Odyssey of the Mind – February & Tournament Timeline
CAREFULLY READ ALL COMMUNICATIONS FROM OUR REGIONAL DIRECTOR BETH WEISSMAN

February – finish up scenery, props, etc. and practice, practice, practice!
o Ideally, the kids should be finished with their props and costumes 1-2 weeks before the
competition. As they rehearse their performance, there will probably be props and costumes
that need repair or even reworking (hence the need to finish props and costumes early).
o Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse!
o Rehearse the performance for half the meeting time, then work on spontaneous problems the
other half.
o Be sure to have the kids practice setting up as if they are at the competition.
 In most cases they will be meeting with the staging judge outside the classroom (gym,
cafeteria) where they will be performing.
 Then they will then be directed to a SMALL area inside the classroom (gym, cafeteria)
for themselves and their props to wait for the timing judge to introduce them.
 Once the timing judge introduces them and says “time begins” they will have 8 minutes
to set up their props AND perform - they will be moving everything from the SMALL area
up to where the judges are sitting.
 Once they have their lines memorized and motions (scene changes, working with props,
etc.) worked out, then the set up portion of the performance should be practiced every
time.
 Using a stop watch, track how long their performance takes, INCLUDING setup time.
(Your goal is 8 minutes – 7:30 or 7:45 is my comfort zone to allow for any nerves or prop
malfunctions on competition day.)
 Video tape the kids and have them watch themselves
 Can they hear themselves?
 Are their words clear?
 Are they facing the judges?
 Invite parents, neighbors, etc. to watch the kids
 Ask them to give positive feedback
 Ask them NOT to make any suggestions as to how to improve a prop or costume
or what it might be better to say.
 It is okay to give feedback like, “we couldn’t hear you very well,” or “we couldn’t
see you when you made that robot do ______.”
 Invite Parents, etc. to come watch the kids (this will be a dress rehearsal in the MPR) a
week or two before the competition. Ms. Garrity and school staff will encourage the
kids, and have them review the Style form – to focus the kids to take a final look at their
performance which often results in the kids making a few tweaks.
o Put together a repair kit to take with you to the tournament. Include markers, tape, scissors,
tool, etc. Any items frequently used by the team in solving the problem.
o Prepare all forms for the tournament and put them in a folder with pockets. Carefully note
how many copies you need of each form. Make a whole extra set that you bring along & have
available just in case. You may want to include a few photos of the team at work in your folder
as documentation that they did it on their own.

Competition –
o Pick up your team’s registration envelope at the Check-In Table. Your envelope will include
certificates for your team, a special tournament pin for each student, and other items.
o Communicate with your parents and have them arrive as early as possible at the site.
 If you are scheduled to do your spontaneous competition first, then arriving 1-1.5 hours
before should be fine.
 If you are scheduled to do your long-term competition first, then plan to arrive 2 hours
before.
 In either case, you’ll need to plan time to have the kids unload the props.
 Parents can help, BUT it’s best if the kids do everything.
 Every year teams LOSE POINTS because a parent (either unknowingly or
knowing-but-not-taking-it-seriously) does something like fix a prop, or adjust a
costume on a kid, or even make a verbal comment telling kids they need to
repair this or worse, how to repair that.
 You’ll also need to plan time for the kids to get into costumes and do any makeup
(remember – no parent help – they do all this themselves). They can come to the
tournament already in costume and made up, but no parent help.
 You’ll want to find where the kids will be performing their long-term problem.
 Ideally, plan time for them to find the staging area and then walk them into the
classroom (gym, cafeteria) so they can see where the judges will sit, where their
SMALL set up area is and what the room is like. Ask them to walk you through
what they’ll do (see “What to expect for your Long-Term performance” below).
 Perhaps they’ll want to watch another team perform – this could be good or bad,
depending on your team. Choose wisely.
 After they are in costume, have them practice their long term performance 1 or
2 more times (to refresh them, work out any kinks from travelling, and give them
a final confidence boost – parents should be cheering after their final practice.)
o Nothing but positive today!
What to Expect For Your Spontaneous Competition:
 Arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled competition time to check-in.
 You will receive a card or paper which the kids will give to the judge when their name is called.
 This is a time to relax and have fun with some easy spontaneous problems. You’ll know your team well
by this point and can determine what problems to do while you wait – or not do any and just hang out
as a team.
 Parents can come to the spontaneous check-in area, but neither they, nor you (can you believe it?) can
go into the competition with them.
 The kids will be taken to a classroom where the problem is set up. The judges there are always friendly
and will guide the kids through the spontaneous problem.
 The judges should tell them if the problem is a verbal, verbal hands-on or hands-on so they kids and
choose who’s going to participate (something you will have worked out already). IF the judges don’t
tell the kids what kind of problem it is, they should ask before they start to read the problem.
 Times vary, but usually the kids are finished within 20 minutes.
 As they make their way back to the check-in area (whether they’re excited and bouncing, or quiet and
dragging) it’s great for the parents to cheer and make a big deal.
 The kids won’t be able to talk about their problem, but they’ll let you know if it was hard or easy and if
they think they did well.
What to Expect For Your Long-Term Competition:
 Arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled competition time to check-in.
 In costume, ready to go, bring props to the staging area.
 Receive final encouragement from parents as the parents go into the classroom (gym, cafeteria) to find
a seat.
 Meet with staging area judge and give him/her their forms.
 Staging area judge will check for proper footwear, will go through the problem and ask the kids to
point out main props, characters, etc. and they will go through the Style form and ask the kids to point
out those elements.
 Staging area judge will direct the kids into the performance area and will show them their SMALL area
to set up their props while they wait for the judges. This is when you, the coach(es), will leave the team
and go sit in chairs marked for coaches only in front.
 Timing judge will say hello, then introduce the team to the audience and judges.
 Timing judge will say “time begins” and start the stopwatch.
 Kids will move their props, set up and begin performing (ask them to consider where they should set
up and which way they should face. Sometimes the judges direct the kids to face the audience.)
 The kids will perform their best (mistakes and all) and the audience will cheer when the performance
ends.
 The judges will then spend about 5 minutes talking with the kids. This is the time for them to point out
all the cool ideas they came up with and the hard work they put in. Sample questions:
o How did you come up with your idea?
o Who is your narrator (or any character specifically called out in the problem)?
o Who made that prop/costume/etc.?
o How long did it take you to…?
o Please show me item #2 on your Style form here…
o Did you have fun working with your team?
 In general, the judges are very encouraging and very excited to have the kids show them everything
they’ve done. HOWEVER, they are also looking to see if the kids really did all the work themselves, and
how well the kids work together as a team.
 While the judges are talking with the kids, parents may videotape, but need to stand back and out of
the way.
 Once the judges are finished and dismiss the kids, parents CAN help move the props and everything
out of the classroom. It’s important to leave a good impression and make sure everything is cleaned up
(including any mess created as a result of the performance).
 Once outside the classroom, it’s time for more congratulations and pictures!
After Long-Term:
 Before you leave the long-term area, ask the judges when you should return to pick up your scores.
ONLY THE COACHES MAY INTERACT WITH THE JUDGES!
 When you return, the head judge will go over all your scores and any penalties you may have received.
You may ask questions and volunteer information if it seems the judges missed an item or if a penalty
seems questionable or unfair.
 You will be given the pink copy of the score sheet to keep. Look it over carefully. You have 30 minutes
from the time you receive your scores to register any sort of protest with the judges. Only the coach
may interact with the judges.
 Contact me if you need help, have questions, or need reassurance. Just keep in mind that I may be
watching another team’s performance with my cell phone off.
Awards Ceremony:
 The awards ceremony will be held Sunday afternoon on campus at El Camino High School. Doors open
around 4:45 and the ceremony begins within 15 or 20 minutes of its 5:00 start time. Times will be
announced in advance~watch for emails from Beth about this. You & your team will want to arrive
when the doors open in order to get good seats. Traditionally Murrieta Valley tries to sit together.
This is the time to wear your Murrieta Valley OM shirts!
 You will have a break of several hours between the end of the performances and the awards assembly.
Many teams go out for pizza together or share some other activity during this time. You may want to
communicate to parents in advance to make plans. You will also want to take this opportunity to
watch other teams from Murrieta or in your problem.
 Winners are announced separately by problem and by division. First, second and third place winners in
each category are announced in reverse order, with third place teams leading off. Third place teams
come to the floor to receive medals and certificates and then return to their seats. First and second
place teams come to the floor to receive medals, certificates, and a trophy, and those advancing to
state finals remain seated on the floor until the end of the ceremony. First and sometimes second and
third place teams move on to the Odyssey of the Mind State Finals in Brentwood, CA, on Saturday,
April 5. There is a meeting of all winning coaches right after the ceremony ends where information and
forms required for the state tournament will be distributed.
 In the past, each team was given a packet upon registration that included a ticket for picking up final
scores at the end of the night. One adult from the team should go to the score sheet tables after the
ceremony to collect a copy of your problem & division scores. This procedure will be changing at the
Coastal Tournament so watch for emails from Beth Weissman about this topic.
 Make a copy of the score sheet to give to Ms. Garrity at the wrap-up meeting.
 Elementary teams should save all sets, props, and costumes for the school site assembly to be held the
following week.
 Plan to celebrate with your team following the ceremony regardless of the outcome. Ice cream for all
has a positive benefit whatever the result! We will have a Tovashal Team celebration, too! ; )