Proper Paperwork and Preparation Make Tournament Day Run Smoothly!

Prepare & Practice Your Solution

Remember that the 8-minute time limit includes setup from a starting position. This starting position could be on the right or left of the performance area. Have your team practice with all of their set and props on either side of your room, setting up toward a designated audience area. Team members should decide on responsibilities during setup.

Check for Problem Clarifications

These are written for all problems (except Primary-grades K-2) on the Odyssey of the Mind website. These items override what was initially written for those particular items in the full problem description. Reread the problem description and make sure your team’s solution is following all parts of the problem and any posted clarifications.

Coaches Registration Supplies

After you arrive at the tournament, coaches should check in at the Registration table and pick up their participation pins and Spont ticket. Your ticket to the Land ‘o’ Spont is very important. To save on paper, a printed schedule and map are no longer handed out. Make your own copies or find the digital versions on the NorCal website or Odyssey of the Mind WebApp. The WebApp is not an app in the app store. Use this link to get the WebApp before the tournament.

Remember to Make a Membership Sign

This should be a free-standing sign that will be visible during the entire performance. It must have your Membership Name and Number on it. The membership sign can be part of the set, or its own entity. If the team puts a lot of thought and effort into decorating the membership sign, it could be used for one of the free choice Style categories (unless it is already a required Style element). Please note that all set pieces must be able to stand on their own. Teams may not lean anything against walls or furniture that may be on the edges of the performance area.

Prepare Your Paperwork (and put COPIES of them in a binder or folder)

Most of these forms are found at the end of the Program Guide or in the Member Resources under the Teams tab of www.odysseyofthemind.com. Turn in COPIES of these forms after you fill them out. Keep the originals. You might want them again if your team goes on to the State Finals tournament.

Style Form

This needs to be filled out on the form provided. It can be typed on Word version or handwritten, but must fit within the space provided on the form. Each problem has 2 required elements for Style (listed in Section F of the full problem description). List these along with specific details as 1 and #2 on the Style form. There are 2 elements that the team can choose. These “free choice” elements cannot be anything that is already receiving a score in Section D of the problem description. Read the Program Guide (in the Long-Term Problems section) for more information about Style. Make 4 copies for the tournament judges.

Team List Form

This list is described at the end of section B of every problem. You can make this list yourself BUT it is PREFERRED that you use the form in the Member Resources at www.odysseyofthemind.com. Make 4 copies for the tournament judges.

Cost Form

Everything that is visible during the performance must be given a cost value on the Cost Form. Give the cost of $0 if the items, such as street clothes, are exempt from cost. See the Program Guide, Chapter V – Assigning Cost section for items that are Assigned Value Items and Exempt Items. Items that are already owned by team members can be listed at garage sale values. Any tools used to make/repair items (unless part of the performance) are not listed on the cost form. You can use more than one cost form if you can’t fit all of your items on one page. It is helpful to group items by how they are used, for example listing all of the materials used in costumes, then those used for specific props or set pieces. The Member Resources section has an Excel version of this form-highly recommended. Only one copy of the Cost Form(s) is needed.

Outside Assistance Form

This form should be filled out after all work on the problem’s solution is completed, but before presenting the solution at the tournament. Hopefully, the team can simply write “none” and sign this form. But if the team received any outside assistance, they should list specifically what the assistance was on this form. Only one copy is needed.

Online Paperwork

The NorCal newsletter will have a reminder to submit Codes of Conduct for the coach(es) and the team. Please review the Team Code of Conduct with the team before submitting.

Remember to Have Fun!

Success in Odyssey of the Mind should NOT be measured by whether or not the team goes on to the State Finals. Teams have learned many life lessons and skills along the way, and if the team sticks with it and presents their solution at the tournament, then they have overcome many obstacles in order to do so.

And in case the team forgets to say so, THANK YOU, COACHES!!!
The teams couldn’t compete without you!