It is with a mixture of relief and regret that another Science Olympiad season is over. Our young team scored well at our regional competition, but not well enough to advance to the State competition. Our team had attended the State competition the past several years, and so there is a measure of disappointment of not getting to that level this year. But there is also a lesson to be learned by my young team, and that every event counts and every point counts. If we have a few weak events, it can pull the team down and prevent them from advancing to the next level. It is an important lesson for new students to learn, and to understand the impact every event has on the team score.
The other side, relief that the season is over, stems from not having to put any more work into the team for a few months. Coaches, whether teachers or parents, put a lot of time into scheduling practices and working with the students, and when that commitment is over for the year, there is a feeling of relief with the hope of a little more free time. This begins the time of rejuvenation, a little break to recharge before the season begins again in the fall. But there is never a question of will I coach again in the fall, just how long until we begin a new season, full of new hopes and anticipation for new achievements. So goodbye until next year, when we begin another season of Science Olympiad competitions.
