So You’re The New
Academic Decathlon
Coach
Written by Larry Minne
and submitted to the
Orange County Department of Education’s
Special Academic Events team in December 1990
For information call 925-942-3400
WELCOME TO THE
ACADEMIC DECATHLON
So You’re The New Academic Decathlon Coach was written by Larry Minne and
submitted to the Orange County Department of Education’s Special Academic Events
team in December 1990. After a two year battle with cancer, Larry died on February 24,
1991.
This guide is dedicated to Larry. It reflects deep feelings for and commitment to his
students and their involvement in the Academic Decathlon. In his 15 years as the
Academic Decathlon coach at Foothill High School, his 11th and 12th grade teams never
finished lower than fourth place in the county competition, and went to the state finals on
three occasions.
Those of us who knew Larry, and have been involved with the Academic Decathlon,
recognize that it is the coach – indeed the teacher that makes the difference. Larry Minne
made a difference.
In a standing room only memorial service held in the multipurpose room on the campus
of Foothill High School on March 2, 1991, many of Larry’s colleagues and students
deeply expressed what their friend and teacher really meant. Unselfish devotion,
dedication, determination, and commitment represented just a few of the adjectives which
described this teacher – their coach.
It is this legacy – of professionalism and pursuit of academic excellences that we extend
to you as you continue or begin your role as an Academic Decathlon coach. We wish
you well.
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SO YOU’RE THE NEW DECATHLON COACH
THE CHALLENGE AND THE REWARD
Coaching an Academic Decathlon team can be a very challenging but rewarding
experience. However, to be a successful coach requires an inordinate amount of
time and energy. It is quite difficult for a single teacher to produce a winning
team, in fact, nearly impossible. The word “team” means just that, a group of
people working together to achieve a common goal. But a team must have a
captain or coach. Many coaches complain of inequalities that exist within any
given county or district. It is true, the coaching situation varies vastly from school
to school. Some schools have a class for academic competition. Some teachers
get a hefty stipend, and some coaches get neither a class nor a stipend, and in some
cases the job of coaching a team is arbitrarily assigned. There are, however, a
number of tasks that can be carried out which will help in building a strong
program and a strong team.
PUBLICITY AND RECRUITMENT
One of the most important steps in building a team or program is to stress the
importance of school-wide publicity. This publicity should place strong emphasis
on reaching the “C” student. One effective method of recruiting “C” students as
well as all other students is to have former students visit all English classes. For
example, if preparing for the 11th/12th Grade Decathlon, recruiters should visit
both 11th and 12th grade English classes. I have used English classes as an
example because most schools require four years of English. Do not fail to use
average students. Do not attempt to send an army of recruiters in to every English
classroom which only alienates the teacher. Visit only those grade levels
appropriate to the contest. Do not fail to make specific arrangements with all
teachers involved. Some teachers may refuse, but the right approach will easily
convince a teacher that the Decathlon is a worthwhile endeavor.
Get the administration involved. The most likely candidate for this is the
principal. If he refuses, then try an assistant principal. As you begin your quest to
build a team, encourage the “chosen” administrator to give a “pep talk” on the
rewards of competition and opportunity to broaden the individuals’ horizons. As
an intro to the morning bulletin, the principal is able to talk to the entire school,
not just the English classes. The coach may have to write the bulletin, but this
then makes it more difficult for “the administrator” to refuse.
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Continue to advertise or to sell the program. I find that using a bulletin board for
Decathlon announcements is also an effective manner of getting students
interested. After intensive recruiting, choose a date and meeting place for the
“kick-off”.
Before that initial meeting with the students, there is much work to be done. It is
not too difficult to get the “A’s” involved, but do not assume that all outstanding
students will just show up on the first day. Some are shy and like most students,
they want to be asked to participate.
Ask counselors to recommend students, especially in the varsity category.
Frequently they know a student who is a C average student, and they almost
always know the students who are outstanding. Ask other teachers, especially
those who teach the enriched classes, who their outstanding students are. Ask
them to encourage those students to attend the initial meeting.
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SELECTING YOUR TEAM
At the opening of your first meeting, when you are explaining the Decathlon
program, send a piece of paper around and ask the students to give their name,
grade level, and an approximate GPA. Explain that grades in subjects such as
physical education, chorus, drama, Drivers Ed., do not count. Most students will
give a slightly inflated GPA, but this is not important because the coach will take
the list to the registrar and request a copy of the transcript. Translating the
information from the transcript will begin after the opening meeting.
Any given GPA can be very misleading. There are two subjects which must be
scrutinized very carefully, mathematics and English. Any student, as a senior or
junior, should have completed at least Algebra II, and the honors students should
be enrolled in either calculus or modern math analysis. A coach should also know
which teacher the student had in all his/her mathematics and English classes. We
all know there is often a major difference in grading. Some students actually
receive points for just being present in class. Since transcripts do not record the
teacher, it then becomes necessary to question the student. A student who is
strong in math is usually strong in science, but the coach should check the
transcript for science classes and the grades received.
Since verbal skills are heavily emphasized in the Decathlon, English grades are
crucial to selecting any given student in any category. Classes such as drama and
speech can also be an asset to any given student; however, if a student is
extensively involved in drama and speech, frequently they do not make good
members. They often have night and weekend commitments, and are frequently
weak in other subjects. Speech skills can be taught in a short time, but
remediating in mathematics and writing an essay cannot be remedied over night.
After a close examination of the transcript, the coach should now check the GPA
given by the student against the GPA figured by the coach. I cannot
overemphasize the importance of accuracy in tabulating the Decathlon GPA.
Most coaches do not submit the official entry papers until the last minute. One
mistake on a GPA cannot be undone at that late date, and the team may have to
compete with less than a full membership.
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•
Speeches
Do not dismiss any students at this time, give them a chance to prove themselves.
Many students have never given a speech and have no idea of how to write one.
Choosing a subject is extremely important. Many students give a simple
informative speech. One cannot put much emotion into a speech on the mating
habits of the fruit bats. Speeches should be finalized at least three weeks before
the competition. The last three weeks should be reserved for polishing the speech
and the delivery. A good amount of time should be spent on mastering the
impromptu speech. Most students try to give an impromptu speech in a formal
manner. Begin practice early and begin with very simple topics, then gradually
work up to higher levels. It is not essential to have the students memorize their
speeches, but it definitely is an asset when trying to improve delivery. If you are
fortunate enough to have a speech class, arrange for participating students to visit
a speech class, or even to attend a speech contest. They are held throughout the
year. To have a winning team, all members, honors, scholastic and varsity should
score a high 800 or a low 900. Scores of 600 and 700 just won’t do. Speech is
often a team’s basic weakness.
Ideas for topics can be found in editorials from leading newspapers and Vital
Speeches. Speech topics should be contemporary, but not so narrow that no one
has any information on the subject. Avoid the areas of religion and sex, and keep
the tone positive.
•
Essay
Once you have the students working on their speeches, begin practicing the essay.
If you have no old prompts from previous contests, simply go to a good book of
quotations. Ask other teachers for suggestions. Follow the score sheet very
carefully in explaining what is required on the essay. Two problems which seem
to cause difficulty for the students is incorporating the prompt into the
introduction. The second problem and the most serious weakness is writing an
essay coherently. Some students will have to do a lot of work in preparing for
essay exams, others will master it after two or three tries. Discourage students
from practicing at home. The purpose of the essay is to discover if the student can
write a well-organized and coherent essay in 50 minutes based on a given prompt.
•
Mathematics
Some time during the first week, give a mathematics test. Tests used in previous
competitions are excellent tests and will tell you what you want to know. In
scoring all tests use the 1000 point system. It sort of gives an official air to the
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whole procedure. Regardless of the test subject, each student should have his own
test and should be able to write on the test. These tests will become a part of the
notebook that each student will keep for reference throughout the preparation.
THE FIRST “CUT”
Now that each student has taken a math test, written an essay, and given an
impromptu speech, you are ready to make your first cut. However, before making
this first cut have each student give you the following information:
1. Do you work? How many hours a week?
2. Are you involved in sports? How much time do you spend each week in this
sport?
3. Are you in a band, chorus or cheerleading? How much time is spent in these
activities?
4. List all other activities in which you are involved both in and out of school.
Ex: youth orchestra, boy scouts, etc…
Students who are involved in many activities are generally not good candidates.
Some involvement is good, but I have found that students in cheer leading, major
sports, and ASB students are not good candidates, simply because they are too
involved and often carry a very heavy load of academics. Students who work are
frequently not available at night or on weekends and thus hurt the entire team
when it becomes important for all team members to work together.
Using the information given, you are ready to select 12 students as the core of
your team. You may have difficulty in locating four varsity students. After
cutting the team to 12, I send a form to each of the students’ teachers requesting
information on work habits, attitude towards criticism, etc. This new information
is now added to each student’s file. These 12 or so students are enrolled in a
competition class, then those who did not make the team begin working on other
competitions.
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PREPARING YOUR TEAM
At this time the team will begin intensive study in the following areas:
• Literature
A copy of the novel and any poetry which is a part of the literature area should be
given to all prospective members and a deadline should be given to all prospective
members and a dead line set for completion of the reading. In the meantime, if
you are not an English student, beseech the English Department for help. They
may already have some tests for most of the literature. It will also be necessary to
cover terms relevant to the study of literature. Again you may have to search out a
helper from the English Department. A great resource book for terms is Laurence
Perine’s Store and Structure, and his book on poetry, South and Sense. Both
books are easily read and understood and both books are used widely in high
schools as part of the English curriculum. And also, I do not have to worry about
these books going out of print. I even used them as a college student in 1960.
Baron’s AP English Prep book is also an excellent resource and readily available
and again the possibility of it going out of print is slim. I have used it for years in
preparing students for taking the AP English Exam. Even though Cliff Notes have
become a “dirty word”, they are excellent for a review of plot. Beyond that they
are very elementary and little help in teaching more advanced levels of literature.
All students should keep a set of notes on all subjects which can be used very
effectively in review just prior to the competition.
• Social Science
The area of Social Science requires real teamwork. Since no given text is
sufficient for the preparations, I found it effective to assign the research of social
studies to the students. Each student has a given area which he reads and takes
notes and then passes the text on to me. If the passages are not too long, each
student gets a copy of the pages used in gleaning their notes. Probably the best
single text, if the subject is American History, is Bailey’s American History. Most
U.S. History A.P. teachers use Bailey as the basic text and most social science
teachers are willing to loan out 10 or 12 copies of the book. Most juniors will
already have a book as they are most likely to be enrolled in AP U.S. History.
One text will not do it all. All subjects, whether history or economics, should
include World Book Encyclopedia and The Academic Encyclopedia. Do not fail to
press the Social Science Department for help. Frequently they can cover the
basics in a very short time and many students are slow readers, but are not “slow
listeners.” They retain countless materials from the lectures. If videos are
available, they too are valuable resources – unless they are too elementary, which
preludes their use. It is a loss of valuable time and time is vital to the Decathlon
students.
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•
Mathematics
As I mentioned before, mathematics is one of the most crucial areas in picking and
preparing for the mathematics section of the competition. This is especially true
for the varsity students. At least two mathematics tests should be given before the
first cut-off and then an additional test should be given as you move toward the
competition. Not only should the student be proficient, he/she should also be able
to work quickly and correctly through a 50-item test in 30 minutes. While it is not
essential for the varsity students to score 800-900, they must score a minimum
500-600. Honor and Scholastic students should score in a range from 700-900.
An absolutely brilliant student is not incapable of scoring 1000. If the
mathematics department is solid in its offerings, and in its teaching, mathematics
is actually less demanding in preparation. Remember, an outstanding mathematics
student may be only mediocre in other fields. Use the honors and scholastic
students as tutors for those who are weak in mathematics. You may also solicit
the mathematics department for help in designing tests as well as teaching students
the higher skills needed for such items as calculus.
•
Economics
Many students, where it is required, will be taking economics the first or second
semester of his/her senior year. However, not all students are able to enroll in
economics the first semester of their senior year, and a team may include juniors,
therefore, the area of economics must be covered as extensively as any other
subject. Some students may elect to take economics at a local college during the
summer or at night. Although the course content may be identical and the
instructors may be more knowledgeable, students should see a counselor to
ascertain the credit given for such a class. Many high schools do not grant credit
if the student does not have an unsolvable schedule conflict or simply cannot work
it into his/her regular schedule.
Most high schools that do teach economics will have books that may be borrowed
for the duration of the preparation, but again, when soliciting help be as polite as
possible and above all, return books as quickly as possible to the economics
classes. Excellent outside sources may be found at local colleges and universities.
One of these is a video series entitled U.S.A. Today. This video series covers
economic vocabulary, economic theories, and basic principals of the various
economic systems. Many colleges and universities also operate a Center for
Economic Education. These materials are available to students at no charge.
Serious students should begin to scan the business section of the local papers.
Many charts and graphs published in Business Week, Time, Newsweek and local
newspapers help to familiarize the student with economic concerns and the
vocabulary of economics.
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• Fine Arts – Art
Probably one of the most difficult areas for which students must be prepared is the
area of fine arts. The new approach to fine arts does make it less difficult but it is
still a time consuming affair. My approach to fine arts is to begin as early as
possible and to feed the students piecemeal throughout the preparation period.
Remember, most students have had very little exposure to the fine arts even in
high school, therefore you can’t feed them large dosages at any given time. Begin
early with a given artist. Copy some of his/her works to use as you discuss not
only the artist, his contribution to the field but how they apply various principles
of art and design to their works. It is essential that each student have a complete
set of notes on each artist. The coach should give the first lecture, but then assign
all remaining artist to various team members. Even though the coach may give
only one lecture, he/she should be familiar with all material. It is a good idea to
assign two students for each artist. The student should also provide, if possible a
copy of the artist’s most famous work. As soon as we cover the lecture material of
any given artist, I begin a special bulletin board for the copies of paintings, etc.
Art books are expensive and most libraries do not have a plethora of resources in
the area of either art or music. Again, raid the local libraries and have the students
Xerox the materials needed. All basic information can again be found in the
World Book Encyclopedia and the Academic Encyclopedia. Most high schools
have only one art teacher so his/her time is limited, but a request for help may
bring about some valuable information. World Book Encyclopedia also covers the
basic of both art and architecture. If students arrive early for class, or if they are
working on individual projects, free students should be glued to the bulletin board.
In the field of fine arts, there is an inordinate amount of material to be memorized,
and to sit idle in any situation is a cardinal sin.
• Fine Arts – Music
Like art, most students have a weak background in music, so it is necessary to
begin as basically as possible. Like art, much material must be memorized.
Frequently, there may be an audio section to the music exam, therefore I begin
very early with the music – small doses. Each day as class begins, the first fiveten minutes is spent listening to the music selections. Since there really aren’t that
many composers, it does not take much time to run through all the selections and
then begin over as a review. Students should also be able to check out types and
make their own recordings. Similar to the art preparation, each student will be
assigned an artist for lecture and for notes, which in turn will be shared with the
entire team. A valuable resource for biographical information is A Dictionary of
Composers. However, this does not cover modern composers as P. Glass or S.
Sondheim. They are covered, however, in the World Book Encyclopedia and
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Fine Arts – Music continued
Academic Encyclopedia. The standard text for music appreciation and music
theory is used in many high schools. Music, An Appreciation, by Roger Kamien
is a godsend for those people, like me, who know practically nothing about music
theory or modern music. Another resource to consider is your own music
department. I have found music leaders to be extremely cooperative in teaching
the music section of the fine arts. Do no give up in distress. Just remember all
students are “in the same boat”. Instruction in both music and art in most high
schools is pathetically ignored, yet it is amazing how many students say that area
was especially interesting to them, and many elect Art History as one of their first
college courses.
• Science
Finding resources for the science section of the Decathlon is not difficult, in fact, I
found it the least difficult. However, locating the resource material and finding
someone to help teach are two different stories. Science teachers are frequently
over loaded with work from just their own class and have precious little “free
time” to do extra work. Regardless of the subject, biology, physics or chemistry,
the basic text for these courses will suffice. The World Book Encyclopedia
provides an excellent resource and is written in a fashion that even the non-science
teacher can comprehend. Previous tests can also be helpful in determining how
difficult the test will be. Frequently you may be lucky enough to have an
advanced science student who can do a very effective job of coaching. It is only
when one gets into such topics as optics and thermodynamics that you will need
special help. I have used friends and acquaintances to approach professors who
live in the area on a S.O.S basis and sometimes it has worked. Just remember, all
teams are equal as they begin. Just how much energy and effort they decide to
expend will be the deciding factor in the final run.
• Interview
The interview is often taken too lightly by both students and coaches, and then
they cannot understand why they scored so poorly. To be a winning team all
interview scores must be in the high 800’s and 900’s. In truth, of all the events in
the Decathlon, this is the one area that students felt had a long lasting advantage.
The vast majority of adults in America are a disaster when it comes to an
interview. Seldom do they realize they have made a very poor impression. There
are real skills involved in taking an interview. To become “professional” in an
interview can be achieved, but one must often suffer some painful criticism.
There are many ways to prepare for an interview, but I have found that practice is
the real clue. Begin with information from the student profile, but shortly
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thereafter switch to more general questions where they must think through a
question. Then return to questions generated from the students interview form. At
this time, begin to work individually with the students to improve such items as
body language, grammar, elocution and other items listen on the interview score
sheet. (A Copy of the score sheet is included as an appendix.) Two or three days
before the competition have the students return at night for practice. As this time,
I call in as many volunteers as possible to run each student through at least 8-10
interviews. After each “interview” the student will move on to another set of
judges. I arrange to meet two nights in a row. These dates must be set at the
beginning of September and a reminder of these dates should be mentioned each
week. Each student should have in his notebook a calendar of events.
Do not critique the students as a group. A critique should immediately follow
after each interview and speech. It doesn’t do much good to have a student
receive a critique an hour after the interview. Frequently, interviewers feel free to
move away from the prepared interview form. For this reason students should be
prepared for questions such as, “Tell me about yourself” or “What person has had
a major influence on your life?” That is why I mentioned earlier that students
should read editorials and be familiar with the major world events. Videotaping
both the student’s interview and speech is a real aid to the students. Seeing
oneself on the “screen” reveals many faults and is an enlightening and sometimes
stunning experience for even the best students.
• General Guidelines for the Interview
When you are being interviewed, for whatever purpose, you are going to be
judged on many things. The success of the interview will be determined by the
following list of important major areas.
1) Your ability to answer the questions appropriately and accurately.
2) Your knowledge about the subject matter and the objective for which you
are being interviewed.
3) Your professional attire, or the lack of it.
4) Your body language, i.e., “Actions speak louder than words.”
5) Your level of self-confidence and the ability to project it to the interviewer.
6) Your finesse in dealing with difficult and/or “pressure-type” questions,
problems, etc.
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General Guidelines for the Interview continued
• Adequately Prepare for the Interview Find out as much information
about the kinds of questions that could be asked and prepare your answers
ahead of time. Be a sleuth; do some detective work to uncover the nature and
content of the interview. Go to the library if necessary and research
information on the subject matter. Then, write your answers down on
paper! Don’t kid yourself into believing that you will remember them; you can
only remember approximately 40% of what is on your mind, at any given time.
Role-play a mock interview session with a qualified person who can give you
pertinent and correct feedback. If possible, videotape the interview and
critique it for ways to improve your delivery, your answers and your body
language.
• Dress Appropriately for the Interview What you wear, the colors you
choose, and how you feel about what you’re wearing plays a very important
part in how the interviewer perceives you. First impressions can sometimes
determine much of how you’re going to be taken by the interviewer, serious or
lackadaisical, ect. A large part of a first impression is formed from your
physical appearance. There are certain guidelines you can use when choosing
clothes for an interview.
The most important guide to choosing the correct and appropriate clothes is
conservative. Try to avoid wearing “mod” or “kicky” garments; they have
no place in an interview. Simple lines and basic suits, dresses, ect, are the
best choice. And the color of the clothing is also very important.
There are generally accepted opinions about what colors are acceptable and
those that are not. John T. Molloy, a well-known writer on professional
dress says that blue, beige, and wine are the best colors, the least likely to
offend. The colors he warns against wearing are black (a power color),
green, brown, red (a sexual color) and pastels. Pastels are okay for blouses,
shirts, and/or accessories, but are not to be worn as the total outfit.
You should always wear the clothes that are in season. White, light-colored
linens and lightweight fabrics such as sheers and batiste are inappropriate
from the months of September through May. During these months, the
material should be of a heavier type such as wool, gabardine, double knits,
or oxford cloth. Of course, you also need to consider what part of the
country you live in and the accepted standards of that area. Most clothiers
in a well-known clothing store can give you a lot of assistance with this.
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Jewelry, make-up, and perfumes/lotions are to be used sparingly. This
applies to both males and females. If you wear jewelry, make certain it is
simple and of good quality, no costume jewelry or anything that jangles or
dangles. Women should always wear flesh-colored nylons with closed,
low-heeled shoes. Men should wear dark socks to match their suit and
conservative shoes, no loafers or tennis shoes!
Last but not least, your garment should fit you well, and you should feel
comfortable in it. Don’t use an interview as the opportunity to try a new
style, something you’ve never worn before. The last thing you need to
have on your mind during an interview is a concern about a piece of
clothing that doesn’t fit well or is uncomfortable to sit in.
• Body Language There have been volumes written about this subject, about
the non-verbal messages that your facial expressions, physical stance, gestures,
and appearance convey to your listener. Body language isn’t new; it gained
widespread attention a decade and a half ago with numerous pop-psychology
books. However, aside from the superficiality of that genre, there is serious
study on how we communicate without words. Experts estimate that as much
as 65% of our communication is nonverbal. Some common body language
messages that enhance or even contradict what we actually say with our words
are as follows:
1) What to do with your hands while talking. You should keep them in
your lap, unclenched with palms up. Clenched hands reveal an overanxious or a frightened feeling. Gesturing when you’re talking should be
kept to a minimum, as it can be irritating to your listener. Above all, keep
them away from your face, hair, and clothing. Do not attempt to “adjust”
anything while you are in an interview. Smoothing your skirt or
straightening your tie can be interpreted as preening, gestures associated
with courtship or a concern that you’re “not okay.”
2) Facial Expression. Eye Contact. You should maintain eye contact with
your interviewer, but don’t stare, that’s intimidating. To keep from staring,
glace away from time to time, but only for a moment. Eyes that are averted
are interpreted as a sign of guilt, lack of self-confidence or even dishonesty.
Along with your eyes, your mouth is a major source of silent
communication. Smiling too much will convey an unnatural phony
message. The trickiest part about smiling is to make it real. An oblong
smile (lips drawn back from the teeth) means insincerity, aggression.
Pursed lips signal disapproval or a sour personality. Clenched teeth
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Body Language continued
represent determination, which can be either good or bad. You can gage
the extent of your own smile by watching the interviewer and responding in
kind. Rubbing your nose when you’re asked a difficult question many be
seen as a sign of uncertainty or doubt. Eyebrows up signal surprise, fear, or
sudden recognition; eyebrows down revel concern, worry, or fear.
3) From the neck down. Crossed arms can mean defensiveness,
dissatisfaction, or simply that you’ve found a comfortable place for your
hands. The head tilted far up indicates superiority; down gives a message
of submission. Ramrod straight posture can signal inflexibility, but the
other extreme, slouching in the chair, could be viewed as an indication that
you’re lazy or disinterested. Both feet should remain on the floor.
• Super Quiz
Upon the release of the subject outlines in the spring, most coaches would make
mad dash to every bookstore and library in search of materials. After a few years
of experience, the coaches realize that most secondary sources only add a burden
to an already astronomical amount of material the student must master. The
primary sources listed in the U.S.A.D. outline will more than suffice. Again, the
World Book is an excellent source written on a level that even the varsity student
can read and understand. To purchase additional material is foolish and it makes
the Super Quiz appear unsurmountable to even the Honor students. However, do
not wait to begin collecting the sources. Those listed in the U.S.A.D. outline are
essential, but must often be ordered from the publisher.
Upon receiving the sources, the coach should parcel out the note taking. In
addition to taking notes, each student should begin a notebook, or merely a card
index with questions over the assigned material. These should be collected
weekly and then used as practice for the final event. As the team moves towards
the day of competition, the work on Super Quiz should become more thorough.
Divide the final team in half and have practice rounds using the questions the
students generated while taking their notes. If teaching a competitions class,
utilize those not on the team as extra resources people and have them also make up
sets of questions. They can also serve as the moderator, thus freeing the coach to
work on other areas.
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SELECTING THE FINALISTS
By the time you have put the students through a minimum of eight weeks of very
intensive work, you may not have to reject any students in the varsity category, but
they should nevertheless take tests. Do not forget to order a set of U.S.A.D. test
from U.S.A.D. early in the fall. These tests can then be used, first to cut the
additional students (no more than three per each GPA category). Spend at least a
week on the test taking. Since there are 10 areas, you may not have time to take
all the tests before the required paperwork to enter your team is due. However, the
test that should be given to all candidates before that final selection should include
fine arts, essay, mathematics, science and super quiz. Each student should also be
scored on an impromptu speech. The total high point totals then determines who
will be your final nine students. Most students like to know if they will be a part
of the team much sooner, which is an indication that they really aren’t interested
unless they can be guaranteed a place on the team. A student with that attitude is
not a team-oriented student, and working as a team is crucial to the success of the
team. A prima donna will only hurt the team and it’s possibility of winning.
In a final check before submitting the paperwork, check the GPA’s and have
someone else also compute the GPA. As mentioned earlier, the difference
between a GPA of 2.99 and 3.00 is only .01 points, but a .01 mistake can make a
Varsity student a Scholastic student and a Scholastic student an Honors student.
Reread the Interview form carefully to correct misspelled words or other errors,
then have a secretary type the final form to submit. Give every effort to
submitting forms on time. Secretaries are often overworked and a team may be
disqualified if the paperwork is late or contains numerous errors.
PERKS
Not necessarily the last, but definitely one of the most important factors to
consider are perks. Students like to be commended for good work, so be generous
with the praise! Periodically bring donuts, cake, cookies and the like to the team.
Schedule a couple of purely social get-togethers so the parents can also participate,
and remember also, encourage parents to get involved. Later, they will be an asset
in doing the interview and speech practices. Push the students but don’t push too
hard. Watch for signs of stress and try to reduce them before they are out of
control.
In the long run, it is not winning that really counts, (although it is nice to be a
winner), but it is the Decathlon experience that these students will remember
and appreciate for years, so give it your all and they will give you their all.
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