A local forensics coach has earned a prestigious honor from the National Forensic League.
Alice Hilt, sixth-year forensics and debate coach at St. Mary’s Colgan High School, recently earned her first diamond degree of membership into the NFL. To earn the distinction, a coach must accumulate 1,500 points and have at least five years of experience. Coaches earn one-tenth of the points his or her team accumulate at its multiple competitions.
Hilt’s point total surpassed 1,500 on Oct. 12, as her Colgan forensics team earned more than 15,930 credit points. On attaining 1,500 points, coaches are entitled to wear a diamond-set NFL key or pin. Additional diamonds accrue at 3,000, 6,000, 10,000 and each 3,000 points thereafter. The minimum time for each diamond is five years as an NFL member coach.
Hilt, a 1994 SMC graduate, said earning her first diamond membership is a goal for which she has long striven.
“I’m very excited to be receiving the honor,” she said. “I’ve been working hard trying to get this. This, for me, is really exciting.”
In June 2010, Hilt will receive special recognition at the Lincoln Financial Group/NFL National Speech and Debate Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. The tournament draws more than 3,000 students and more than 1,500 coaches, school administrators and parents.
A talented forensics participant as a high school student, Hilt has brought that success to her alma mater as a coach. The Panthers finished fourth at the 2A state tournament, a culmination of a season chock full of first- and second-place finishes at various competitions.
“I have a lot of very talented students who work very hard for me,” she said. “When they do well, I do well. This kind of award shows longevity and shows that your program is doing very well.”
Now that she has earned the first degree of diamond membership, Hilt said her next goal is a second.
“There are some coaches that are in the same district I am that have multiple diamonds,” she said. “That is what I aspire to.”
PITTSBURG —
