This is the time of year when I feel really good about quiz bowl, because we are (in a rare use of it with positive connotation,) fraught with possibility. I have the good luck to see this happen before my eyes, because I get to see seniors sign in via the Entering Freshman Contact List. This year, we're on course to connect more seniors to teams than any other year, and we're on course to add more new teams to the circuit than we have had in any previous year.

Contemplate the following: If everything works out right, every connection is made, every team forms, all of these schools could be on the circuit, that weren't on the circuit at the beginning of this year.

Air Force (gotta dream)
American
Arkansas Tech
Bowdoin
Brown
Central Florida (back again?)
Cumberland College
George Mason (back again?)
Holy Cross
Iowa Lakes CC
James Madison
Kenyon
Marietta College
Miami (Ohio)
Mississippi
Morehead State
Morningside College
Northeastern State (Oklahoma)
Northern Illinois
Olin
Peabody Conservatory (gotta dream, right)
Rider
Saint Louis University
Southern Illinois
Southwest Oklahoma State
St. John's Annapolis
St. Leo
Tennessee Tech (back again?)
Univ. of North Texas
Valparaiso
West Florida
West Virginia Wesleyan
Wheaton College
William and Mary

Do I think all of these will happen? No. Do I think all of these are possible? Yes. Do I think this only scratches the surface of what's possible? Oh, yeah. This is only the results out of 120 or so seniors, the ones I know about now. Last year's list was over 3 times that, and I think we could surpass that easily, even before the end of May (usually we get add ins well into June and July.)

Now we have plenty of seniors heading to existing teams, but this year I'm seeing lots of people going to places where the circuit doesn't exist. Both are good. One builds up programs, provides them with new blood. The other also means new blood, new programs, and in future, new events. It also means they may need our help.

So I'm asking for help. If you know seniors, pass the information along to them. If you know high school coaches, pass it along to them. If you're running events, pass it along to the kids. If you have a list of your own, let's merge them. (Thanks to Eric Bell for already starting that process, which added the two Oklahomas and Air Force to this list) And when fall rolls in, be ready to help them become part of the circuit. Invite them to your tournaments, get them aware of the circuit, and wanting to be part of it. It doesn't matter whether they were a good player or a bad player in high school, all that should matter is that they are interested in playing, and we can help them join us.