Odyssey of
the Mind
Odyssey Program
Coordinators Training
David Tsuda
Director, VA Regions 14 & 16
Odyssey of the Mind (c)
nwregiondirector @ gmail.com
Websites: nwvoices.org
OdysseyoftheMind.com
OVERVIEW
 Welcome and Thank You!
 Intro to Odyssey of the Mind (what)
 VA Catoctin Region 14 & Dulles Region 16 (who)
 Revised Allocation of LCPS Schools to Regions
 Benefits (why)
 Calendar of Events (when)
 Coordinator’s Handbook (how)
 New Policies
 Purchasing School Membership
Up to five (5) Primary teams per membership
 Mandatory judge and volunteer; Else, Team will NOT be scored

PARTICIPANTS
ANY student in grades
Kindergarten through College
Primary Division: K- 2
Elementary School
th
Division I: K-5 grade
Division II: 6th - 8th grade Middle School
Division III: 9th - 12th grade High School
Division IV: College students
Revised Allocation to Regions 14 & 16
Dulles VOICES Region 16
BRIAR WOODS CLUSTER
X Hillside
X Mill Run
X Eagle Ridge MS
Briar Woods HS
X
X
X
X
X
BROAD RUN CLUSTER
Ashburn
Discovery
Dominion Trail
Steuart Weller
Farmwell Station MS
Broad Run HS
DOMINION CLUSTER
X Lowes Island
Meadowland
Sugarland
X Seneca Ridge MS
X Dominion HS
X
X
X
X
X
X
POTOMAC FALLS CLUSTER
Algonkian
Countryside
Horizon
Potowmack
River Bend MS
Potomac Falls HS
Independents
X Our Lady of Hope School
American INT'L School, Dulles
Sterling Community Center
Loudoun School for the Gifted
PARK VIEW CLUSTER
Forest Grove
Guilford
Rolling Ridge
Sterling
Sully
Sterling MS
Park View HS
RIVERSIDE CLUSTER
X Seldens Landing
X Belmont Ridge MS
Riverside HS (2015)
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
ROCK RIDGE CLUSTER
Creighton's Corner
Legacy
Moorefield Station
Rosa Lee Carter
Stone Hill MS
Rock Ridge HS
STONE BRIDGE CLUSTER
Belmont Station
Cedar Lane
Newton-Lee
Sanders Corner
Trailside MS
Stone Bridge HS
Catoctin VOICES Region 14
X
X
X
X
X
CHAMPE CLUSTER
Aldie
Arcola
Buffalo Trail
Pinebrook
Mercer MS
John Champe HS
X
X
X
X
X
FREEDOM CLUSTER
Cardinal Ridge
Hutchison Farm
Liberty
Little River
Lunsford MS
Freedom HS
X
X
X
X
HERITAGE CLUSTER
Cool Spring
John W. Tolbert
Harper Park MS
Heritage HS
X
X
X
X
LOUDOUN VALLEY CLUSTER
X Banneker
X Emerick
X Hamilton
Lincoln
Middleburg
X Blue Ridge MS
Loudoun Valley HS
TUSCARORA CLUSTER
X Ball's Bluff
X Frances Hazel Reid
X Leesburg
Lucketts
X Smart's Mill MS
X Tuscarora HS
WOODGROVE CLUSTER
Hillsboro
Kenneth W. Culbert
Lovettsville
Mountain View
Round Hill
Waterford
Harmony Intermediate
Woodgrove HS
X
X
X
LOUDOUN COUNTY CLUSTER X
Catoctin
Evergreen Mills
X
Frederick Douglass
X
Sycolin Creek
J. Lupton Simpson MS
Independents
Loudoun County HS
Foxcroft School, Middleburg
The Hill School, Middleburg
x Loudoun Country Day Scool
Virginia Virtual Academy
Community Christian School,
Woodstock
WHAT IS OOTM?
An International
Educational Program/Competition
which provides
Creative Problem Solving Opportunities
for Students
BENEFITS
Participants learn:








Team-building skills by working in groups
How to effectively brainstorm
How to identify the real challenge
How to seek out-of-the-box solutions
How to think on their feet
How to present solutions and answers in a large group
setting
How to “open up” and express themselves
How to work independently
COMPETITION
 Preparation begins in September (or earlier if team
stays together) for March regional competition
 Preparation for two types of competitive events:
 Long Term problem
 Primary Teams: Primary Problem
 Division I, II, III teams: Select one from five types
 Spontaneous problem - All Teams
 Three (3) types: Hands on; Verbal; Hands on-Verbal
 Selection of type kept SECRET until tournament date
 Must expose team to wide variety of problems of each type
Attend Coaches Training and Master Spontaneous Workshop
LONG TERM PROBLEMS
 Primary (Primary): Teams present performances that revolve
around a specific theme and incorporate required elements
 Mechanical/Vehicle (Problem 1): Teams design, build and
operate vehicles of various sizes and with various power
sources
 Technical Performance (Problem 2): Teams make innovative
contraptions and incorporate artistic elements into their
solutions
 Classics (Problem 3): Teams write and perform skit based upon
the classical -- from literature to architecture to art
 Structure Problem 4): Teams design and build structures using
only balsa wood and glue which are weight tested
 Performance (Problem 5): Teams present performances that
revolve around a specific theme and incorporate required
elements
LONG TERM PROBLEM GUIDANCE
 Meet minimum requirements or constraints for each
problem’s solution which the team must consider as they
develop their solution
 Examples for performance:
 Must be done 8 minutes or less
 Must be capable of being presented within the area size specified;
Actual performance size may be larger
 Judged in many categories – specified objective & subjective scores
 Could garner penalty points for a variety of infractions
KEY CALENDAR of EVENTS
Coordinator Training #1
Coordinator Training #2
Coordinator Training #3
Coaches Training
Master Spontaneous Workshop
Judges Training
Region 14 Tournament
Region 16 Tournament
State Tournament
Date
Venue
September 17, 2014
Park View HS Library
September 24, 2014
Freedom HS, LR 400
October 1, 2014
Tuscarora HS Library
October 25, 2014 Freedom HS, South Riding
December 6, 2014
Park View HS, Sterling
February 7, 2015
Park View HS, Sterling
February 28, 2015
John Champe HS, Aldie
March 14, 2015
Park View HS, Sterling
April 18, 2015
South County HS, Lorton
LCPS Middle School Band Assessment March 14, 2015
Coaches, Master Spontaneous, Judges Training: RSVP via Coordinator
• Coaches Training, Master Spontaneous Workshop - $30/coach
• Check in @ 7:00 am; Training from 8:30 am - 1:00 pm
See our website at www.nwvoices.org for neighboring Regions 9, 11, 12
• Alternate Coaches Training Dates & Locations
• Alternate Judges Training Dates & Locations
OTHER DATES
 Regional T-shirt Design Contest: Submissions due: TBD
 Regional Tournament Registration: TBD (early Dec- early Jan), with check
payment via MAIL only
 T-shirt Orders Due (purchase optional): TBD, with check payment via MAIL only
 Judges’ Training: Feb 7, 2015 (Park View HS) (no charge)
 Regional Competitions:
 Catoctin Region 14: Saturday, Feb 28, 2015 (John Champe HS, Aldie)
 Dulles Region 16: Saturday, Mar 14, 2015 (Park View HS, Sterling)
 Snow date for either region: Mar 21, 2015 (J. Champe HS, Aldie)
 State Competition: Saturday, Apr 18, 2015 (South County HS, Lorton)
 World Competition: 20-23 May 2015, Michigan State University
COORDINATOR’S HANDBOOK
 Getting Started
 Work with Principal and PTA/PTO/PTSA

Guidance, Budget
 Resources:
 Odyssey Program Coordinator’s Handbook
 Odyssey Program Guide, Problem Detail Descriptions
 Odysseyofthe Mind.com website; nwvoices.org website;
 Google search for long term performances on past problems;
spontaneous problems; supplies
 Coordinator for Program Development (backed by Regional Board
members)


Catoctin R14: Judy Munley; bmunley1 @ verizon.net
Dulles R16: David Tsuda; nwregiondirector @ gmail.com
Odyssey of the Mind Information Night
 Schedule school library as soon as possible
 Objective: Identify coaches to attend Coaches Training 25 Oct;
or alternate training dates in neighboring regions
 Introduce the Odyssey of the Mind Program
 Objective, Participants, Benefits, Costs, etc.
 Calendar: Mandatory Training Dates and Tournament Dates
 Show an example of a Long Term Problem
 Gather contact info on Interested Students and Prospective Coaches
 Identify Experienced Odyssey Coaches
 Mandatory Requirement to Provide a Judge AND a Volunteer
REQUIREMENTS & COSTS
 COMMITMENT
 Students
TIME
Teamwork Respect
Creativity Open mind Positive attitude
Punctuality Responsibility Sense of humor Encouragement
 Parents: Funds Time Punctuality Planning Priority Assist Coach
 School membership fee ($135/first team, $100/additional teams)
 Coaches and Places to meet
 Funds for long term problem ($125-$145/team)
 Competition registration fee ($60/team)
 Availability on practice days and tournament dates
 One Judge and One volunteer to represent each team
 CEUs for teachers, staff who volunteer as coaches or judges
< $50/student
to participate
SEQUENCE
 Parents/students attend orientation (Sept/Oct)
 Form teams - Determine meeting dates/times
 Teams Meet (Oct - Mar): Select problem, develop solution options, develop & test
solutions, finalize design (set, props, skit), build & rehearse solution; Practice wide
variety of spontaneous problems
 Training for Coaches (Oct); Master Spontaneous Workshop (Dec)
 Coordinator/Coach register teams for competition (Dec - Jan)
 Teams prepare/practice (Jan - Mar)
 Teams compete at Regional Tournament (Mar)
 Advancing Teams compete at State Tournament (Apr)
 Advancing Teams compete at World Finals Tournament (late May)
TEAM FORMATION
 Teams consist of 5 to 7 members
 Teams form in many ways throughout US:
 Gifted (as defined by the school district)
 Try-out
 Test
 Lottery
 Coaches choose
 Coaches form
 Coordinator forms
 Students form
 Teachers form
SCHOOL MEMBERSHIPS
 Purchasing School Membership www.odysseyofthemind.com
 One Div I, II, III team each – Problem 1, Problem 2, Problem 3, Problem
4, Problem 5
 NEW And, up to five (5) Primary teams per membership
 If there is more than one Division I, II, III team per problem, additional
memberships must be purchased
School Membership Worksheet
Multiple
Memberships
per School
Problem
Problem 1
Problem 2
Problem 3
Problem 4
Problem 5
Primary A
Primary B
Primary C
Primary D
Primary E
Membership
#XXXXX
Team A
School name
Membership
#YYYYY
Team B
Membership
#ZZZZZ
Team C
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
#XXXXX
#YYYYY
#ZZZZZ
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
(coach name)
TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION
 Tournament Registration - Opens (Dec-Jan)
 Each Coach will register the team via the nwvoices.org website
 Specify ANY scheduling conflicts (e.g., MS Band Assessment)
 Register Judge
 Register Volunteer
 NEW The School Odyssey Program Coordinator will register all of the
Primary teams for the tournament with the Region Director
nwregiondirector@gmail.com
 Designate each team A, B, C, D, E
 Provide Coach’s name, mailing address, email address, phone number, school
name, and team members’ names and ages
 Register Team Judge
 Register Team Volunteer
 Specify ANY scheduling conflicts
TEAM’S JUDGE & VOLUNTEER
 Every year, each team must provide one judge and one volunteer for the
regional tournament.
 When tournament registration opens (Dec-Jan), the coach should
register the judge and the volunteer as representing the team
 1. The prospective judge must attend Judges Training (or make up training at a
nearby region) and perform as a judge on the tournament date (all day)
 a. NEW If the prospective judge misses judges training and/or is not
present to perform as a judge at the tournament, the team will be allowed
to perform but the team’s performance will not be scored. Coaches will
submit only bona fide excuses to the Region Director for adjudication
 b. The judge will not be assigned to the same problem and division as the
team the judge is representing. This is to avoid conflict of interest
 c. On tournament day, judges will not be excused to go see their child or
team’s long term performance
 2. The volunteer will be assigned to a two-hour time slot. The time slot will
not conflict with the team’s long term performance time
CONCLUSIONS
 OOTM is an excellent program given
benefits realized.
 An OOTM program is only limited by the
number of coaches available.
 Students who compete are all winners no
matter where they place in competition.
Questions?
Backup Slides
ORIGINATION
 Developed by Dr. Sam Micklus, professor at Rowan
University
 Challenged his students to create vehicles without
wheels, mechanical pie throwers and floatation devices
to travel across a lake.
 Evaluated solutions not only on success but on ingenuity
applied and risks taken.
 Students had FUN, word spread and people outside the
college “wanted in.”
 Led to the development of this world-wide creative
problem solving competition.