Where will academic games lead you?

• April, 1966 
• Florida’s Nova HS gymnasium 
• 110 Middle School and High School players 
• Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee 
• Out of town competitors housed with local competitors 
• One game: EQUATIONS 
• Resources were shown on a common chalkboard for all games 

From such humble beginnings, AGLOA was born.

From the bare bones of that first gathering, AGLOA was born.

From hopeful dreams to life changing educational reform, AGLOA was born.

100k players locally AND 20k players at The National Tournament later, AGLOA thrives! In anticipation of the 50th AGLOA Tournament in 2015 and in conjunction with the 2011 Tournament in Orlando, AGLOA asked many former Florida competitors, all of them true champions, to explain how “AG” impacted their lives. Even though decades have passed and some memories blur, just like athletes, indelible recreations of past competitions remain crystal clear. We all remember what has changed us. The stories, in Florida, that follow, have occurred all over this country. Great players in Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have recollections of past glory and enduring relationships.

AGLOA wants to use its 50th Anniversary as motivation to reach out to the players who made our program great. We believe that it is vital to re-establish contact with those who laid the foundation for our success. After reading this collection, begin to think about the history and legacy of your teams, your regions, and your states. The AGLOA leadership challenges you to dig a little and discover the past AG champions who are now productive Americans. “That which is past becomes prologue.”

Florida’s past AG stars are still shining in real life. They include

• CFO’s and CEO’s 
•  Lawyers and Doctors 
•  Managing Editors and Program Directors 
•  Creative Writers and Educators

Thomas Tosch; National EQUATIONS Champion ~ 1968

From Nova HS in Ft. Lauderdale, Tom once played Dr. Layman Allen, the author of EQUATIONS, in simultaneous matches of EQUATIONS and ON-SETS and beat Dr. Allen, in both games! Tom was known to play exhibition matches blindfolded. Before the idea of variations, Tom would take a look at the rolled cubes, memorize them and then play blindfolded! He never lost those matches or any other EQUATIONS match in his career. Tom is currently head of the Computational Math Group for Boeing Aircraft in suburban Seattle. Additionally, he is the President of Mu Alpha Theta (a national mathematics honor society for high schoolers). Tom went to Georgia Tech and Clemson where he received his Ph.D. in Mathematics.

“In thinking about the most significant aspect of the games for me, it occurs that it was to spark a real interest in math and logic puzzles.  Each time a game was played, it was a new puzzle changing from turn to turn and not always under your control.  To do well in the competitions, one had to formulate sets of solutions and modify those sets as the game was played.  As is true with the Mu Alpha Theta competitions, exposure to students around the country, their teachers and leaders was also a big draw.”

Jeff Jacobs; Outstanding Senior ~ 1986

Jeff played out of Broward County from 1980-1986.

“I am an anesthesiologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston and am very involved in organized medicine statewide and nationally. There is no question that my experience in Academic Games touched me deeply; I still use phrases learned in PROPAGANDA, remember obscure presidential facts and recall the WORD that cost me the 1st place Senior Division national title (‘crux’)”.

Toby Srebnick; Outstanding Senior ~ 1990

From Broward County, Toby graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Communications. Since 2001, he has worked in PR and is presently the Director of Social Media for O’Connell & Goldberg in Hollywood, FL. His job is to help clients work their way into the social media.

“I competed from 7th to 12th grade and it was something special! I really enjoyed the competition, but more importantly, I enjoyed all of the experiences, which prepared me for life. Being recognized with the Brother Neal Golden Award in my senior year meant more to me than the 5 Team National titles because it recognized me for helping grow the program at Nova HS, which had two players when I got there and 22 players when I left. Thanks for tracking me down – those were some of the best days of my life!

Donna (Frett) Zarcone; National EQUATIONS Finalist ~ 1971

Donna only played for the Broward County teams for two years, but they changed her life. She lost her first local match and then did not lose again until the National Championship match. That experience, at a time when girls were discouraged from taking Math and Science courses on the premise that girls were not good in math or science, changed Donna’s view of herself and her opportunities. Donna took all of the math courses that she could on the way to an Accounting degree from Illinois State University and then an MBA from the University of Chicago. She parlayed those skills into becoming the CFO of Harley Davidson Financial Services and a CEO at other companies. She currently heads her own consulting firm and is a frequent speaker at national accounting conventions.

“My EQUATIONS background proved to be a good grounding for my business career in accounting and finance.  As a female in high school, when I learned I could be competitive in EQUATIONS, I decided to take advanced math and science classes. That decision changed many of my opportunities later in life.”

Neerav Shah; mid 1980’s Hall of Fame Teammate

Neerav was an integral part of the powerhouse Palm Beach team that dominated the Middle Division 25 years ago. Today, he is an Interventional Cardiologist and Chairman of the Interventional Cardiology Cath Lab at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center and at Wellington Regional Medical Center.

“My biggest recollection of Academic Games is the camaraderie. School work and learning for me was always a very individual act: something I did by myself based upon personal drive. I loved the team concept of AG and it really taught me the fun of working as a unit. I had great times…which helped forge lifelong friendships.”

Doug Reynolds and Paul Fletcher; Hall of Fame players and Co-captains of Pine Crest’s Hall of Fame Team ~ 1973-1975

Doug won six Individual National Championships in Social Studies from 1972-1975 and Paul won seven National Championships in Language Arts and Social Studies. Together, they captained the Pine Crest, FL team to 14 National Championships and a unique set of three consecutive Senior Division (in those days, grades 10-12) National Sweepstakes titles. Doug and Paul still stay in close contact with the other living members of that team; Pat Cibene, and Chris Qualmann. John Arnst is deceased. Doug graduated from UVA and then earned law degrees from Emory University. He is a trial attorney in Ft. Lauderdale specializing in Business Litigation and Family Law. He is also on the Board of Trustees at The Pine Crest School.

"While many life lessons can be learned in kindergarten, I learned some of the best from Academic Games and they have greatly benefited me in my legal career. First, I learned to persevere. When I first started playing Academic Games in 7th grade, our team placed last or almost last in every category at every national tournament. We made a decision to not give up but rather to change the manner in which we prepared and approached every tournament. We discovered, what I know now is true as a trial lawyer, that the contest is won before you arrive at the event through your thorough preparation, which in some cases is years in the making. There is no substitute for hard work. As the Roman philosopher Seneca stated ‘Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.’”

Paul graduated from William & Mary, then earned an M.A. in English from Emory University. He then graduated from Washington & Lee with a Law degree. He is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Virginia Lawyers Weekly and is presently serving as the VP of the Virginia chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

“Some of my favorite memories involve going to the AG National Tournament each year. I attended six as a player and a seventh as a faculty sponsor when I was teaching school. Looking back on the games and how they were structured, I know I developed some valuable skills that I have used my entire life. The games taught me to problem-solve and find different ways to accomplish tasks. I learned there were many ways to arrive at a solution, all of them acceptable. I got comfortable with that, and gained confidence in my ability to find those solutions. My staff will tell you today that I have a plan to do something, but if that doesn’t work, I come up with a Plan B or Plan C, if necessary, or even a Plan D if that’s what it takes. That’s not so very different from a round of LinguiSHTIK or EQUATIONS. As publisher of the paper, I’m often involved in the marketing of our products and services. More than once over the years, I’ve dug into the bag of tricks I learned playing PROPAGANDA. I learned those techniques and why they work. In my real life today, they still do.”

Janet (Clayton) Felleter; 1980-1984, One of the Greatest 50 Players of the 20th Century

Janet played for Glades Day School in Palm Beach County. She won seven Individual National titles and nine Team National Championships in Language Arts and Social Studies. She overcame a serious illness during her playing days and made herself a champion often collecting more gold Thinker awards than she could carry off of the stage. After an MBA from the University of Florida, Janet became the Program Manager of Business Processes for IBM’s software group, in charge of 400 employees in the Tampa area. She has traveled extensively for the company in Singapore, Australia, Japan, England and China.

“My memories of Academic Games are still vivid and incredibly positive. The competitiveness and teamwork I learned have served me well in my business career.”

Jay Eng; Social Studies and Language Arts Champion ~ 1980’s

Jay was an extraordinary player out of Palm Beach Gardens HS. He invented the self-made reference book when he wrote a 60-page document about the 1960’s for himself and his teammates. It led to a National Championship and set the model for future references. He earned a degree in Economics from Florida State University and a Law degree from Tulane. Jay is currently a partner in his own law firm in Palm Beach Gardens specializing in Securities Arbitration.

“I played AG in the 1980’s.  The competition and the friendships that I made were an important part of my education and growth.  Indeed, I recall spending many hours and weekends preparing my “theme”’ books so that I would have the opportunity to qualify for the Palm Beach County nationals team.  During those years, the national tournaments were held at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center.  Although most people who participated in these tournaments would agree that the accommodations were “rough,” the friendships developed with players from our own teams and from teams across the country lasted long after the end of the one-week tournament.”

Jennifer (Jacobs) Agosti; Outstanding Senior ~ 1988

Jenny was one of the many outstanding players from Broward County from 1982-1988. After graduating from Nova HS, she graduated from Yale with a B.A. in Political Science. She followed that up with a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard. She met her husband, Mike, while in Boston. She and Mike met as recreational skydivers where Jenny had accrued over 850 jumps. “Mike grew up in Michigan… and was fascinated to learn how much I seemed to know about Detroit Renaissance and Cass Tech.” Jenny worked as the Director of Management, Planning and Analysis for the Massachusetts Department of Social Services then left to work for a national child welfare foundation based in Seattle before becoming a consultant.

“My junior year, I was in Finals for LINGUISHTIK, playing against Eric Cox, my best friend in the games and also from Broward. We agreed that we just wanted to tie. But we were told that we had to play and we simply made sure that our match ended in a tie. My thinkers are sitting next to me at this moment-bookends in my office bookshelf. I really do appreciate the outreach and how you have been able to formalize the games in such a comprehensive way. I certainly would never think of myself as any sort of AG star, just a gal who loved the challenge, camaraderie, competition and fun that came with AG!”

Rick Ellington; Outstanding Senior ~ 1996 and One of the Greatest 50 Players of the 20th Century

Rick played at Forest Hills HS in Palm Beach County. He won six Individual National titles plus nine Team National Championships. He has been the Managing Editor of Sports Business Weekly for six years. The organization sends out three feeds each day – an aggregate of all the sports business news. Included in the information are ticket price increases, TV ratings, new team sponsorship deals, etc.

“I constantly think back to memories from Academic Games. I think most of the people I met and the good times I had, in addition to the games themselves. It is easily one of the best experiences I had throughout all levels of school.”

Chris Campbell; 1984-1991 and National Champ in Presidents and Propaganda

The favorite son of Belle Glade, Chris graduated from UF and headed straight to Hollywood, CA with a short stop in Las Vegas. He returned to the AGLOA scene for five years to assist with administration at the National Tournament. Never at a loss for words and apparently never possessing an “off switch”, Chris presently works as a writer for film, TV and internet projects including The Cape, Contact, Friday the 13th and Geekweek.com.

“I remember the days in Belle Glade, sittin’ on the porch with my family when one hot humid night Mama brought out a strange orange box that rattled with dice. I put those dice in my mouth, like candy, and almost choked and gagged and had to spit them out. They came to rest on that playing mat and spelled the word ESOPHAGUS. When asked if I could use that word as a subject of a clause in a compound complex sentence, I stated ‘I almost died, because my ESOPHAGUS was clogged with those cubes, and you want to know if I can use it in a sentence?’ I won that first match and a star was born. But it was never about the awards. AG was a place where smart kids of every age or background fit in and felt at home. Being smart didn’t make you a nerd; it made you cool. Good times indeed. My lasting legacy might just be the exhausting 6-tie games National Finals match in Senior LING versus Rod Beard from Detroit in 1990. In the end, Mr. Beard declared ‘Challenge WIN!’ and wrote the now immortal sentence, ‘Fool! You lose.’ (Simple Sentence, Noun, Interjection, Double Vowel)”

Chad Hood; Outstanding Senior ~ 1988 and One of the Greatest 50 Players of the 20th Century

Chad played in Palm Beach County and was the winner of six Individual National titles and 18 Team National Championships, including the Senior Sweepstakes in 1988. After his AG days were over, he graduated from Duke University in 1992 on the Dean’s List and then was off to Medical School at the University of Florida. He is a practicing physician and Instructor at the University of Florida Veterans Medical Center.

“Academic Games was responsible for some of my happiest times. I made some great friends at other schools and the experience really reinforced the notion that I had to be myself. I remember crying after the conclusion of my first Nationals trip because it was over. I am looking forward to helping start an AG League in Gainesville with some of the other AG players who are now attending UF.”

Scott Bradfield; mid 1980’s

Scott was a member of Palm Beach County’s great Elementary and Middle championship teams. He is currently a Pediatric Oncologist in Jacksonville who loves his work because

“I am able to cure most of my cancer patients. I truly enjoyed the way AG challenged our minds in so many different subjects and methods compared to regular schooling. They were as exciting as our soccer and baseball games. I think that I learned more about world religions during AG in elementary school than I have ever been exposed to again. My favorite and best game was PROPAGANDA. I learned all of the techniques and could point them out in everyday life. I can still see Larry Liss reading those questions. About two years ago, my wife asked me, one day, what I was doing. I still had the PROPAGANDA book and was typing up the various techniques to point out to people as they were used. I still have them posted in my office as a reference! Academic Games was a great exposure for my primary school years. I believe many interests, reasoning skills and an extensive knowledge base were honed through the League. I look forward to getting my three children involved in the years to come.”

Next Steps In Building Our AG Alumni Network

Every AG program in America (and Taiwan) has produced “winners” like those from Florida. We want you to reach out to them. We want to hear their stories. We want to know how AG influenced their lives. We want to establish communication with those “winners” so we can keep them aware of new topics and new programs within AGLOA. This is where we need your help.

Please commit to contacting 10 former players or coaches that have impacted your program, and directing them to this web site. Together, we can expand our circle of “winners” by bringing past contributors back into the fold. Experience has taught us that when the participants of yesteryear become aware that AGLOA is still an authentic educational event, they recall past glories and see new opportunities for their own children, students or communities.

Additionally, AG Alums can reconnect with old teammates, old coaches and old opponents. Sharing, whether it be gaming strategies or life experiences, has always been one of AGLOA’s main tenets.

The concept of an Academic Games Data Base is not a new one. And yet we have much work to do to find the superstars of the past. We believe that it takes PERSONAL CONTACT to inspire others. We believe that our extended family will respond to this outreach when they remember how vital the AG experience was for them.