After months of grueling practice memorizing and studying historical details, the Gables History Team faces their defining moment: to make history and become the first Cavaliers to advance to the national level at the regional History Bowl competition. As the judge reads their final riddle, a cryptic array of dates and vague descriptions, the team analyzes each others’ expressions as they piece together the puzzle and collectively agree on the answer. Johan Meyer eagerly presses the buzzer and confidently delivers their final answer: ‘Andrew Jackson’. The judges nod in agreement and the Gables History Team secures their spot at the National History Bowl. The unprecedented win shines light on the team’s talent but also raises new obstacles for the nascent club as they struggle to find funds for their competitions and make a name for themself at Gables.
Three determined juniors- Alex Ridoux, Johan Meyer and Willhelm Meyer- founded the Gables History Team after envisioning the potential for Gables to compete in history competitions. The trio was inspired to create a history club at Gables to find an outlet for their pass time and encourage young minds to pursue their shared passion. The competitive aspect of the club was motivated by the Junior’s past experiences in middle school, where they dominated local history bowls.
“Me and my brother loved history bowls in middle school so we figured we should transfer it over to Gables. We weren’t able to get the balls rolling until our junior year when we had convinced lots of students to join the team and prepared them for competitions,” junior Johan Meyer said.
They tried to start the club as early as freshman year, but finding a sponsor and qualified members proved difficult. With enough persistence and the support of history teacher Mr. Miller, they launched the club as juniors. Once the club became official, the trio partnered with teachers in the history department to spread the word and recruit new members. To their surprise, there was no shortage of history enthusiasts eager to get involved. With growing support, the club developed weekly study sessions, aimed to prepare students for their first regional competition.
“The school didn’t want more clubs so I had to combine the history team with my other club, Model United Nations. [The founding juniors] organize the meetings and train the underclassmen. I try to focus on their funding and communicating with other schools to plan scrimmages and competitions,” Mr. Miller said.
In preparation for competition settings, the team began refining their study methods in early November. Using questions from previous competitions, they conducted mock rounds intended to test the strengths and weaknesses of their junior and varsity teams. Quickly, they realized their problem, students understood the complex material, but the teams lacked cohesion and proper communication.
The team started team-building exercises rather than entirely focusing on material. Students divided study sessions into two parts: the first, was more lighthearted and fun, featuring Kahoots and casual trivia. The second, focused on learning historical material and answering competition-formatted questions. With months of training and team preparation under their belt, the History Team was ready for regionals in January.
History team members were divided into two teams, A and B, before their qualifying competition at American Heritage High School. Both teams competed independently against each other and against regional teams. Team A, comprised of the founding juniors, placed in the top 80th percentile statewide, earning them a spot in National competitions in Washington, D.C.
“I’m part of team B, or junior varsity, because I just started out this year, but I still get to participate in competitions. History has always been my favorite subject and I’ve competed in these types of history bowls before, so joining the team felt natural. The upperclassmen are always reviewing new sample questions to prepare us and I feel like I’m always learning something new at practice,” sophomore Hennley Michel said.
After their historic win, new challenges face the team, the most prominent: funding. The newly found club has little to no funding and when competing locally, students relied on their own transportation to get to competitions. They now have to fundraise for airline fairs and hotel fees if they want a chance at Nationals. In the wake of their qualification, The Friends of Gables has worked to allocate donations for the competing members.
Secondly, the team now begins the process of preparation for the sophisticated questions at Nationals, where the stakes are even higher. Practices have intensified as the qualifying juniors adapt to the format of National’s prompts. Additionally, they refine their answering speeds and team communication to prepare themselves for the faster-paced rounds at Nationals. Lastly, the team organizes scrimmages with local teams who also qualified for nationals to perfect their abilities in competition settings.
“We plan to prepare for the national competition by practicing questions with teams of other schools. Right now, we’re in contact with both Doral’s team and Coral Reef’s team and trying to set up scrimmages between them and our team. That would help us gain more experience in pressure situations,” junior Alex Ridoux said.
With the support of the Gables community and continued dedication to their goals, the History Team overcomes their financial and academic obstacles. Although the club started with just three history buffs, it has since grown into a community of competitive students committed to the study of history and the competitions that accompany it.
