Re: High School Strength

Swampdawg1 · Fri, 10 Dec 1999 15:43:54 -0800

I think that I would like to add my two-bits, as
I am a high school player. To me, it is difficult
to make such broad judgments about all high school
teams. Trust me, we are not all slow or limited in our
knowledge as one very early post suggests. A lot of the
success at such a young age (and most likely when you get
to the college level as well) comes from just how
badly you want to do well. Sure, many kids sit back and
are content with mediocrity, but many want to do well
and are driven to learn more than they ever should.
Modestly, I consider myself one of those people (and I have
had success on a college level, competing with
Cornell University at two tourneys--GT MLK and GT HB;
both very fun. Matt Colvin {an academic god} and I
placed second at Heinrich Bowl in October).

Another thing to note when discussing high school teams
is geographic region. While I am sure that there are
several very competitive teams in Illionois and the
midwest, it is not practical to make a generality about
all hs programs by teams from there. The south is
invariably the strongest in the nation in high school
quizbowl. Teams like James Island, Dorman, Brookwood,
Walton, Riverdale, Aiken, Irmo, and Milton are always
finalists in national tournaments. Tomorrow, my team, as
well as roughly 180 other teams will be competing in
the largest HS tourney in the nation, at Brookwood
HS. I can almost assure you now, that the teams at
this tournament will be top ranked in the country at
the end of the year. State College and Detroit
Catholic Central are prized exceptions. Also, I would
wager a lot of money that there will be a multitude of
players tomorrow who I will face that can easily go
toe-to-toe with top college players. Trust me, for those who
take it seriously, they get really good. 

In
closing, I just want to say that I feel that in high
school, more so than in college, you have to remember
that kids are in quizbowl because it is fun. I have
many friends who resign to the fact that they are not
very good and won't contribute much, but they still
come out because they enjoy applying what little they
can regurgitate (sp?) and feel lauded for it. So,
before you knock insular teens, remember not all of them
plan on being college superstars. They're there to
have a good time, and rightfully so. At any rate, I
wish all teams and players out there, both college and
high school, the best of luck with their studying and
subsequent tournaments. 

Thank you all for your time
(and see you at southern tournaments later this year I
hope),
Darren
"Chance Favors the Prepared Mind"
 -Louis Pasteur