DIXFIELD, Maine — High school speech and debate tournaments don’t always bring out the whole town to cheer.
But, one underappreciated team is losing one of its biggest assets.
Dirigo’s Brad Conant has been a teacher for 31 years, and a debate coach for 27. He’s retiring after this season, but not before sending all four of his students to the national speech & debate tournament this summer.
Conant boasts 38 such national competitors and four current lawyers from the team’s alumni. He said debate teams are an important outlet for non-athletic students, and they develop invaluable skills to use in adulthood.
"Helping people achieve their dreams — not necessarily because of what we do but, because, they gain the confidence, in addition to some tools, to get to their dreams. . . that’s pretty cool," he said.
Though Conant is retiring from teaching and coaching, he said he’d be back next debate season to help the new coach transition into the role.
Dirigo debate likely won’t die as long as principal and superintendent Pam Doyen has a say.
"It’s really nice to see another group of students really succeeding and doing well and representing Dirigo High School at a really high level," she said.
The national speech and debate tournament will be held in Louisville, Kentucky over Memorial Day weekend.