I can without a doubt say this is my LEAST favorite contest to coach. I'm not sure why I have this great hatred for opening and closing but it literally drives me up the wall.
Reasons I hate Opening & Closing:
1. You're teaching novice, advanced and officer teams, all the parts to open and close a meeting-- yet in reality only the officers open and close a meeting for an entire year.
2. It creates robots... Kids who memorize word for word information, LAME.
3. With all this memorization, let me just tell you it becomes incredibly boring to watch practices!
4. Tap once, Tap three times... Mr. President this is not difficult to remember!
5. Hair... Please dear lord, brush your hair children! You are showing up to look professional, which means if you rolled outta bed you should check yourself!
6. Boys- Yes, button the dang top button of your shirt and learn to tie a proper tie.
7. Day of the contest, it is quite literally the most boring day of sitting around and waiting.
8. We added Parli Pro to our Opening & Closing for officers this year... To be funny or serious? That is the question...
9. Our contest is during the day... Yep another sub to prepare for!
10. Our contest goes past noon... Yet, we don't get lunch (um yeah that sucks)
All in all, I know the positive things about opening and closing. The hope is to get kids more involved with the sectional level, get more experience public speaking, try something new, meet new people and yada yada yada...
Mostly, I go with flow (although not quietly) with the contest because kids love it. They might be scared shitless on the van ride to the contest but on the way home they are crazy hyped up! That to me is an FFA success, regardless of how excited I am about it.
Positives for the day...
My kids had fun
They won some ribbons
I made them play games
They met new people
They worked as a TEAM
Aren't they precious?!
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