Proposed Individual Qualification for Nationals

[gneissisnice]

Yeah, I can understand that there might be some individuals who excel at their events, but they are the only one on their team that really cares and does well.
But science olympiad really is a team sport, and besides, it would be very difficult to organize such a team.

[dontsenditinthemail]

This is a topic I have been going back and forth on for a while.

1. I love the idea of an allstar team because it would make Science Olympiad even more like a Major League sport.

2. I also love the idea of an allstar team because the best of the best should be represented at the national tournament. No offense to anybody, but some teams compete at nationals that wouldn't place top 10 in a state like OH, PA, or NY. Thus, the national competition is really like, and I truly believe this, 1/2 as hard as it could be if better teams were chosen from really competative states, or if individuals could qualify for nationals.

3. On the other hand, Science Olympiad is about being a team. You can't qualify as an individual for the NBA finals, you need your team with you, and in that sense, Science Olympiad does the right thing by not having individuals qualify.

4. There is absolutely no way to get the best people to the national competition because it is too hard to judge the best people. A state champion in a very weak state may not place top 20 at a state with really really competative teams (again, like OH, PA, or NY). The fact is that not all teams are equal, and thus it is impossible to judge people against an always differing standard.

THE BOTTOM LINE: I would rather see 3 TEAMS go from the best states (instead of just 2) than sending individuals to the national tournament. For example, Mentor, from OH, placed 5th at nationals in 2007, and didn't even get to go back in 2008. Who knows what they would have gotten considering they were the third place team at the OH state competition in 2008, and the LOWEST OH team at nationals (as in highest placing, as the OH teams at nationals placed 2nd and 3rd) placed 3rd in 2008. This would not only make 15 people happy (instead of just individuals at a time), but would also garraunteee a more competative national competition for everybody.

[Phenylethylamine]

Yeah, the fact that there can only be either one or two teams from each state makes things vastly unequal, not just competitive-ness wise, but even population-wise (clearly, one team from each division from a state of 16 teams isn't equal to two teams from each division from a state of 561 teams). Is there really that much difference between having 60 teams at Nats and, say, 65-70 teams, from giving the top 5-10 states (by number of teams and/or past performance) one extra team at Nats?

[pjgscioisamazing]

I personally hate teh idea of an "all star team" Science Olympiad is all about the team, the school, not just the competition of getting the best in each event from each state to go to nationals. Just my opinion, but science olympiad is perfect as is.

[sciolykid101]

I personally hate teh idea of an "all star team" Science Olympiad is all about the team, the school, not just the competition of getting the best in each event from each state to go to nationals. Just my opinion, but science olympiad is perfect as is.

The exams vary from competition level. You never know who is actually better. Yeah, I like SO as it is!

[eak227]

Is there really that much difference between having 60 teams at Nats and, say, 65-70 teams, from giving the top 5-10 states (by number of teams and/or past performance) one extra team at Nats?

Yes. OSU and Juniata in 03 and 04 only took 54 teams from each division, not 60. Why? Because for some reason, they just did not have the room for 120 teams to stay in hotels, to book all the rooms required for the events, plus just the overall added cost of another 600 or so people (that's about what 12 more teams would require). The Brain Trust probably knows more about the specifics, but cost as well as availability of housing are usually the 2 limiting factors as far as the size of national competitions go, I believe. They try to accommodate as many people as possible though. Where's Uncle Fester when you need him?

[Phenylethylamine]

Oh... yeah, I see how just a few teams could add a LOT of people.

[blufoster6]

Like many of you have already have said it wouldn't be right if individuals went to Nats. And if they did it that way, would an actual team go to Nats? And there could be hundreds of different schools at the national level if they did that.

[danger will robinson]

It would be nice for the people that work really hard but aren't at a competitive school. I'm lucky enough to go to a competetive school, so I'm fine. However, someone could have a 1st place at nats Scrambler and never get past regionals because no one on their team cares. That must be really frustrating.

[starpug]

It would be nice for the people that work really hard but aren't at a competitive school. I'm lucky enough to go to a competetive school, so I'm fine. However, someone could have a 1st place at nats Scrambler and never get past regionals because no one on their team cares. That must be really frustrating.

Yeah it would kinda be nice to get the best devices, being a building person, to nats.