UPDATE: After the Science round held on Tuesday, February 18, the Atkins team reclaimed its title and is again the WSFCS Academic Team champions.
By Scott Plaster
(Scholastic Director, Atkins HS)
“We have to say something; it’s the right thing to do,” were the words of Thomas Vasilos as he stood to walk toward the judges in the back of the room.
It is moments like these that help mold the character of the young people we teach and coach, so much more important than the outcome of the event. In the words of famous sports writer Grantland Rice, “It is not whether you win or lose but how you play the game.”
Vasilos, the Academic Team coach at Atkins HS, is a class act. Every now and then, I feel inspired by a circumstance in observing a competition, whether it is a baseball game or a chess match. The premise is that the benefits of competition in general extend way beyond the ball field or the quiz bowl buzzer. As a coach of many teams myself through the years, I’ve had similar moments, and I know personally how ethical dilemmas can arise on a fairly frequent basis.
So I cannot imagine a coach handling this situation any better. And I cannot imagine a better lesson for the students on his team. The applause he received that night was well deserved.
Here’s the backstory. Wednesday, February 12 was supposed to be the final match in the annual WSFCS Academic Team championship tournament. After winning for a number of years straight, Atkins lost its reign last year, but rebounded this year and has been undefeated. Against a very worthy opponent in Reagan HS, the match was a close one, with Atkins having a little bit of a lead after the first two rounds in English and Math.
And then it happened. In a moment that would best be described as somewhere between “fiasco” and “blunder,” a major mistake was made; last year’s questions for the Science round were mistakenly used, giving the Atkins team an advantage since they had seen these same questions last year and had used them to prepare for the competition.
So that is when our key moment happened – to tell or not to tell. You know we’ve all done it: gotten back more change than was due at the convenience store, bent the truth a little bit, or otherwise been less than totally honest. If you have not, I guess you are perfect! I know that I am not. But competition brings out the best (or worst) of us. On top of that, being on a team builds self-esteem and social skills and can be a great leadership opportunity.
On Wednesday night, chaos ensued while the coaches and officiators tried to determine how to proceed. Due to the mishap, the Atkins and Reagan teams will convene again at 5 pm on Tuesday, where the final round (the Science round) will be played, and the overall winner determined.
But regardless of the outcome of Tuesday’s final round, Thomas Vasilos is a real winner in my book.
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