There is a lot to say but I will attempt to summarize it for you all. First of all Congratulations to Nathan Leys who cleared 2100 individual points during the tournament. And Kayleigh is just behind him about to clear 2000 points. These are incredible individual accomplishments!
To our State Champions: Lily Nellans (DX and Cong), and Nathan Leys (IX) congratulations on your great preparation for the tournament and the great run you had. We had a number of place winners: Jenna, Elena, Katy (3), Luke, Aubrey, Carolyn (3), Kayleigh (2), Max, Andy, and Becky (3). I hope I didn't leave someone out! Lets not forgewt Max and Madi winning PF at IHSSA debate!
With all of that success we still fell just short of the trifecta. It goes to show how difficult it is to win all three championship events in one season. Just know this team was closer than last year's team and that is the closest anyone has been to it!
Winning the speech tournament completes a big goal for me personally as a coach. In the past seven years, we have won all three state titles, won a school of excellence award and far more. More importantly I have had the privilege of coaching the most amazing kids anywhere.
The thing that moved me the most this year was being named Coach of the Year. I want to thank Becky and Andy for crafting the letter. It was special.
No coach is perfect, no student is perfect, no team is perfect. But I would rather coach a team, like you guys, that wants to be champions and the problems that come with that kind of drive than any other type of team. We had some tears this weekend, a couple of kids didn't think they measured up, had some real disappointments and more. This is what high school competition is all about!
Still here are some of the things we accomplished together:
--The best policy effort at Roosevelt in more than a decade
--Winning two of the three state championships
--Being better than last year's exceptional team
--Having an exceptional group of kids with national rankings in their events
--Continued to expand our national reputation
--This year's senior class being as good as any we have had
--Helping our seniors get to the colleges of their choice
--Helping a couple of seniors making the decision to go on and compete in college
And the list goes on.
Always remember a state tournament is no different than any other tournament. In order to be the champion, you have to get a break or two along the way. One twist of fate cost us both team championships: that was the close out that happened in quarters of PF. Andy and Max leave the tournament at that point instead of debating in quarters. Had that not happened and the two of them had won a quarter final round--everything might have been very different. So that bit of bad luck just killed us. The pressure got us a couple of times but that is normal in this type of high stress environment. But the best part of this team is that you guys LOVE this type of environment. That is one reason why you have been so sucessful.
Seniors here is what you have been part of in your four years here:
IHSFL Debate Championships 2011-2012
ISHFL Speech Championship 2012 (runner up in 2010 and 2011)
IHSFL Debate Championship 2011 (runner up in 2010 and 2012)
Pretty amazing stuff! If you are a freshman and sophomore know your time will come. It is hard being patient and wanting to contribute immediatly. Especially so in debate. Your tears and frustrations will heal, toughen you and help you become better in the next few years. Many of you have helped to push our older kids in the program. That is the way it should be!
Congratulations to all of you on a great season!
Strong
