For all Odyssey of the Mind Coaches/Parents!!

[Crazy4mandms]

Just a good luck to all those who are heading to regional/state competitions over the next few weeks!! I know there must be some DISers that are parents/coaches!! This is my 6th year as a coach (and a parent!) and we head to regionals on March 4th. Don't you wish they had the Worlds in Orlando!!!????!!! Anyway, GOOD LUCK and hope you and your team have TONS OF FUN!!!!! Someone on this board had a signature that said...."Life is OM, everything else is spontaneous!" how true from Nov-Mar!!!

 

[simba928]

OOOOO!!!!! How fun!!! I loved OM. I did it as a student 2nd-4th grades. 2nd was just primary, so it wasn't "real", but in 3rd and 4th grades, we got second place each time and made it to states! It was so much fun! Where is worlds this year? Good luck to everyone!!!

AAAAAWWWW, now I miss my OM team! LOL.

 

[Crazy4mandms]

Worlds is in Iowa this year....yuck!!! I am supposed to be (still waiting on tax return!!) on vacation at WDW when Worlds takes place. Of course I don't plan on being at Worlds anyway! The 5 yrs my teams have competed we've taken 3rd twice, 2nd and 1st. Made it to States once but never worlds. We always go real early to competition and wander around watching all the different teams at different problems..it is so awesome seeing what these kids can accomplish!! THe kids know what a DIS freak I am so one year their skit took place during the 1920s and they created a poster of Steamboat Willie to use in their skit....that was awesome!!!

 

[Mickey's Sister]

This is my son's second year in OM. We're also headed to Regionals March 4th - this Saturday! His team placed 4th at States last year. We know we're going to States again because there is only one other team competing against them. So this will be like a practice run. Though I'd much rather if they had competition. He's in Div II Geometry Structure. Anyone else? Pixie Dust to everyone else competing!!! Have fun - as I know you will.

No offense to Iowa, but I also wish World's would be held at Disney. Someone said that it WAS held there years ago, or is this just a rumor? We can always wish!

Well, I need to pick up my son from OM practice right now!

Jessica

 

[clh2]

World's is in Iowa this year? I don't know if that is good or bad

(We are looking forward to an Iowa trip on 3/17 to go see Lion King in Des Moine.) I was just hoping that if DD's team made it that far that we could go somewhere else!

Our regionals aren't until 3/11, so we have another week and a half...

 

[simba928]

Looks like regionals is fast approaching! Good luck again to everyone! I'd love to hear how yall did in regionals! Sending pixie dust to yall!

BTW, I don't know why, but I seem to remember Worlds being held in Orlando when I did OM. I could be wrong, though. That was several years ago.

 

[Crazy4mandms]

Mickey's Sister, I am sooooo jealous!!! My team will be competing against 21, YES TWENTY-ONE other teams at regionals!! I'm pretty sure we won't be going to States. My team has an awesome skit and they've been working soooo hard, however; this is their first year (although I've been coaching my older son's team for 5 other years) and they are only 4th graders. We are doing the performance problem. Jungle Bloke.....their skit is totally awesome..my son and another team member are totally into classic rock music and love all things 80s...so their skit is based in the 80s with "totally gnarly' and 'gag me with a spoon', break dancing and rubic's cube! It was so fun working with them this year on this as I am a child of the 80s and it was so great to share my 80s experiences with them! SEND ME MORE PIXIE DUST EVERYONE!! 63 hours until go time!!

 

[sharbear]

Good luck and hope your sanity hold up!!!! LOL! I miss those days.

 

[Mickey's Sister]

Mickey's Sister, I am sooooo jealous!!! My team will be competing against 21, YES TWENTY-ONE other teams at regionals!! I'm pretty sure we won't be going to States. My team has an awesome skit and they've been working soooo hard, however; this is their first year (although I've been coaching my older son's team for 5 other years) and they are only 4th graders. We are doing the performance problem. Jungle Bloke.....their skit is totally awesome..my son and another team member are totally into classic rock music and love all things 80s...so their skit is based in the 80s with "totally gnarly' and 'gag me with a spoon', break dancing and rubic's cube! It was so fun working with them this year on this as I am a child of the 80s and it was so great to share my 80s experiences with them! SEND ME MORE PIXIE DUST EVERYONE!! 63 hours until go time!!

21 Teams - UGH!!! You must be there all day! That Jungle Bloke is a really fun idea. My son's group wanted to do that one. But the OM teacher/coach at his school insists that they do the structure - it's very frustrating.

TONS of pixie dust coming your way for success & lots of fun!!!

Jessica

 

[Stephanie218]

That's my mom with the quote in her signature! We've been involved for about 12 years now. My brother's team is doing the Egypt problem this year, and honestly i knind of hope they don't get to worlds! My family has gone the last 3 years in a a row i think, and my mom really needs a break from all the planning and work involved.

Good luck to everyone competing! I miss being involved with the program now that i'm at school!

 

[Crazy4mandms]

Yep, we are literally at Regionals all day! We arrive around 7 am and teams compete until 4:00. Then they have a DJ dance party and awards are at 6ish. It is a totally fun day, though....so much excitement! NY has the largest OM membership than any other state or country around the world, so competition is tough. We've had a set back today, though!! Snow day here in the Southern Tier and no way to get to the school to do last minute work on scenery and props!

 

[poohlover]

Good luck to all the teams competing soon!!

As to my DD...Stephanie218...I could do one more year going to Worlds!!

I've been coaching now for 9 years!! Wow that has gone FAST! CT is smaller so we don't always have LOTS of teams. My HS Sr DD was on a team that went to Worlds 3 times...they even placed 2nd at Worlds with an AWESOME skit in 2004!! That was fantastic!

My sons team this year is doing the Egypt problem...but it's a very different type...serious! Not the usual OM skit. We'll wait & see what happens. They are div 3 this year & at the very young end of it!

Good luck to ALL involved in this GREAT program.

 

[Mickey's Sister]

Yep, we are literally at Regionals all day! We arrive around 7 am and teams compete until 4:00. Then they have a DJ dance party and awards are at 6ish. It is a totally fun day, though....so much excitement! NY has the largest OM membership than any other state or country around the world, so competition is tough. We've had a set back today, though!! Snow day here in the Southern Tier and no way to get to the school to do last minute work on scenery and props!

We've had the same set-back today - we have about an inch of ice here. My son is afraid something will happen that they won't have school again tomorrow & all the scenery, props etc. are locked in the school. Tomorrow they are supposed to pack everything in the teacher's car, the school is locked on Saturday. Though I would hope that they would do something about that in the event that we have no school again tomorrow (which I doubt). But my son is worried anyway! They pretty much completed everything on Wednesday & were just going to finish some last minute details & their paperwork today, so at least that's not a problem.

You must have a MUCH larger event in your region, since your day isn't much different in length than ours. We don't start quite as early. Structure weigh-in is at 9:00 (though I imagine our judges are there a lot earlier). Though our long-term isn't till 12:40 with spontaneous at 1:40. We have the same thing with the DJ & dance party & awards ceremony. The kids have a blast. Last year it lasted a lot longer than expected - they started about 45 minutes later than scheduled. But the bus leaves here at 6:30 & we don't expect to be back till after 8:30 (last year it was closer to 10:00). It's a l-o-n-g day (my age is showing, LOL).

Best of luck to you...let us know how you do!

Jessica

 

[Crazy4mandms]

I noticed that about the Egypt problem also. I coach my son's team at a different school than where I teach and I help with the teams there sometimes. I'm glad my team chose the Jungle Bloke...it was a lot more fun to do! And, I've never seen kids NOT want a snow day as much as my team hadn't wanted one yesterday OR another one today! . We've practiced, practiced, practiced but have not done a full dress rehearsal run-through! Okay, I am off to my son's school now to check on some scenery peices we had 'set' on Wed...don't want anyone else touching them! Need to move them myself!

Other coaches/parents...make sure you post your tournament results here as they come! 31 hours to go!

 

[Crazy4mandms]

Thanks for all the My team took 2nd place!!! I'm so very proud of them! The entire scores aren't posted but I think we got bumped from first in spontaneous. We had a very generous long-term score! And, I LOVE SECOND PLACE!!! LOL...sounds funny, but 2nd gives me a winning team (4 yrs running!) but I get my life back...no 2 weeks of getting ready for states and GOD FORBID making it to Worlds which takes place the same week I have my WDW vacation! Again, thanks for all the pixie dust and more to anyone going on to state and world tournaments!

Now, when they have worlds in Orlando, THEN I'll want first!!

 

[Ranatra]

Do they still have the Ranatra Fusca award??

 

[Crazy4mandms]

Yep...they usually only give one a year...although I've seen years where they didn't give any. I was pleasantly surprised this year as it went to a 3rd grade team!!! Never saw that before, usually it goes to a high school team.

 

[simba928]

Thanks for all the My team took 2nd place!!! I'm so very proud of them! The entire scores aren't posted but I think we got bumped from first in spontaneous. We had a very generous long-term score! And, I LOVE SECOND PLACE!!! LOL...sounds funny, but 2nd gives me a winning team (4 yrs running!) but I get my life back...no 2 weeks of getting ready for states and GOD FORBID making it to Worlds which takes place the same week I have my WDW vacation! Again, thanks for all the pixie dust and more to anyone going on to state and world tournaments!

Now, when they have worlds in Orlando, THEN I'll want first!!

Congratulations! Thats strange about 2nd not going to states, though. 2nd always went to states when I did it. And then in states, usually only 1st went to Worlds, but one year they decided to send 1st and 2nd to Worlds.

 

[Mickey's Sister]

Thanks for all the My team took 2nd place!!! I'm so very proud of them! The entire scores aren't posted but I think we got bumped from first in spontaneous. We had a very generous long-term score! And, I LOVE SECOND PLACE!!! LOL...sounds funny, but 2nd gives me a winning team (4 yrs running!) but I get my life back...no 2 weeks of getting ready for states and GOD FORBID making it to Worlds which takes place the same week I have my WDW vacation! Again, thanks for all the pixie dust and more to anyone going on to state and world tournaments!

Now, when they have worlds in Orlando, THEN I'll want first!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! 2nd out of 21 is awesome!!! We were 2nd out of 2, LOL! The skit was excellent, they got very high marks for style. Spontaneous was good, 95 or 96, I forget. Though last year they had 100 in spontaneous. Unfortunately, the structure only held 215 pounds . They already have ideas why, so hopefully they can fix it by states. I talked to coaches yesterday whose schools usually do structure & they said kids just refused to do the problem this year. I noticed all the PA regions have a dearth of structure competitors - the most is 3 per division. We all had an excellent time yesterday though.

I need some pixie dust from you other OM lovers. My son has a wonderful team, really nice kids who work together perfectly. Four of them said they won't be back next year because they want to play sports instead (our Middle School starts offering sports teams at the 7th grade level). My son is just devastated! I know pixie dust can work wonders, so send some this way, that the kids change their minds or they find others who want to participate. Though I absolutely hate to see this team break up.

Good luck to anyone who still has a competition ahead! Hope you have as much fun as we did!!!

Jessica

 

[Crazy4mandms]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I need some pixie dust from you other OM lovers. My son has a wonderful team, really nice kids who work together perfectly. Four of them said they won't be back next year because they want to play sports instead (our Middle School starts offering sports teams at the 7th grade level). My son is just devastated! I know pixie dust can work wonders, so send some this way, that the kids change their minds or they find others who want to participate. Though I absolutely hate to see this team break up.

Good luck to anyone who still has a competition ahead! Hope you have as much fun as we did!!!

Jessica

I soooooo feel for you!! I coached my older son's team from 3rd through 7th grade, then they all decided they didn't want to compete anymore! We had a great record going! (1st, 2nd and 3rd). This year I coached my younger son's team and my older son and two other of my former team members decided to help me coach....now they want to do a team again next year!!!

I think that sending 1st and 2nd place to states is the norm, however; I think again for NY state it goes back to the large amount of teams they have compete. The director said we had 105 teams compete yesterday. She said the state had 132 teams compete each year! That would mean if they did 1/2 place then they'd have over 260 teams compete at states! It would take 2 days at least! I checked their scores online this morning......we missed first by 1.5 points! 1/2 point long term and .5 spont! Our raws were long term 155.75, style 39 and spont 84.