Tournament Preparation

Tournament Preparation

This list is not exhaustive and other coaches/teams and the National Science Olympiad site (https://www.soinc.org) likely have other helpful pointers.

Top priorities for preparing for the tournament are to read the event instructions thoroughly with students

●Division B events: https://www.soinc.org/events/2019-division-b-events

●Division C events https://www.soinc.org/events/2019-division-c-events

AND check rule clarifications regularly: https://www.soinc.org/events/rules-clarifications

and make check lists.

Three types of check lists:

● Event requirements: For building events, this list helps builders identify the skills/benchmarks that devices must achieve to earn points. For study events, this list helps students identify areas they need to study/understand.

● Event equipment- required: Some events have equipment students MUST have to compete. These might be goggles, rulers, pencils, student-constructed devices, etc. Make a check list of the equipment required.

Other equipment might be useful and allowed. This could be a single sheet of paper with formulas on it or for building events it could be tools/supplies that would be useful if there is a need to fix any damages that occurred in transporting a device or items like extra elastic bands for wind up vehicles. And this suggestion from the supervisor of Game On: Anyone working with sound should bring headphones with 3.5mm jack. If students each want to have a set of headphones for the computer, they will need a splitter- adapter which is about $4 at Walmart, or $7 at Amazon.

●Equipment container- It may be helpful to have a container that can be packed in accordance with the check list (above) and used to transport equipment to an event room. Student(s) competing an event should be responsible for packing and checking the container for that event. However, it may be helpful to have another student/coach/volunteer designated to make sure that students, as they leave for their event, leave with their equipment container. These people may deliver the container to competitors outside of the competition area. Students who do this task do not have to be an official team member.