One of the things I most look forward to during the year is the Academic Bowl. I've coached since I've been a full time high school teacher - three years and counting thus far. If you know me (of course you do, why else would you be here) you know I love trivia and competition. I'll have to take a break from writing this to watch Jeopardy. The AB combines both.
Students compete in a three round trivia contest against other schools/programs for the Deaf. This year we were in the Southeast Region, but next year due to reorganization of the regions, we'll be in the South. We competed against 15 or so other schools from Florida to Mississippi and up to Maryland.
And we won. ... a match for the first time in at least four years!
We were ecstatic! But, I get ahead of myself. The competition runs Thursday - Sunday. We arrived in Kentucky Thursday morning and in the afternoon the students were getting to know each other / breaking ice. In the evening, a coach from each team competed in the Coaches' Bowl where students got the chance to watch their coaches squirm as they tried to answer questions.
I was a co-champion with a coach from the Maryland School for the Deaf. Proud moment, but I wanted overtime!
Students compete in a three round trivia contest against other schools/programs for the Deaf. This year we were in the Southeast Region, but next year due to reorganization of the regions, we'll be in the South. We competed against 15 or so other schools from Florida to Mississippi and up to Maryland.
And we won. ... a match for the first time in at least four years!
We were ecstatic! But, I get ahead of myself. The competition runs Thursday - Sunday. We arrived in Kentucky Thursday morning and in the afternoon the students were getting to know each other / breaking ice. In the evening, a coach from each team competed in the Coaches' Bowl where students got the chance to watch their coaches squirm as they tried to answer questions.
I was a co-champion with a coach from the Maryland School for the Deaf. Proud moment, but I wanted overtime!
The matches began for the students on Friday. We had some close games, but we weren't able to pull out a victory. If we were going to win something, it would be on Saturday. And we did! We edged ahead of the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind -- big shout out to them, I did a student teaching placement there.
Sometime along the way we had a bonfire, games in the gym, and went to a roller rink for skating, games, and laser tag. The students enjoyed themselves - of the four in our group, two of them competed in the AB for the first time. I'm reasonably sure both will want to come back.
For me, I definitely want to go back. The first time I went I very much expected to feel like an outsider. I was an almost last minute replacement for a coach with maybe 15 years experience; my name tag wasn't even my own! But I had good conversations and laughed a lot. I didn't expect people to remember me my second year there, but I was mistaken. Conversations picked right up as if there wasn't 12 months in between them, hugs, handshakes, jokes. Old friends you haven't seen in a while.
That's a great feeling. And next year, competition is at the North Carolina School for the Deaf. And I'm looking forward to it.
Sometime along the way we had a bonfire, games in the gym, and went to a roller rink for skating, games, and laser tag. The students enjoyed themselves - of the four in our group, two of them competed in the AB for the first time. I'm reasonably sure both will want to come back.
For me, I definitely want to go back. The first time I went I very much expected to feel like an outsider. I was an almost last minute replacement for a coach with maybe 15 years experience; my name tag wasn't even my own! But I had good conversations and laughed a lot. I didn't expect people to remember me my second year there, but I was mistaken. Conversations picked right up as if there wasn't 12 months in between them, hugs, handshakes, jokes. Old friends you haven't seen in a while.
That's a great feeling. And next year, competition is at the North Carolina School for the Deaf. And I'm looking forward to it.
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