Colville High School Knowledge Bowl Team Begins New Season

The Colville High School Knowledge Bowl team is busy competing once again for another ambitious year. After achieving a third-place finish at the state championships last March, the coaches are adamant about pushing the team to their full potential this season. Coach Tracey Delyea stated, “I think that the competitions are going well this year. Our team is bigger than last year and very excited to participate. The question bank is more diverse and secure than it has been in previous years.” 

Co-coach Meredith McCullough confirmed the optimistic view on the season, stating, “The competitions have been a lot of fun and a great challenge for our students. We were really fortunate to be able to have a pre-season match against Republic and Curlew, and our teams got to meet other nearby competitors. Now that we're in official league play, our teams are learning how to adapt and work together to strengthen their teams as much as possible.” 

During this season, the coaches have expressed their appreciation for the hard working team spirit and friendly environment amongst the team members. 

Delyea said, “I think our teams present themselves with kindness and camaraderie. They encourage not only each other but other teams from different schools.” Although a competitive nature is important with any team or sport organization, the coaches said they believe it’s more important to create a healthy attitude towards being kind and having fun. 

McCullough added, “We have fun. Competition is important and all the students care deeply about performing well, but they also value spending time together while we travel. They have great attitudes and not only want to do well, but also want to enjoy every meet and experience. I think that really helps them go into the meets with focus and excitement, not just nerves about competing.” 

With a high stakes competition such as the Knowledge Bowl, the coaches said it’s important for the team to stay calm under pressure. McCullough said the Colville team has been working towards expanding their range of subject material and adapting to the new changes that have come with this season. 

“We're still adapting to changes in team rosters and honing in on specific subject areas we want to learn about in greater depth. What's most impressive to me is how reflective the teams are. They can tell you exactly what subjects they feel strongest about and which they want to study more. They ask for resources, for more practice, for time to talk strategy before going into a room together. They can only grow and improve with each meet.” 

The coaches expressed their confidence with the kick off of the season. Varsity student Hailey Collett echoed this optimism, adding, “We need to not second guess ourselves because more often than not we had the correct answer.” 

For those unfamiliar with the Knowledge Bowl has become a widespread competition throughout the state of Washington. According to Educational Service District 123, their website explains that the Knowledge Bowl “is an academic competition for high school students in Washington State where each of the nine ESDs in the state hold regional Knowledge Bowl competitions that determine which teams will advance to the state-level tournament. Knowledge Bowl is considered an "athletic event for the mind," testing high school teams on their knowledge in a variety of subjects through a fun and energetic competition that involves team building, competitive academic testing and interaction with students from across the state.” (esd123.org “Knowledge Bowl”)