How to Deal with Regional Teams

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Scott
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How to Deal with Regional Teams

Post by Scott »

So, we are in a league that is pretty decent for the area. There are some okay teams in it: Apollo, Madisonville, Daviess County, Owensboro, etc.
We recently got an e-mail from the coach of a team that is not very competitive, even within this league. They complained of how we talked excessively and seemed to think we should refrain from enjoying ourselves. Because a team named "Grayson County" who is decently competitive within the state of Kentucky, beat a team that no one on here would have even heard remotely of, by the rough equivalent of 300 points, that made it necessary to call us out. They accused us of cheating to the league commissioner and said that they wish to not play us again. They attacked individual students and said that our team was not intelligent enough to beat theirs.

We have dealt with the situation well, but it left me with a question.

1) Do other teams find this attitude from regional teams when they outplay them?

2) Is there any way to deal with this situation (not our's specifically) other than just ignore and move on?
Scott Blain
Grayson '12
Vanderbilt '16
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Re: How to Deal with Regional Teams

Post by Stained Diviner »

Different regional teams have a wide variety of attitudes. The situation you are dealing with, unfortunately, is not unique. There are many weak teams who "get it"--meaning that they appreciate the fact that some teams work hard and learn a lot, and there are some weak teams who don't get it.

Ignoring it and moving on is basically the right attitude. Your team should behave with dignity and class even when it would be possible to come up with excuses not to do so. I hope that your league has a good commissioner--not all leagues do.

In the future, one thing to be careful about is your behavior when you are winning big against another team. Other teams don't know your inside jokes and don't see how you behave during close matches, and they often assume that laughter during a blowout match is directed at them whether or not it actually is. If you are winning big against a team that you don't know well, it generally is a good idea to keep things quiet as you play it out, shake their hands, and get out of there. I wasn't at the match, so I don't know how your team behaved, but there have been times in the past where innocent behavior by my team, which often is on the loud side, was misinterpreted.
David Reinstein
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Re: How to Deal with Regional Teams

Post by David Riley »

Scott--I second everything that Mr. Reinstein said. Unfortunately, this situation is rampant around here and his suggestions are the best ways of handling it. I might add, many non-competitive teams of my acquaintance look at quiz bowl as simply a variant on Trivial Pursuit, etc. These same people (and sorry for the sports analogy) will root till their hoarse for their home football team, yet do not understand academic competition. Hold your head high, take Mr. Reinstein's suggestions to heart, and approach the problem with class.
David Riley
Coach Emeritus, Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Illinois, 1993-2010
Steering Committee, IHSSBCA, 1996 -
Member, PACE, 2012 -

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Re: How to Deal with Regional Teams

Post by Broad-tailed Grassbird »

grayson77 wrote:So, we are in a league that is pretty decent for the area. There are some okay teams in it: Apollo, Madisonville, Daviess County, Owensboro, etc.
We recently got an e-mail from the coach of a team that is not very competitive, even within this league. They complained of how we talked excessively and seemed to think we should refrain from enjoying ourselves. Because a team named "Grayson County" who is decently competitive within the state of Kentucky, beat a team that no one on here would have even heard remotely of, by the rough equivalent of 300 points, that made it necessary to call us out. They accused us of cheating to the league commissioner and said that they wish to not play us again. They attacked individual students and said that our team was not intelligent enough to beat theirs.

We have dealt with the situation well, but it left me with a question.

1) Do other teams find this attitude from regional teams when they outplay them?

2) Is there any way to deal with this situation (not our's specifically) other than just ignore and move on?
Did one of the freshman on said team hack the coach's email, or did is this coach still a spoiled brat who mommy always told was special, even after 4 years of college?
Nalin
Scranton Middle School (2000-2003)
Brighton High School (2003-2007)
Michigan State University (2007-2011)
Semi-Retired (2012-present)
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