Proposed Individual Qualification for Nationals

[captbilly]

The idea of the very best individuals going to competition obviously has some merit. The issue seems to break down to how to do it (and the fact that some people don't like the idea). Some other science competitions already do only all star competitions. Intel Science Fair is an example of a competition where individuals rather than teams progress. I believe there is some sort of math and also a physics competition that sends the best individuals to competition rather than the best team as well. SO seems early on to have decided on a team approach rather than an individual approach, and that is perfectly fine.

There are advantages and disadvantages to either the team or individual approach. With the individual approach we are more likely to see the very best individuals progress through the competition. We all know for example that often the best bridge, or egg-o-naut, or trajectory, whatever, never makes it to Nationals. For some competitors it can be very demoralizing to realize that they didn't go to States or Nationals only because they are on a team that isn't highly motivated like they are. As well, it can be demoralizing for a very competitve individual to wonder if they were really good enough to beat the best competitor in the country, rather then just the best competitor who's team made it to Nationals. The team approach can be a wonderful bonding experience for the team members. Sometimes the motivation provided by 14 other students can make a competitor just that much better. Logistically it is obviously easier to send 120 teams to Nationals then it would be to send 15 times 120 individuals. Some of the other competitions that do send individuals (and some that send teams as well) are well enough funded that they pay for all the expenses of everyone going to competition. Intel pays the expenses for their National (international?) competitors, DOE pays for the competitors in their math competition, etc. Perhaps if SO had a sugar daddy like DOE or Intel then they could afford to pay the expenses of all the competitors and their chaparones.

[fmtiger124]

I think having individuals completely degrades the purpose of SO. a lot of it is about the team and this would get rid of that

[Helix_Nebula_Freak]

I think it would b interesting, but I think one of the great thing about SO, at least for me, is that it gives non-athletic kids (as well as athletic kids) an oppertunity for a team "sport," for lack of a better term. Ik I'd never be as confident as I am without SO, without feeling like I was important enough to b of use to anyone because I couldent play a sport. SO gave me friends because of the team. Individual qualification would ruin that.

Just my opinion...

[sciolyscorpio95]

i agree. i think that, while SO is completely amzing by itself, the best part is that u get to make RLY RLY RLY good friends. im have so many more friends now cuz of SO, and even tho i love the actual events, i think that individual qualification would ruin the whole idea of SO.

altho, for ppl who often have bad partners who dont study hard, it would b rly good for them...

[sr243]

I really wish they had like an event where they test in a variety of topics and it was done by one person. This shouldn't count towards the team score but allows the best person to have a chance to go to nationals. It really sucks when you are really good, but your team drags you down. This would give people who are dedicated a chance to go even if their team isn't.

[oceangirl.007]

That's rather confusing...so with this plan there will only be individual medals and no overall first place??

[Helix_Nebula_Freak]

There wuld b no team qualification 4 nationals... it would b like whoever got first in a certain event at the state level wuld go... I think...

then there's the whole "all-star" team idea where evrey state takes the 1st place winners from each event forming one team of all the best-in-state ppl in each event.

Wat I see as the major problem here is that in most states, it wuld b like primarly composed of one or two teams, with maybe some stragglers from other ones.

Again, just my opinion...

[gneissisnice]

Except for the amazing teams that get first in everything anyway...

[Helix_Nebula_Freak]

then it wuld b all one team on the all star team!

[croman74]

then it wuld b all one team on the all star team!

*cough* Solon *cough*

[Helix_Nebula_Freak]

No really? (Sarcasm)

[kp9ssa]

solon won by over 100 points at nats this year

[jazzy009]

SOINC decided to respond to this question personally. I don't know if you've seen it already, and I'm too lazy to check back 3 pages. But here's a definite answer. Looks like teamwork will have to do!

http://soinc.org/allstar_teams

[dragonfly]

This is one of the main reasons that I chose Science Olympiad over TSA in middle school (nevermind the fact that I'd heard much better things from S.O., had known the coaches already, and enjoyed it so much after my first year) and still continue in high school. The reason that Science Olympiad is so amazing is because of the fact that the whole team needs to be good and hard-working. There are countless amounts of very brilliant people out there, and I'm sure that they would deserve to have a great team like many of us are so lucky to have, but by making a team for said people we would really be ruining the spirit of Sci.Oly., as well as the competition.

[EastStroudsburg13]

I think this is a great idea, except that it would be really hard to get it together. SO is a team thing, I understand, but it's nice if those people who are really dedicated and don't have dedicated teammates can move on. This isn't a replacement for the team system, just an extra reward for those who work really hard.