Its been a full six weeks since the NFL Nationals trip to Birmingham. What was accomplished in Alabama is a new high water mark for the program. The 10 student team that qualified produced the following:
*Nathan Leys' National Championship in International Extemp
*Our first TEAM National Championship (School of Outstanding Distinction Award)
*Three additional finalist: Lily Nellans 5th in International Extemp, Carolyn Evans 5th in
Impromptu and 9th in Domestic Extemp as well as Luke Theuma's final round in Senate
Debate!
*Out round performances in Public Forum Debate from Max Pilcher and Murphy Burke
*Secured All American Awards for Nathan and Lily
Those highlights are just the beginning of the memories. When I think of what we have been through this past year having opportunities to win all three state championships and only being the bride's maid (runner-up) three times--losing the National Qualifier to Dowling--over coming some health issues--dealing with the fallout of the PF squabbles the year before and much more--Here is what I really take away:
For years I have taught students to fight till the very end--not to accept good enough--to fix the problem--make your own luck--to stay hungry and want it more than anything else. Those same messages were delivered to 8 other Roosevelt teams. Each in their own way contributed to the growth of our program. Each did their very best but in the end "settled" before it was all over. The 2008 nationals team and the 2012 nationals team each did as well as they could have producing
top ten school finishes in debate. Still--we left points lying behind in both of those years.
But not this team. The difference was that this team got it right. We could have left this National Championship lying around for someone like Eagan, MN to take it from us. But we didn't because we didn't quit. Our kids fought every day for every point, every rank, and every round.
And while everyone else was enjoying the first of the final rounds on Thursday night, Carolyn Evans was still slugging through the Impromptu field trying to earn a final round in a consolation event. It was one of the guttiest performances I've seen as a Roosevelt coach. And she did it! 99% of kids in her position would have quit-been too tired-used whatever excuse they could muster up. Instead-after making Impromptu Finals--Carolyn ate a very late dinner Thursday night then put in a practice round and was ready to go the next morning on Championship Day.
I will never forget the Championship Ovation for Nathan or Lily running back on stage to hug him with the ovation becoming even louder. I think Nathan's championship said it all about our program and our kids this year. But what a win personally for Nathan--beating the defending national champion!! A moment to never forget!
Nor will I forget the Ovation for the 10 coaches of the School of Outstanding Distinction Award. Blinded by all the lights on stage I did manage to see one Roosevelt student--in her pastel blue suit and cowboy boots whooping it up for Roosevelt! She had every right to be proud!
I will also never forget the tears. Carolyn left my shirt soaked when the DX Finals banner dropped and she wasn't on it. Reality hit that she didn't prove herself as good as an extemper as Nathan or Lily. Lots and lots of tears. She would the next day prove herself in a different way.
Lily Nellans had tears of joy and disappointment at the same time after awards. She was crying for Nathan and mad at herself for not placing higher. She wanted the 1-2 finish in IX. Another wet spot on a shirt!
Perhaps the best memory I have of the trip was the voice message from Luke Theuma about the semi final results from Senate debate. I got his message after the tears and cheers of the banner drops for final rounds in speech. His message very quietly said "I made finals Strong." That was when I knew we really were in the hunt.
Only Luke and I could fully appreciate his final round message. At Glenbrooks this year I got after Luke for not making final rounds. It was like he was afraid of a final round. I told him it was time for him to get over himself and with it. I chewed on him a bit that November afternoon.
Luke responded with a lot of determination from that point on--he made finals at Patriot Games in DC just two weekends later. He then got his bid to the Tournament of Champions! He failed at the TOC only to learn from the experience and make it count at NFL Nationals.
My final memory of the trip is that I will never forget was how cold of a reception we got from Dowling on the bus ride home. I really believe we had the tournament they thought they were going to have!
Enough memories. None of this would have ever happened without everything that came before this year. Each year we have grown our program. It has been done on the backs of a lot of hard coaching work. I tell people all the time we have been so fortunate at Roosevelt to get the right students at the right time in our program. It's really true but that's really only half of the story.
Having the right coaches available at the right time has really mattered as well. Obviously the addition of Kelly Lawler to the staff was huge this year. What she accomplished was pretty amazing in her first year at Roosevelt. But the steady coaching of Nate Fredericks, Harrison Hayward and Billy Strong is a big reason why this happened in 2013. Equally as important was the coaching help in person and via Skype from our alums. One day over the Christmas Holidays, 9 alums showed up to help coach before IHSSA State and MBA! Wow!
In the end, it wasn't just the kids. It was the coaching, the alumni, the parents, amazing administrative support and more. It was the year, the process, the losing of the state championships, hassling with all of the daily grind crap that coaches get to deal with and more.
A week before nationals I was only concerned about our PF team. Everything else was pretty much where it needed to be. I got on the bus at Dowling feeling good-not nervous. We had pretty much done everything we could in preparations. I knew I could get the PF kids up to speed once in Alabama and I did.
While teaching at summer camp a few weeks ago, a younger but very experienced Minnesota coach came up to me in front of the Gustavus college coach and offered her congratulations. Then she added her comments about how hard our kids worked this year in Minnesota tournaments and how impressive our kids were. I mumbled something about we were lucky at nationals that things fell the way they did. She literally called out "bullshit" -that I knew there was no luck involved. She went on...."you guys made your own luck by outworking everyone else-my kids don't get it."
I hope the legacy of our national championship team is not forgotten. More than any other team I have coached (and I have coached some great ones) this team practiced and believed what I taught:
Fight till the very end--not to accept "good enough"--to fix the problem--make your own luck--to stay hungry and want it more than anything else. When you can get up the next day and look yourself in the mirror and know you did all of that--then and only then--regardless of placement, are you a champion.
As we prepare for a new group of freshmen in this new season let's teach them all the skills they will need, teach them about the activity, winning and losing, but most importantly demand of them the attitude that has made your team so great. In the end, that is the difference. Positive attitude.
Congratulations again to a very special group of Roosevelt debate students who accomplished something never done before by a group of Roosevelt students. The students who made the trip and brought home the big trophy:
Seniors: Nathan Leys and Carolyn Evans
Juniors: Lily Nellans, Luke Theuma, Murphy Burke, Julianna Courard-Hauri, Sarah Johnson, Rubi Cordova, and Max Pilcher
Sophomore: Emma Weddle
But the trophy belongs to every kid and every coach in our program. It belongs to our alums, our parents and administration. Thanks to each of you, these ten students had the ability and the attitude to win it all!
Think about it in these terms: Only the top 3% of NFL students earned the right to compete at Nationals in Birmingham. That was about 3600 students from 1020 high schools. Ten schools share the honor of being a School of Outstanding Distinction-just 10. Now think in terms of size of programs and resources the other nine schools have compared to Roosevelt. In some cases, it just isn't close. But: What we didn't have in resources was offset by hard work and attitude. What we really earned in Birmingham was "respect." Trophies aside, what more could you ask for?
Strong
