Posted on
April 27, 2008 – 9:46 pm by: Nick Bubb
WFCA President Bonni Knight asked Wisconsin Forensics Daily to post this thank you letter:
Dear Fellow Coaches and Friends,
I want to take a moment to thank you all for your hard work throughout the season, and especially last weekend, to help make the 2008 WFCA State Tournament a success. Congratulations to everyone. Whether or not your students came home with trophies cannot be a true measure of what was won that day. Last Saturday was a tribute to hard work and dedication on the part of students and coaches alike. In the end, talent (and a little luck, sometimes) brought the winners to the stage, but every kid who showed up was changed by the performances they saw and the ballots they received.
As I stated in the listening sessions throughout the day, I am inspired by the dedication of the people who make the tournament possible. The list is long, but permit me to mention a few of them:
Chris Zoch – Tournament Director. This man did a superhuman job of organizing and scheduling this event, always displaying gentility and grace, even in the most stressful of moments. Without his attention to detail, the tournament could have been a disaster.
Deano Pape – Site Director. After the tournament was over, and everyone had left, I observed Deano carefully straightening the rows of chairs in the gym for an event the following morning. I cannot imagine how much work this must have been for him, but I do know this… his ability to inspire the team of cheerful college team members to get up and be there at 7 am on a Saturday is truly impressive.
Jodi Becker – Site Coordinator. It was Jodi who arranged all the coordination of details. Throughout the day, I was impressed by her ability to juggle countless details about rooms, concessions, etc, all the while smiling calmly.
Mike Traas – Tab Room Director. Wow. Data flowed through the computers, set up and managed by Mike. His staff performed effectively and cheerfully, and everything went very smoothly. This room was a sight to behold, with teams of focused professionals hunched over their computers muttering numbers to each other, allowing the tournament to conclude almost exactly on schedule.
Paul Seymour – Tournament Assistant. I met Paul at a meeting room at the Country Inn on Friday night, where he was leading a staff of volunteers in stuffing packets and organizing judges. Another detail person, his work really moved the tournament along.
Father Gary Wegner – Tournament Practices and Procedures Chair. The large number of protests and complaints brought to this committee was, I believe, unprecedented. But Gary and his team heard both sides of every story, and always made every effort to give people the opportunity to speak in defense of the protest. I was most impressed with Gary’s common sense approach to things, as well as his gentleness during conflicts. Also, hats off to Joe Meinecke for his quick use of Google to try and help people prove the validity of their cuttings.
Adam Jacobi – Congress Director: Adam’s dedication to the activity of Student Congress is legendary, as is his passion and talent. The day went smoothly, and everything was handled professionally. Adam’s decision to move the congress to earlier in the day has truly improved the event, as it allows kids to “give it their all” and still have something left for the next day.
Steve Sexton – Past President. Steve was responsible for organizing the scholarships and awards. Thanks for providing inspirational insight into all of the great winners.
I mention all of those people and their actions because I think sometimes we take for granted the generous dedication of these volunteers. It is easy to pay your dues and registration fees, and just show up without ever wondering how it all takes place. The fact that an event of this magnitude can be run completely by a group of dedicated volunteers in truly unbelievable. But many of us are nearing retirement age, and it is time for more members to step up and volunteer. Host an invitational tournament. Host a workshop. Volunteer for a committee. Run for office. Have a say in the future of this group. And think about attending the Spring Meeting in Fond du Lac on May 2 – 3. Get to know us. Let us help you. You may contact me with any questions.
Finally, as many of you may already know, my assistant coach, Steve Sparks, passed away in August at the age of 26 from a pulmonary embolism, devastating me and my students. I also lost my brother-in-law, my next-door neighbor, and several friends this year. It ended up being one of the most difficult years of my life. But it also taught me something: You can never count on someone or something to be there tomorrow. You have to live life to its fullest every second. To me that meant many things: coaching my students with every ounce of energy that I possessed, spending precious time with my beloved family traveling to Belize for Christmas, visiting a friend in Vermont, or in the hospital, shopping occasionally (or more than occasionally), and trying to lead a complex organization that, because it is composed of people, can be full of conflict. I urge all of you to move forward and work together for the good of your students, and for all Wisconsin forensicators. Life is too short to hold on to disagreements and conflict. And our students deserve our best work.
It has been a genuine honor to be president of such a dynamic, vital organization.
Sincerely,
Bonni Knight
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