John Edie Holiday Debates Hosted by The Blake School
2022 — Minneapolis, MN/US
2022 Greg Dawson Excellence in Coaching Award
2022 Greg Dawson Excellence in Coaching Award Debate teams and tournaments cannot happen without dedicated coaches. Each year we consider an excellence in coaching award. This is not really a coach of the year. Rather, the award is to honor a coach who represents all the positive qualities of coach, teacher, and mentor.Blake Debate has a storied history, beginning with the first debate against St. Paul Academy over a hundred years ago and continuing with the establishment of the John Edie Tournament. This year, you attend the 60th annual tournament. Without the many Blake coaches, this could not have been possible. One of these coaches is Greg Dawson, who retired in 2017, after 41 years at Blake. This award is named in honor of Greg, who embodies a caring and genuine coach, teacher and mentor, who inspired generations of debaters to find their voices and use the skills of debate in every facet of their lives and communities. Please congratulate the 2022 Greg Dawson Excellence in Coaching Award winner: Daryl Burch, McDonogh School We do not do a big awards assembly anymore, so I ask you to congratulate Daryl as you see him around at the tournament! Daryl is absolutely best combination of coach, teacher and mentor. He is always helping his students and any other students he encounters to encourage them to be the best they can be. I have personally seen him coach so many students and every one of those student adores him. I have seen him judge very lopsided debates and the teams losing in those rounds will leave the round feeling fine and excited about the advice he will give them for improvement. Daryl also encourages his students to be true scholars. These students read the authors and are taught to know what those authors are trying to advocate and not just read card from those sources. I truly believe that every debater Daryl Burch encounters will find their voice and later in life go out and make the world a better place! ----- Shane Stafford