WICHITA – Perhaps fittingly, David Shelly’s discovery of his induction into the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame makes a pretty good trivia question.
 
Something like, “What was on David Shelly’s agenda that day?”
 
“It was kind of crazy because I got the information on the day I was leaving for Antarctica on a cruise,” said Shelly, a retired Wichita East Spanish teacher and longtime Scholars Bowl coach. “I thought, ‘Wait a second.’ There were a few things I needed to get done, but I knew I was going to be gone for a few weeks.”
 
Affectionately known in the East hallways as “Señor Shelly,” he accompanied numerous student groups on annual trips to Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries like Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela and Peru throughout his 34-year career. Shelly’s affinity for travel has continued since his retirement after the 2022-23 school year.

 
But on Feb. 10, Shelly was back at East for a familiar event – the Class 6A state Scholars Bowl tournament – to assist with the tournament and to be recognized as part of KSHSAA’s five-member hall of fame induction class for 2024.
 
Shelly and the state tournament went hand in hand throughout his 27 years as East’s Scholars Bowl coach. The Blue Aces qualified in 6A every year and won five state titles under his guidance.
 
East captured its sixth – and first under new coach Xan Tolbert – a few hours after Shelly’s induction ceremony.
 
“It is amazing that somebody qualified for state every year of his coaching career,” said KSHSAA executive director Bill Faflick, whose four children had Shelly as a teacher at East. “I’m still not sure how he did it other than he worked hard, he was able to get good kids and he coached them up to a place where they were going to be successful.”
 
Shelly, a Newton native, was on a quiz team as an undergraduate at Bethel College. In his early years at East, he occasionally accompanied the Blue Aces to tournaments when then-coach Donna Yeargan needed someone to fill in.
 
When Yeargan decided to step down as scholars bowl coach on the final day of school in 1996, Shelly inquired about the job.
 
“I went to the principal and I said, ‘If you’re looking for a coach, I’d be interested,’” Shelly said. “She said, ‘Job is yours.’ Not much of an interview process.”
 
At the state’s largest high school and with a talent pool enriched by East’s renowned International Baccalaureate program, Shelly repeatedly assembled scholars bowl teams that flourished. His program frequently had anywhere from 30 to 45 students participating at the novice, junior varsity and varsity levels.
 
The Aces captured their first state title in his second season, 1998, and added championships in 2004, 2007, 2011 and 2021.
 
“We’d have practices at lunch,” Shelly said. “East High has a single lunch hour and we’d get all the kids in there when we could.
 
“The best practice for them was to learn in class and don’t forget it when the test was over. That’s what it really is because (Scholars Bowl) is based on the academic curriculum in the state of Kansas. That’s what they need to do in order to be successful.”
 
Shelly, who was honored by Wichita Public Schools in 2018 with the Distinguished Classroom Teacher Award, aided the advancement of Scholars Bowl as a KSHSAA activity. He served on the Kansas Association of Scholars Bowl Coaches executive board and edited content for KSHSAA postseason tournaments nearly every year of his career.
 
But his true passion was the daily classroom interaction with students.
 
“I was a Spanish teacher, and seeing them grow in their Spanish and seeing them grow in their love for Spanish was very special,” Shelly said. “Those were always rewarding opportunities to go to Spanish-speaking countries and give them a feel for what it’s like in those parts of the world.
 
“And then just getting to know them and try to help them grow up to be good people, which I know many have, that kind of thing is rewarding, too.”
 
Shelly could not pinpoint a best or favorite East Scholars Bowl team, though he said his first championship “was one I’ll never forget.” He coached long enough to recognize the qualities of a good team.
 
“It’s best if you have good balance where every category is covered well by somebody,” Shelly said. “Occasionally, you get the one player who is just an expert at everything, but that’s rare. It’s more likely you’re going to have some weaknesses in every player, so you need to have some good balance.
 
“If you have one category that’s not well covered, you’re at the mercy of the other team and maybe they won’t get it either, but your chances go down.”
 
Shelly hasn’t totally disappeared from the classroom, serving as a substitute at East and Wichita Southeast. But at this point, travel is occupying a significant amount of his time.
 
“I miss the interaction with the kids a lot,” Shelly said. “I don’t so much miss the grading and sometimes the lesson preps or the meetings on those other things that go with the job.
 
“I’m doing some substitute teaching on a semi-regular basis when I’m around. It’s not quite the same but sometimes it can be good.”
 
Shelly spent his final year at East working with Tolbert as his Scholars Bowl assistant. The purpose, he said, was to get his successor into all aspects of the activity and to prepare him to lead the program. After watching the Blue Aces advance to state in Tolbert’s first season and eventually win it, he added, “And clearly he has.”
 
That preparation was a reflection of what Shelly did for East students for years.
 
“David Shelly is beloved by kids,” Faflick said. “They all were beneficiaries of learning a second language from Señor Shelly and mine have used that knowledge after they were done with high school.
 
“He’s just a one-of-a-kind teacher who your kids were very fortunate to be in his classroom.”