Keeping Time, Keeping Score: A Mother-Daughter Scholar Bowl Tradition

By Emily Bontrager

For Shirley Green and her daughter, Christina Schroeder, scholar bowl isn’t just a competition, it’s a tradition that has connected their family for decades.

Shirley, 73, and Christina, 46, both of Memphis, have spent years at the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) State Scholar Bowl Tournament, serving in key roles that help keep the fast-paced academic competition running smoothly. Between them, they’ve worked as scorers, timers, and moderators, contributing countless hours to an event that highlights some of the brightest students in the state.

Shirley’s involvement dates back nearly three decades. She began volunteering in the spring of 1998 as a scorer at the state tournament and, aside from a few years off during COVID, has returned year after year. While scoring has been her primary role, she did serve as a timer one year.

Her introduction to the tournament came through a familiar connection.

“They were having trouble finding help for the state bowl, so Mrs. Campbell called me and said, ‘Shirley you know how to do this, and she said would you want to go down?’” Shirley recalled.

“That’s how I got started.”

That call came from Barbara Campbell, the scholar bowl coach for the Scotland County team, who also happened to coach Christina and her brother during their school years.

“My brother and I played scholar bowl all through junior high and high school,” Christina said.

“It was very rare for mom to miss a match, and she got in the habit of keeping score on a scrap paper while we were playing.”

What began as a mother supporting her children at local matches eventually turned into a long-standing role at the state level.

Shirley grew up in Illinois but moved to Missouri as a teenager, settling in Memphis when she was a freshman in high school. She has called the community home ever since. Christina, meanwhile, grew up in Scotland County before leaving for college, later living in Oklahoma and North Dakota. Nearly 20 years ago, she and her husband returned to Memphis.

Though their paths took different turns for a time, both found their way back to scholar bowl.

Christina has now been a timer at the state tournament for 14 to 15 years. In addition to her work at the state level, she stays actively involved in local competitions, moderating games and helping with district-level scholar bowl events.

The Missouri State Scholar Bowl Tournament is typically held the first or second weekend of May and is now hosted in Columbia at the University of Missouri. Over the years, both Shirley and Christina have seen the event evolve.

“When I first went down, we were at one of the high schools down there. The matches used to be all in one day,” Shirley said.

“It’s been a lot nicer since they’ve gone to the college and since they divided the games into a few days, so you are not doing all the games in one day.”

The changes have made the experience more manageable for moderators, scorers, timers and competitors, but one thing has remained constant: the impressive knowledge and skill of the students.

One of Shirley’s favorite parts of the tournament is simply watching the teams compete.

“It totally amazes me. I learn something every year, but it amazes me what they know,” Shirley said.

Christina shares that appreciation and enjoys watching the students grow and compete.

“A lot of these kids have been playing for years already before they were in high school,” Christina said.

“You can tell the difference in their confidence level.”

The game itself has also changed since Christina’s time as a player.

“The format of the game has changed since I was a player,” Christina stated.

“We used to have four quarters, and they just have two halves now.”

Even with those differences, the heart of the competition remains the same, quick thinking, teamwork, and a deep well of knowledge across a wide range of subjects.

“The things these kids know is astonishing. Because you don’t know if it’s personal knowledge, something that was drilled into them, or is this curriculum that they have?” Christiana said.

“It’s fun to see the difference since when I was a player versus what the questions are like now.”

For Shirley, the connection to scholar bowl has extended beyond her own children. Her grandchildren have also taken part in the activity, continuing a family tradition rooted in curiosity and learning.

Shirley has no plans to step away from the tournament anytime soon and says she will continue going to state as long as they will have her. Christina, too, values her time there, especially the opportunity to see the students in action and appreciate the depth of their knowledge.

From keeping score on scrap paper at local matches to helping run one of the state’s top academic competitions, Shirley and Christina have turned their shared experience into something lasting. Their dedication behind the scenes ensures that each question is counted, each second is tracked, and each match runs as it should.

For this mother and daughter, scholar bowl isn’t just about the answers, it’s about the time spent together, the students they support, and the tradition they continue to carry forward.