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Re: Novices in policy debate

<snipped out some unpleasant statistics about Novices leaving>

> 2.  Are other regions seeing this trend too?
> xxxxxxxxxxxxxNorthwest is, as I said before.

It doesn't seem to be as much of a problem in the Northeast, to provide
another data point.  Novice divisions tend to be large and healthy at
tournaments, even though there is still attrition and many debaters don't
seem to stick with the activity after that.

> 3.  Should we as educators be satisfied with merely assisting high
> school stars that (thankfully) want to continue, which may be our
> future?

I find this a distressing vision of the future.  We need to provide
something to the academic community outside our own self-perpetuation.
Debate is a unique educational resource at a university, and should
remain accessible to students who weren't exposed to it in high school.

> 4.  What can we do to encourage Novices to continue?
> xxxxxxxxxxxxxhave a narrowed topic, have shorter tournaments, have
> seniors spend time with the novices, have coaches work with the
> novices, don't push novices into higher divisions until they are really
> ready (it leads to burn out)

This last item has some validity, but I don't think it should be
approached that way.  Pushing them into higher divisions for a tournament
or two is a good way to hone skills in a hurry, and it motivates
competitive students to improve.  Then, when they go back down to Novice
at a subsequent tournament, it's like weightlifting on the Moon.  On the
other hand, you don't want to keep putting them in a position where they
always get their butts kicked, or they'll leave out of frustration.  Many
coaches keep highly skilled Novices down in the lower division because
they earn a lot more CEDA points that way.  While I understand this
approach from a competitive standpoint, I do not agree with it
educationally.

          --Alan


__________________
Alan Dove
N3IMU
ad52@columbia.edu
http://hs1304silver1.cpmc.columbia.edu/Alan_Dove/Alan.html
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