NoVA East Odyssey of the Mind-Region 11

~ November 4, 2017 ~

Coaches’ Training Agenda● 8:00-8:20 Registration and a Light Breakfast● 8:20-8:50 Introduction ● 8:50-9:15 Problem Overview - Problem Captains (5 minutes each)● 9:20-10:05 Long-Term Coaching Sessions

○ BEGINNING (Coaches who have never coached a competitive problem (1-5) before)○ EXPERIENCED (Coaches who have coached a competitive problem (1-5) in the past)○ PRIMARY (Coaches who are coaching K-2 students doing the non-competitive problem)

● 10:10-10:40 Style or Creativity (red nametags go to style first, blue goes to creativity first)

● 10:40-11:10 Creativity or Style● 11:15-12:30 Spontaneous Rotation

Who is NoVA East, Region 11?

We are:

Alexandria City Schools

Arlington Public Schools

Falls Church City SchoolsA small section of Fairfax County

There are many other

regions in VA, so make

sure you’re looking at the

correct website and dates.

We are all volunteers!

Whether we’re on the regional board,

...coaching a team,

...or judging at the meet.

So be kind to yourselves, and be kind to each other.

There is a Coaches’ Bill of Rights.

Read it...Live it!

Teamwork,

Creativity, and

Problem Solving

What is Odyssey of the Mind?

Parents sign on to coach, judge, or volunteer in some way.Teams have between 5-7 students who work together

each week to solve a long term problem from Oct./Nov. to March. They also work on team-building playing to individual strengths.

Their solution should be performed in 8 minutes or less and adhere to the structures set forth in the formal problem.

There are 5 Main Odyssey of the Mind Problems Offered Each Year:

Problem 1: VehicleProblem 2: TechnicalProblem 3: Classics

Problem 4: Balsa StructureProblem 5: Humor

Each year the specifics of each problem changes.

Each Team Selects one of the 5 Problems and Competes in their Division:

Divisions:Division I: K-5th Grade

Division II: 6th-8th GradeDivision III: 9th-12th Grade

Division IV: College

Teams are Scored in 3 Areas❏ Long Term Solution❏ Spontaneous❏ Style

The big difference between the K-2 Primary Teams and the teams that do Problem 1-5 is that teams that do the

Primary Problem are non-competitive.

The Primary Problem K-2nd Grade

Spontaneous Problem Solving

During team meetings, teams also work on spontaneous problem solving.

They are given a task and must work as a team to creatively solve it together within a short amount of time.

Spontaneous Problems may be verbal, verbal/hands on, or hands on.

Style

Important Dates● Chances are your school has already bought a membership from CCI which

comes with one program guide and a glossy version of each problem. (As you saw, you can also access all that in the member area.)

● All your teammates need to know the date of the regional meet. It is all day on Saturday, March 17th at West Potomac H.S. in Alexandria. Have them keep the entire day open if possible.

● Find a judge IMMEDIATELY! You will need them to register for the regional meet. They will need to attend Judges’ Training on Feb. 24, 2018 at St. Louis Catholic School (even if they have judged before) and they need to be available to judges ALL DAY from 7:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. at West Potomac. It’s best if it’s a parent of a child on the team because if the team advances to states, they will need to provide a judge, and if the child’s on the team, the parent will likely be going anyway.

● State Competition is on April 14, 2018 in Menchville, VA

Other Important Dates● On-line T-shirt voting will be up on our website the week before Thanksgiving.

Vote with your team by the end of the first week of December. T-shirt orders will be due on January 26.

● Register your team for the regional meet online later this month. The cost is $65 per team, even for primary. Check our website to see if the link is live. You must register your judge first. Then you will be able to register your

team. This must be done by January 19th. There is a $25 penalty for every week you are late with your payment.

● Attend the Coaches’ Meeting at Campbell Elementary on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 from 7:00-8:00 p.m.

What Coaching EntailsEvery team needs a coach or co-coaches to sponsor their team.

● Be there weekly to facilitate and supervise the students as they plan and problem solve the solution to their problem. ○ Create structure. ○ Keep them on track. ○ Keep them safe. ○ Be a cheerleader.

● Facilitate spontaneous practices each meeting in addition to allowing time for the team to work on the long-term solution.

● Communicate with your coordinator so you are aware of upcoming events and make her aware of needs and problems.

● The practices the month leading up to the meet may require more time getting materials, holding extra meetings, coordinating meeting places at the meet.

More details to follow in the break-out sessions

What Do I Do When I Don’t Know What to Do?

READ or ASK

*Program Guide * Your School Coordinator

*Websites *Training Guide *Another coach *One of us

Follow our Regional Website...

www.novaeastodysseyofthemind.wordpress.com

Simply type in your email, and magically,

it will send you an email every time something new is added.

Take a moment to check what’s new!

Other websites:

The main Odyssey site: www.odysseyofthemind.com

TEAMS...Member Area...Membership Number...Zip Code = Long term Problems, Program Guide, Forms, and Tips

While there is a competition and there will be winners. The focus should remain on the process. It truly doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it does matter how you play the game.

Play nicely. Be a role model!

There is a student contract, a parent contract,

and even a sample letter (in case there are problems)

Keep an open line of communication with the parents of your team members.

Have high expectations for both.

Students reach varied levels of polish. There is no wrong solution.

Some will look back with pride at the costumes, scenery and props they created...

..and other teams’ fond memories will stem from the fun and friendships they found while engaging in the creative process.

2009 2012 2017

In the end… you WILL be exhausted, But you will have allowed students to experience something they will never forget.