At The Contest

Remember that as a coach & team, you are representing your county. Tell members that they are to be on their best behavior. Then accept nothing else but their best.

Do not make any negative comments in public

• Wait until team is back in the holding room
• State our opinions
• Discuss how to handle situations if they arise again
• Settle conflicts now - then forget them
• Don't dwell on the bad; find something that was good. Always end the discussion on a good note.
• Ask what the team did that was good & what they can improve on next time
• Go over why missed questions were wrong, if necessary but don't let any blame be assigned to a particular member

Don't protest every questionable decision - if you are ahead by a lot of points, let it go & tell the team why you did it after the game. "I probably could have protested that answer but we were so far ahead it would not have made any difference in the outcome of the game & it would have made us look bad." "You know the opposing team needed a point or two anyway so they do feel so bad about lose the game to you." If an answer is really out of line - protest it. Be aware that protesting can create a bad opinion in the judge's mind - unintentionally. It always comes back to haunt you further down in the contest - when it can really make a difference. Don't risk it.

If a team member doesn't understand why his/her answer was not accepted, they can ask the captain of the team to ask the moderator for clarification (after looking to the coach for the OK & after the question is dead & before the next question is started). Sometimes this can prolong the games unnecessarily & the coaches can best explain some questions after the game in private.

Coaches-be an example of how you want your team to behave. Sometimes coaches cause their teams to get an undeserved bad reputation. This is not fair to the team members. Ask questions with dignity & respect. Judges decisions are just one or two people's opinions of a correct answer - but their decision is final. After a short discussion, accept the answer, drop it & go on. Dwelling on the past creates poor sportsmanship. Reinforce good things. Single out each player for a good comment. Tell them that you are very proud of them after every match. The self-esteem a coach builds can change the young person's life - it is a big responsibility.

Encourage teams to meet & be friends with other teams. Bring snacks that can be shared - it's a good icebreaker & builds new people meeting skills. Encourage them to pick another team to cheer for. Wish other teams good luck in the holding room as they are leaving for their games.

Have one of the parents sit in on all the games in the first round to tell you which players are fast on the buzzers on each team. The parent is not allowed to speak to the coach until their match is over - tell them this before the contest starts. Do everything in our power to make sure our team is never accused of cheating. This puts additional pressure on the team, which they don't need on the day of a contest. Knowing which teams are fast on the buzzers gives your team a little advantage so the contestant has a feel for what to expect when playing that team. It is similar to coaches scouting out football games. Prepare a contestant to be extra alert when playing a fast opposing player. It also gives a contestant a moment or two longer to think before buzzing in against a slower player. This doesn't always work, but it can give your team an edge.

On bonus questions, have member keep talking - they may accidentally give the rest of the answer needed. It also gives your team a little more time to think of the answer. If an answer is totally off base, have the other teammates stop them. Have the contestant sitting next to the talking contestant, place their hand on their leg under the table which signals, "Stop, you're making a fool out of yourself" if necessary.

On bonus questions, have everyone talk out loud. Brainstorming - no negative comments. Something one member may say can cause another member to remember something else. Everyone writes down their ideas & passes them to the most knowledgeable team member or team captain if no one else knows.

Tell the team members to believe in mental telepathy. If someone gets a question that they do not know the answer, have the rest of the team sit quietly, with their eyes closed & think of the correct answer then mental send it to them. This promotes positive ways to help team members & helps to reduce negative criticism. Team members will start commenting things like-"it was my fault, I told you the wrong answer". "I knew you could do it." "I told you." "I can't hear you." The questions have now become a team effort. Members are really hoping that the other one gets the correct answer. Others will feel like they helped a teammate. It also keeps everyone quiet so the contestant answering the question can concentrate on the answer.

Only cover subject matter in the reference books. There is too much to learn without adding more. It is OK to throw in personal experiences & things of that nature but do not have them study material that is not necessary. Coin phrases to help remember answers. For example: pinworms are a pain in the butt. Ask the members how they remember the answers. Share it with the rest of the group. Go over keyword. Make a list of keyword phrases with the answers so they can be extra fast on those questions.

As parents/coaches, don't put too much pressure on your team. Winning is not everything. Your team will remember more when they lose a game than in all the games they win. One team member can not make a team win or lose. There is always enough blame or glory to go around. Don't allow contestants to think that the last question that was answered incorrectly caused the game to be lost. If everyone else was pulling their weight, one wrong answer won't make or break a game. The other team was just better. The team tried their best & this time someone else was better.