Tournaments: Quick Tips

Schedules

Tournament schedules are posted on the NorCal Association Website. Agree with your team about whether you will meet to carpool OR you will meet at the competition site. 

Remember, you need to be at your long-term staging area and spont check-in BEFORE your scheduled performance time. Long-term staging area judges begin checking teams in 15-20 minutes before their performances. Give yourselves enough time to relax and not be rushed or stressed before your team’s performance. 

Make sure every team member knows WHEN to be in the staging area for long-term and when to check in for spontaneous.

No Outside Assistance

Logistically, tournaments provide opportunities for parents and coaches who have been careful all season to accidentally contribute to an outside assistance penalty. In fact, many outside assistance penalties occur in the staging area just before a team’s long-term performance. 

Make sure your parent helpers know not to touch ANYTHING or point out that things are broken. Parents and coaches may not direct team members at any point once they are in staging. Let the team do their hair and make-up. The best practice is to get the team to staging and make sure they have their paperwork. Then leave the immediate area so you aren’t tempted to do something that may be outside assistance!

Transportation & Clean-up

Parent helpers and coaches MAY carry all of the costumes, sets, props and paperwork to the staging area. Parents may NOT help assemble the sets if they were broken into pieces for transport. Parents and coaches MAY help carry everything out of the long-term competition room after they are done AND the judges have finished talking with the team. In fact, we love it when you help clear the stage after a performance!

Cleaning up

LEAVE THE CAMPUS CLEANER than when you left. If the team has small items that sometimes fall off of costumes or sets, bring a broom and dustpan to clean up after your team is finished competing. Just remember to wait until AFTER the judges have finished speaking with the team. Please be conscious of littering or causing damage while on campus.

OOPSIE Bag

You may bring a bag filled with things the team will need to fix sets or props damaged in transport. Let the team pack the bag so they know what is inside!

Spontaneous TIPS

Check in 

Make sure you know where to check in the team and send ALL team members in to spontaneous. All members will participate. 

Practice

Just before entering spontaneous, try a verbal spontaneous or something fun to energize the team and get their creative juices flowing.

After the team finishes

Wait outside for your team after spontaneous and cheer like mad when they exit! Some parents bring treats for the kids to celebrate. Stay positive even if the team appears upset.

DO NOT ASK ABOUT THE PROBLEM. Even if someone is visibly upset, do not ask them what they did in spontaneous. It is the team’s secret! What happens in spontaneous, stays in spontaneous.

Celebrate the success of the day with your team. They presented a long-term solution. They enjoyed the Land O’ Spontaneous. They did it!!!!