly the December 1985 game when the Chiefs came into Lovell riding a 50-game win streak (a record they still hold). The gym was packed. Hundreds of Chiefs fans and even basketball lovers from as far away as Billings and Cody had shown up just to witness two powerhouses collide. Lovell won that night, 74–57, and went on to capture the state title later that season.

Still, the pride in Ralph’s voice swelled most when he spoke of his sons, Tim, Rod and Pat, not just for their success on the court, but for the lives they’ve led as coaches, educators and fathers. “Altogether,” he said with a quiet smile, “the Winlands have over 200 combined years in education.” Coming from a family of teachers myself, I couldn’t help but feel a deep connection to that legacy.

He shared one more story that really stuck with me. One evening while getting gas, an old rancher friend spotted him and said, “You’ve got three sons, and every one of them turned out better than you!” At first, Ralph admitted, he felt a little offended. But then he smiled and told me, “You know what? He was right, and that’s the best compliment a parent can get.”

That sentiment captures exactly why I’m writing this and why I hope to continue sharing stories like Ralph’s. In a time when our country can feel more divided than ever, I’m reminded that most of us share a common hope: to move through life in a way that leaves things a little better, for our children, our community and for those who come after us.

If you know someone whose story deserves to be told, I’d love to hear from you.