Tournament Expectations

Competing at tournaments is essential for team members’ continued growth in speech. Team members receive critiques from unbiased judges that help them unlock new ways of tuning and enhancing their speeches. Through the repetition of competing each week, students build confidence in their speaking skills.

Considering how important competition is in this activity, we have the following expectations:

• Students should compete in at least half or more of the invitational tournaments appropriate for their skill level.

• All students are required to compete at, or observe the Odyssey, WCC and MSHSL 2AA Section tournaments. Failure to attend all will cause that student to be ineligible to letter that year.

• Students must sign up for every tournament they plan to compete in, NO LATER THAN 6 DAYS PRIOR TO THE TOURNAMENT DATE.

• Team members not qualifying for the final round of competition at a tournament are expected to attend either the final round of their own category, or a final round in which a teammate is competing, unless given permission to attend another category.

Transportation

Team members will ride the team bus to and from in-person tournaments. If it is necessary for a team member to ride with a parent or other adult, a valid Transportation Waiver must be submitted to the coaches by 3pm the day before the tournament.

Should a team member miss the bus on the morning of a tournament, he or she should text or call Coach Jones’s cell phone to get directions for meeting the team at the tournament. Missing the bus is not a valid excuse for not competing in the tournament.

If a tournament is close to MWHS, the team may not provide a bus and ask that team members transport themselves to/from the tournament. Coaches will communicate this decision at All Team Meetings and on Schoology with students. In this situation, students will not be required to provide a waiver.

Cancellation

Should a team member become ill or have another emergency on the morning of a tournament, he or she (or a parent) should text or call Coach Jones’s cell phone prior to our departure time.

If bad weather or other emergency necessitates the cancellation of an in-person tournament (or our electing to not attend), information about that cancellation will be posted on Schoology, Twitter, and via email to parents. If internet service is interrupted, every effort will be made to reach team members by telephone. Any team member who does not have reliable access to Internet at home should arrange for a team member who does have access to contact them in the event of a cancellation.

Tournament Attire

Team members are expected to dress in appropriate tournament attire. Jeans, tennis shoes, and t-shirts are unacceptable. Preferred attire is suits, skirts, dress pants, dress shirts, ties. Dress shoes are required; heels must not be higher than 2”. The same outfit can be worn to all tournaments; just as other activities have a single team uniform. Team members are expected to remain in tournament attire for the entire tournament, including awards. (Team members may wear casual clothes that are in accordance with the MWHS dress code on the bus rides to and from in-person tournaments.) Team members are expected to have their hair pulled back from their face, so as not to distract during performance. Guys should be clean-shaven, or have facial hair neatly-groomed. Jewelry should be conservative.