Week befor Spring Break

Next week is Spring Break -- YEA! That means that I can leave about 1/3 of my job behind -- and only coach debate next week --- and, run a tournament this weekend.... Thank goodness we keep our tournament uncomplicated, no individual events -- and no elaborate awards ceremony.Hubby and I decided that we would even skip the formal welcome and thanks, putting them on a PowerPoint displayed at the front of the room. We HATE those things at other tournaments, so don't want to infest our tourament with that crap.

I think that missing Spring Break is the thing that I miss the most when coaching debate. I don't think I've had a full Spring Break since I've been coaching... 9 years is a long time to go without one. The problem is that March is nationals time, it is also when every school I've been at in the last 9 years schedules their Spring Break. Some years we are traveling to or from nationals during break, others we are preparing for nationals during break.... either way, I don't get one.

Last year was a particularly big challenge... we hosted KQRS nationals last year --- so the first weekend was spent in a flurry of activity, then we slept all day on Monday, did practice rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday and left for NPQRRSDA nationals on Thursday morning VERY early. Competition was Friday-Sunday and we flew home on Monday.

Compared to last year, I'll actually have some break time -- We'll host our tournament Fri-Sun, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we'll do some debate work and then Thursday - Sunday will be a NO DEBATE ZONE!...

The week after Spring Break we'll have a "normal" week, then leave for KQRS nationals on Friday really early. We won't come back until after NPQRSDA nationals -- I guess, in retrospect, I do get a few of my Spring Break days back in Oregon... as I'm missing classes to stay out there.

After we get back from NPQRSDA nationals, things get much nicer around here -- no debate travel and only 3 philosophy classes to teach. The Debaters will be working on their end of semester debate portfolios, but we won't have any more meetings --- so that clears up 2 nights for me. Imagine, I could leave campus no later than 5:15 EVERY NIGHT! Wow...