McLaughlin resigns from debate team

Whitefish High School speech and debate head coach Pat McLaughlin announced last week that she will step down from the helm of the team she helped build the foundation for 30 years ago.

"Pat did a wonderful job for us," activities director Jackie Fuller said. "She worked really well with the kids, and we appreciate her time and effort. Her knowledge was just amazing."

The Bulldogs garnered one third-place and two second-place finishes at Class A state meets under McLaughlin's watch, as well as numerous individual titles. She won the coach of the year award in 2009 with Whitefish.

McLaughlin cited numerous reasons for resigning as coach, including family obligations.

"Family issues outweigh my coaching for a fifth season," she wrote in her resignation letter. "This was not an easy decision and took a lot of personal debate. However, my husband and I have new roles as urban archaeologists at my mother's house. Since my mother's death, we have worked almost non-stop at cleaning at 'the dig site,' a house where the last occupant had not moved in 61 years."

She also noted that it was increasingly difficult to recruit students to the team since she wasn't on the high school staff.

"I really believe that a staff person needs to be directly connected via the classroom to potential speech and debate team members," she said. "Our lagging numbers speak to what Beth Beaulieu brought years ago. She had the kids and a classroom for team meetings, team building and a place to put the supplies."

Finally, McLaughlin pointed to the fact that she's been coaching speech and debate for nearly 35 years. It's time to bring in someone who is fresh, she said.

"Whitefish needs someone who is younger, believes in the value of speech and debate, and has the vigor to take on all of the required head coach responsibilities." she said. "I always believed in coaching until I knew I didn't have the impact and energy — and that time is now."

McLaughlin started coaching in Glasgow in 1976, where she stayed until 1979. She then came to Whitefish High School with the task of starting a speech and debate program, which she described as a 'slow and sputtery" start.

After a reduction in force at Whitefish, she moved to Polson, where she was the speech and debate coach from 1984-1992. While there, she won her first coach of the year award.

In 2006, she came back to Whitefish as the team's head coach. She says some of her most enjoyable moments from coaching in Whitefish came from watching the students grow from freshman to seniors.

"You coach for the kids," McLaughlin said. "It's their program, it's for them. Watching them improve, it makes you smile. We've been blessed to have some on the finest debaters in the state."

She also commented on traveling to the Class A state meets and finally getting to see the team come together as a single unit.

"When kids are involved in variety of activities in the winter, we don't have a full team until the state meet," she said. "There's nothing like going to state to develop team spirit and support."

She commended her assistant Saundra Alessi, who joined when the team was in desperate need of her abilities.

"She brought a wonderful Louisiana spirit and ability to coach debate," McLaughlin said. "The kids love her."

Fuller said the school would go through the typical recruiting process when looking for a replacement coach.

"We hope to sign an individual who wants to be a part of the great program Pat helped establish," Fuller said.