Monday, November 13, 2006
40-4

Collegiate Crops Contest - Noncompetitive Coaching Perspective.

Kenneth Smiciklas, Illinois State Univ, 5020 Agriculture, Normal, IL 61790-5020

The ASA Collegiate Crops Contest provides an opportunity for interested students to enhance their knowledge of grain grading, plant and seed identification, and seed analysis on a national basis. Full-time undergraduate students from any agricultural program (community college or university) are eligible to compete, provided they were not a member of a team that finished third or higher, or did not finish fifth or higher as an individual. Over the past ten years, I have served as the crops team coach at my university, and have sent teams to participate in the national contest in Chicago. I have observed that competing teams generally fall into two categories; ‘competitive’ teams that have a realistic chance to win the contest, and ‘noncompetitive’ teams. Please keep in mind that students from both competitive and noncompetitive teams benefit from contest participation.  However, resources for participating students can vary. Some competitive teams have undergraduate course(s) directed specifically toward the contest and have made a strong commitment to develop an extensive set of contest samples (plant mounts, seed collections, grain grading and seed analysis samples).  Most of these competitive teams have very knowledge coaches and assistant coaches that can provide meaningful insight in contest procedures and rules.  Most competitive teams have financial support from their students, school, alumni foundation, and/or industry. In contrast, ‘noncompetitive’ teams usually have limitations in one or more of the following areas.  Their access to contest samples may be limited, their financial resources can be marginal, and their knowledge of contest procedures may be incomplete.  Their students may not have the opportunity to take undergraduate courses directed toward the contest, but may receive college credit as independent study.  In conclusion, there are realistic divisions between competitive and noncompetitive teams that participate at the national crops contest.

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