It's 2:45 pm and my classroom is quiet. No one is interrupting my futile attempts to complete my attendance in a timely manner and no one is asking me for my reaction to the president's latest Supreme Court justice nominee. There were days, no weeks, when this would be a blessed silence but today I know that this isn't an exception. This is the new rule. When I decided to retire from coaching debate a year ago I only had two months of rest when circumstances called me back to coaching. This year I am not giving in to the pressure--my own or my former students. This year I really am following the doctor's orders.

This new status in my life is not easy. I watch the new coaches. Yes, it took two people to replace me. I see their overwhelmed looks and wonder why they haven't done items number 3, 7, and 9 on the rather lengthy list of instructions I left them. When a student drops by to ask if I'll look at his/her case, I am flabbergasted that the new coaches haven't explained the flaws in the categorical imperative, and once again I offer to help in any way needed. But the calls for help are few. I'm not the debate coach anymore. I wallow in my feelings of loss and wish the happy, albeit loud sounds of after school debate room chaos were present but then my new reality hits me. This year I will be here in my quiet room using my teacher workday to complete grades, and then I will go home and relax with my family for the weekend. I will not be driving to a tournament, and worrying if the bathroom detour is going to make us late. I will go to sleep in my own bed, counting sheep rather than debaters at a Motel 6. But I will miss the conversations. I will miss the tears of joy when someone trophies the first time and I will miss being privy to the growth witnessed when you coach a student for four previous years. So, how did I know it was time to retire? Well, in spite of the marvelous memories, there are some sure signs that it is time to retire from coaching.

The ten most obvious reasons indicating its time to retire from debate coaching are:

10. When all of your stop--watches' alarms go off at various times during class and the only one who notices is the new vice-principal who is doing your evaluation.
9. When you have the phone numbers memorized for the pizza places in all major tournament cities.
8. When you can fill a van with debaters, luggage and debate boxes better than UPS. (Yes, the hand truck is still being used for a headrest for the back seat occupants.)
7. When your own school staff forgets your name because you're gone so often.
6. When your varsity debaters can tell your stories of "back when" better than you can.
5. When you start a parent-teacher conference with "I have four reasons why your son/daughter will not pass. My first response is..."
4. When you've used so much paper that the state legislature names an endangered forest stand after you.
3. When you've left a debater at a gas station, and upon realizing this, you don't go back to him/her.
2. When it takes you more days to recover from a tournament then it took to prepare for the tournament.
And the number one reason to retire is:
1. When you'd rather reflect on past debate memories than make new ones.

Coaching debate is a wonderful journey into the lives and minds of the future. When the time comes to let go, do so graciously. What matters is that the debaters are getting the opportunity to debate -- even if it's without you. It will be difficult at first, but you really can listen to the news or read a newspaper without jotting the date and source on the back of an envelope so you can pass it on to your debaters to strengthen a link or create a new impact. Remember you didn't start coaching knowing the intricacies of running a team. No one told you about Type II licenses and First Aid cards until two days before your first tournament. Remember the first time you made reservations for a motel and didn't designate the rooms were to be double/ doubles so you were stuck with eleven students, two rooms and single beds. You can make life easier for the next generation of new coaches. Share the details of registering, making the van seat and room assignments (Remember the seniority system is alive and well in debate.), the complicated world of P.O.s and paying judges. Remind the new coach to get the ballots and not let the debaters have them until you've grabbed the "accum" sheets. Tell the coaches not to forget to give the student list to the attendance secretary so the debaters will be excused and remind them to write an article for the local newspaper and bulletin as no one else will recognize the debaters efforts unless you do. Most of all don't pass on all of your years of insights in one sitting or you'll scare the new coaches away. Be patient and answer questions until there are no more. It is then that you'll know for sure your coaching days are over. Then when you begin to question your contribution as an educator take out your scrapbook from debate and slowly trace the contours of the faces of all of the debaters you coached over the years. Remember those precious moments when a novice finally understood and when a senior thanked you, and bid you good-bye.

Someday, you'll receive an e-mail asking for help from a new coach. Look closely at the last name as time may have caused its change. When you realize the new coach was one of your debaters, take out your files. As you prepare your care package for the new coach you can pause and say, "I'd like to use the rest of my down time."

(Terry Peters, retired double diamond debate coach, Burlington-Edison HS, Oak Harbor HS, Lake City HS, and Coeur d'Alene, Iowa.)