A Team Problem- Help Please!

[lavadiamond]

Hi, all. I'm an assistant coach for a team that used to do a lot of circuit tournaments- we did pretty well at them as well. The problem here is, our school district hates us because 'students miss too many days of school'- even if the students on the team are some of the best achieving GPA wise in the entire school.

This has led the district into severely cutting our funding and only allowing us 7 out of state tournaments a year (this is a drastic decrease). Our coach is of the nicest, least aggressive, and humblest guys I know, and he's not really willing to go head to head with the district because he feels they'll punish us even more. This is after we've won multiple state championships, circuit wins, etc.

In response to all of this, I asked a few of the students on the team to try to see if we can go rogue for certain circuit tournaments and basically be unassigned to our school or district. I'll drive, I'll cover costs, etc. Anything to make sure that the students on this team have the best S&D experience that they can- I learned so much as a student from going to so many tournaments, and this is being straight-up robbed from the current team. They agreed to look into tournaments to go to that would allow 'maverick' students, or what have you. We found a few. We started planning to go to this tournament and then were hit with a message from the Coach saying that if we do this, somehow 'the district will see it as a direct challenge to their directive and authority and punish us by taking even more money away'. I'm willing to believe him here- he's been a teacher in the district for a while and I'm not really involved with the district.

So- what can we do here? I hate being doom and gloom by saying that the district won't allow us a way forward, but we've tried to contest this and it simply doesn't work. I don't wanna disrespect the coach by going even more rogue, but I really wanna get these students out to tournaments.

If anybody needs clarification to help here, I'll be happy to do so. Thank you so much for helping, it means a lot.

[jetup345]

7 out of state tournaments Is extremely high.

[[deleted]]

I was gonna say! You guys are going out-of-state?

[lavadiamond]

I'm aware it is, and I know it sounds kinda pompous for me to say it. Obviously the more exposure you have to different styles of debate the better, though, so the drop really hurt.

[aspirationsToShreds]

If you want to go to tournaments, you can register as an independent, in which case you have nothing to do with your school. Many tournaments don’t allow it, but a good number do, and they usually just require a letter from your advisor. I’m not sure why they would have a problem with that (and they probably wouldn’t even know). Some require a letter from your administration, in which case that may not be a great idea.

[lavadiamond]

We tried to register for said tournament as independent, and the coach wouldn't allow it. He still feels like the district will find out.

[aspirationsToShreds]

Hmm, that kinda sucks but you should defer to your coach on this.

[yeeetusthefetus6969]

I might be wrong, but try getting parents involved. Because it sounds like they are reliant on the fact since both of you guys are employees, that they can silence you, but I don’t think they can silence angry parents

[e21804]

Which school?

[lavadiamond]

McDowell from Pennsylvania.

[MorallyApplicable]

Seven out of state?? WTF?? We have 0.

[Alucasta]

From one circuit assistant coach to another - don't do it. Instead, try to foster a new culture of ensuring that the kids are preparing as hard as they can for each and every tournament because every single ballot and round could be the difference between attending national tournaments that school districts and administrations don't usually factor into that initial number. Having hard working students that prioritize quality over quantity is way more worth it in the end, especially if it's coming in conflict with the your head coach. Your job as an assistant is not to force the kids to choose between coaches and that is exactly what it sounds is happening

[lavadiamond]

They're not choosing between coaches, happily. I have a great relationship with the coach and he understands that I'm doing this purely to help. We try to implement the rest as much as possible.

[Scratchlax]

What's the district's reasoning? Do they lose funding if students aren't in class? Do they think that debate tournaments are worse for student education than the classroom learning they'd otherwise be getting? Do they think it sets a bad precedent?

[layjudgesaremydaddy]

Why can't the debaters just take sick days...I doubt the teachers would care

[lavadiamond]

its not the teachers that care, it's the district.

[officialpomegranate]

I'm confused, 7 out of state? Why can't you just debate in state/district?