Odyssey of the Mind

We are just days away from the tournament! This newsletter has information on the tournament, which will hopefully make your experience more enjoyable, and help us run the tournament smoothly for the kids. So, please read carefully!

 

 

There is a Regional Tournament page on the web site which has up-to-date information on the tournament, including a downloadable map of the campus to locate your problem room. Please visit that web page often to keep current. Also, there is a downloadable PDF on that page that has detailed procedures for Spontaneous and Long-Term problems. This is extremely useful, especially for first-time coaches. Please download and read it.

Volunteer Schedules

Volunteer schedules will be posted on the web site on or before Wednesday the 5th. Please have your team volunteers look at it. Volunteers need to check-in at the checkin table where they will receive instructions on where to go.

 

 

You are encouraged to invite spectators to come and view the performances. Please be sure to hand out the schedule and campus map (with the location of your performance marked) to spectators that you invite. Make sure your spectators know the name of your team, the problem and division in which you are competing. If someone shows up at the check-in/information table and asks “do you know when and where my niece Suzie is performing?” we will be unable to help them! (You will not believe how many of those there were at previous tournaments).

 

Coaches Check-in

One Coach from each team should check-in immediately upon arrival. (at least an hour before your team's first performance) Check-in will be in the Quad area, as shown on the map on our web site. You will receive a packet containing a welcome letter, a ticket for your team to gain access to the Spontaneous wing, a ticket to pickup your raw scores and a ticket to obtain all final scores after the tournament. You will also receive 2008 California Odyssey participation pins for yourselves and the team members.

When to arrive?

We recommend your team arrive at least an hour to 1 1/2 hours before their first performance. This will give them a chance to scout out the location of their long term performance and the Spontaneous wing. The team should be ready at the staging door for their long term problem 25 minutes before they perform, complete with all paperwork, props and costumes. Give the paperwork to the children to hand to the staging judge. Remind parents that they should not be doing hair or makeup or helping to setup the props. They can help carry props to the staging door but that is all. Problem 4 teams - see below.

Performance Locations

The location of the various performance sites is shown in the campus map downloadable from our web site. Check the schedule for for your team's performance site.

Problem 4 - Tee Structure teams - Weigh-in

Problem 4 teams must weigh-in their structure about an hour before their performance time. Check the schedule for your assigned weigh-in time. Teams are allowed to weigh-in before their assigned time if the judges are not busy, or if you just want to have your structure checked for weight. Teams are allowed to make adjustments to overweight structures, if there is sufficient time before your performance time. Teams will weigh-in in the weigh-in room shown on the map. Only two team members are allowed into the weigh-in room (no coaches).

Spontaneous

All teams will perform their spontaneous problem in the rooms shown on the map. Teams should present their spontaneous admission ticket at the spontaneous area checkin table about 15 minutes before their assigned time. You will be called when the judges are ready for you so stay close to the checkin table. Only the children enter the spontaneous wing. Once the team is finished, they will exit from the restricted area. Parents and coaches should wait there.

Snacks, Drinks, T-shirts and Pins for Sale

We will be selling snacks and drinks in the quad area, along with our New 2008 Region Pins. GET ALL 4!!! (We will post the pin designs on the website later in the week) The T-shirt vendor we had at the SF Bay tournament last couple of years will be selling all kinds of shirts and will be screening some of them on site! Colored markers will be available for the kids to color in the back of the shirt. The kids loved watching this guy screen the shirts last year and it was a big hit!!

 

 

We will have snacks and light refreshments for sale, but not lunch. For lunch, your team can either bring a picnic lunch (there are outdoor tables at the school for this purpose) or go out to lunch at one of the local restaurants. The school is close to Bascom Ave, which has many restaurants. The Pruneyard shopping center is also just a mile away and has many restaurants. Check an on-line mapping site to locate restaurants of interest ahead of time.

Award Ceremony

All teams and their coaches line up by teams and school around 2:15 p.m. in Quad area for parade into gym for awards ceremony. Feel free to bring school banners to use in the parade if you would like. All family members and other spectators take a seat in the bleachers in the gym at 2:30. Coaches, stay with your team. At the end of the award ceremony use the colored ticket in your packet to pick-up all of the scores for your problem and division.

Criteria For Teams Advancing To The State Tournament

The top two teams in each problem and division will advance to the state tournament. Tie scores and Renatra Fusca awards can also increase the number of teams going to the state tournament. The State Tournament will be held at Heritage High School in Brentwood on April 5th!!

Meeting For Coaches Whose Teams Will Go On To The State Tournament

Coaches for teams who are advancing to the state tournament will attend a mandatory informational meeting immediately following the award ceremony (at about 3:30), in a room adjacent to the award ceremony (we will point it out during the ceremony). It is critical that you be there. We will discuss the procedure for registering for the state tournament and answer any questions you may have. For teams going on to state we will also need your judge to help at the state tournament.