This Sunday, we are having our first parent meeting. I am excited, because it means we're close to getting our commitments and moving into more stable practices. The past couple weeks have been a bit of controlled chaos, which is fine, but now it's time to dig in and do the work it takes to build a championship program.
In meeting with parents, I will cover three things:
-Commitment. We are asking every quizzer and parent to sign a commitment form that lays out a few expectations. Number one on this list is that they remain in BQ for the entire year, however far the team advances. Quitting quizzers can dramatically impact a team and make the experience much less enjoyable for those remaining. In addition, we ask for commitments to doing the work, attending practices and matches, and even maintaining good grades. I want parents to know that I don't think school should come before BQ. We also ask them to pay a $15 materials fee, to cover the cost of books and questions. This also shows they are serious about it.
-Schedules. We give every quizzer a daily schedule for memorization and review. I want the parents to know exactly how that works, and why it's important. We also ask parents to listen to their students quote, so I will explain how that works. The goal is to make parents allies in the process of helping quizzers succeed.
-Travel. I will be talking primarily about our first trip of the season. We are planning to go to Dallas in late October for the Gold Cup. Every quizzer who is on the roster gets to go on this trip, so they don't have to qualify for it. I don't have all the details yet, but I'll still talk about it for a couple reasons. First, students will miss a day of school for the trip, and I like to give lots of notice for that. Second, this builds some excitement and gets everybody pumped about going on a trip. I want to use that excitement as motivation for study.
Parents tend to be mostly reasonable, as long as you communicate. I try to over-communicate. My goal is for parents to always feel like we're all on the same side working to help their students achieve everything they can, both in quiz, and outside it. I do homework help, I go to kids' houses, and I attend basketball, softball, plays, and parties, all in an effort to make sure those quizzers and parents know that I value them.
That makes it a lot easier for me to ask them to bring their kid out for an extra practice or travel across the country with us. It also helps me achieve my goal: seeing teens hide as much of God's Word in their hearts as possible.
NOTE: If anyone would like to have a copy of the commitment form I use, I will be happy to send it to you. E-mail me at karltdawson@mac.com.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Questions Questions Questions
As you may have seen advertised, I am selling questions this year. I am offering 100 sets broken down in the following manner:
2 sets per chapter (32)
4 sets per “A” section (16)
4 sets per Novice section (16)
16 sets over Mark 1-10
20 sets over Mark 1-16
These sets are written to be building blocks, helping quizzers understand the essential elements of question types. They are designed for use with both Novice and A-league quizzers, and place a strong emphasis on being interruptible.
Here's the best part. The advertised price of the questions is $50, but until August 10, I am offering a 20% discount. That means you only pay $40, if you order in the next 3 weeks. To order, e-mail me at karltdawson@mac.com.
For those who bought last year's sets, I have made several changes. I was not happy with the set breakdown that the computer program I was using pulled automatically, so this year I have built all the sets by hand. Secondly, we have added an additional editor to the team, so three different coaches will have looked at the questions before they go out. Finally, these questions are not only for Novice quizzers, though I included separate sets broken down for the Novice sections, because I have a heart for Novice quizzing.
Also, in case you're wondering where your money goes, every dime that comes in from question sales goes to support the quiz ministry at Ash Grove A/G. We are starting from scratch, and this is how we are funding a large portion of what we are doing this year, so you can feel good about your investment in these questions. I am not using them to get a new Plasma TV (though if anyone has an extra lying around...).
So place your order today for 100 sets for $40. After August 10, the price will be $50. Send an e-mail to karltdawson@mac.com.
2 sets per chapter (32)
4 sets per “A” section (16)
4 sets per Novice section (16)
16 sets over Mark 1-10
20 sets over Mark 1-16
These sets are written to be building blocks, helping quizzers understand the essential elements of question types. They are designed for use with both Novice and A-league quizzers, and place a strong emphasis on being interruptible.
Here's the best part. The advertised price of the questions is $50, but until August 10, I am offering a 20% discount. That means you only pay $40, if you order in the next 3 weeks. To order, e-mail me at karltdawson@mac.com.
For those who bought last year's sets, I have made several changes. I was not happy with the set breakdown that the computer program I was using pulled automatically, so this year I have built all the sets by hand. Secondly, we have added an additional editor to the team, so three different coaches will have looked at the questions before they go out. Finally, these questions are not only for Novice quizzers, though I included separate sets broken down for the Novice sections, because I have a heart for Novice quizzing.
Also, in case you're wondering where your money goes, every dime that comes in from question sales goes to support the quiz ministry at Ash Grove A/G. We are starting from scratch, and this is how we are funding a large portion of what we are doing this year, so you can feel good about your investment in these questions. I am not using them to get a new Plasma TV (though if anyone has an extra lying around...).
So place your order today for 100 sets for $40. After August 10, the price will be $50. Send an e-mail to karltdawson@mac.com.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Accentuate the Negative?
A couple friends pointed me to a current discussion on the forum about reading negative points for quizzers. I have a few thoughts on this, as you probably could imagine.
First, the original post by Joey Bohanon referred to reading points in the individual tournament matches at Nationals. To me, it's a no-brainer that you have to read these. If I'm winning or losing, I want to know by how much. If you think it doesn't matter, you're wrong. I once won a game in one-on-one quizzing with a final score of (-15) to (-35). If they followed that principle, we wouldn't have heard the score for the whole game.
In talking about reading negative points in games, I think it requires a little more judgment. Let's start with the rules, from page 9:
"At the conclusion of the match the Quizmaster will:...
4. Announce the following items from the official score sheet in a similar fashion as below.
c. All other positive individual points should be announced." (Italics mine)
Obviously the rules only indicate that positive scores should be read, and by exclusion it's not unreasonable to assume that negative points are not to be read under normal circumstances. I noted the words "similar fashion" because it's important to realize that the rules are not hard and fast on this issue. They give a suggested format. Also, the rules say that the top two scorers should be announced, as well as the team scores. Negative team scores are a regular occurrence, and it's possible (however unlikely) that the top scorers could also have negative points (if something went very wrong).
I think there are a few other factors to consider. Chief among them is the fact that context is everything in this situation. First-time Novice quizzers may need to have their feelings spared somewhat, especially in the wake of an emotional game. National-level quizzers ought to be battle-tested enough that this doesn't faze them.
It's also important to realize that adults seem to be the ones making the issue out of this. I briefly scanned the forum posts, and every single quizzer that responded said that having their negative points read didn't bother them at all. These students aren't nearly as fragile as they're made out to be. They understand winning and losing better than a lot of the adults in quiz, and they should be commended for it. They know the truth: it's one game, so get over it. You'll get 'em next time.
Finally, the accuracy of statistics is a major issue here. At Nationals, this has been a problem on occasion, and it has certainly happened at tournaments and leagues over the years. In order to ensure the stats are correct, it's a pretty good idea to get all the scores verified. As a coach, if I have even the slightest doubt about any part of the official score, I will always check it before I leave the room. That's just good common sense.
Obviously, rubbing someone's nose in their mistakes is not a good thing. I think Quizmasters and Judges should use their best judgment at leagues and tournaments in this area, especially when dealing with newer teams and quizzers. At Regionals and Nationals, I think it's somewhat irresponsible to not verify every score.
Remember, once the teams leave the room, everything on that scoresheet is official, whether correct or incorrect, and cannot be changed under any circumstances. Coaches, it's your job to make sure everything is 100% correct.
First, the original post by Joey Bohanon referred to reading points in the individual tournament matches at Nationals. To me, it's a no-brainer that you have to read these. If I'm winning or losing, I want to know by how much. If you think it doesn't matter, you're wrong. I once won a game in one-on-one quizzing with a final score of (-15) to (-35). If they followed that principle, we wouldn't have heard the score for the whole game.
In talking about reading negative points in games, I think it requires a little more judgment. Let's start with the rules, from page 9:
"At the conclusion of the match the Quizmaster will:...
4. Announce the following items from the official score sheet in a similar fashion as below.
c. All other positive individual points should be announced." (Italics mine)
Obviously the rules only indicate that positive scores should be read, and by exclusion it's not unreasonable to assume that negative points are not to be read under normal circumstances. I noted the words "similar fashion" because it's important to realize that the rules are not hard and fast on this issue. They give a suggested format. Also, the rules say that the top two scorers should be announced, as well as the team scores. Negative team scores are a regular occurrence, and it's possible (however unlikely) that the top scorers could also have negative points (if something went very wrong).
I think there are a few other factors to consider. Chief among them is the fact that context is everything in this situation. First-time Novice quizzers may need to have their feelings spared somewhat, especially in the wake of an emotional game. National-level quizzers ought to be battle-tested enough that this doesn't faze them.
It's also important to realize that adults seem to be the ones making the issue out of this. I briefly scanned the forum posts, and every single quizzer that responded said that having their negative points read didn't bother them at all. These students aren't nearly as fragile as they're made out to be. They understand winning and losing better than a lot of the adults in quiz, and they should be commended for it. They know the truth: it's one game, so get over it. You'll get 'em next time.
Finally, the accuracy of statistics is a major issue here. At Nationals, this has been a problem on occasion, and it has certainly happened at tournaments and leagues over the years. In order to ensure the stats are correct, it's a pretty good idea to get all the scores verified. As a coach, if I have even the slightest doubt about any part of the official score, I will always check it before I leave the room. That's just good common sense.
Obviously, rubbing someone's nose in their mistakes is not a good thing. I think Quizmasters and Judges should use their best judgment at leagues and tournaments in this area, especially when dealing with newer teams and quizzers. At Regionals and Nationals, I think it's somewhat irresponsible to not verify every score.
Remember, once the teams leave the room, everything on that scoresheet is official, whether correct or incorrect, and cannot be changed under any circumstances. Coaches, it's your job to make sure everything is 100% correct.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Ash Grove Bible Quiz: The First Practice
Today was our first quiz practice at Ash Grove. It was awesome. We had 19 students sign up for the three week trial. 12 were there today, with 2 others that were out of town this week but will be there next week. This is not atypical, and overall I was very happy.
I have discovered that often when a church starts quiz, their first practice becomes a meeting. They pass out materials, talk about expectations, and give assignments. This can make it tough for students to get an idea of what quiz is like. It can feel a lot like school.
We did it completely different. I welcomed everyone to practice and divided them into groups in less than a minute from the time we started. In their groups, we had them memorize the first 3 verses, quote them to someone, and then start answering questions over those verses. Our theme of the day was "You can do this."
With the trial period, we wanted to help students realize that they could be successful at Bible Quiz. Today, our goal was for every student to memorize at least 5 verses. We accomplished that, and some finished as many as 10. We also gave every student a daily schedule for memorization and review. They are memorizing 2-4 verses each day, and are quoting everything they have learned to a parent.
At the end of the day, every quizzer was planning to come back next week. During the week, coaches will be calling each quizzer to encourage them and answer any questions. We continue this through the entire season. Contact is essential to keeping quizzers connected to Bible Quiz.
We were all pretty happy about the results of our first practice. We think it's going to be an exciting year.
If you have any questions or ideas about starting a new team, leave a comment. I would also be happy to send my coach instructions from our first practice where I go into detail about how to get students memorizing quickly. If you'd like a copy, e-mail me at karltdawson@mac.com.
I have discovered that often when a church starts quiz, their first practice becomes a meeting. They pass out materials, talk about expectations, and give assignments. This can make it tough for students to get an idea of what quiz is like. It can feel a lot like school.
We did it completely different. I welcomed everyone to practice and divided them into groups in less than a minute from the time we started. In their groups, we had them memorize the first 3 verses, quote them to someone, and then start answering questions over those verses. Our theme of the day was "You can do this."
With the trial period, we wanted to help students realize that they could be successful at Bible Quiz. Today, our goal was for every student to memorize at least 5 verses. We accomplished that, and some finished as many as 10. We also gave every student a daily schedule for memorization and review. They are memorizing 2-4 verses each day, and are quoting everything they have learned to a parent.
At the end of the day, every quizzer was planning to come back next week. During the week, coaches will be calling each quizzer to encourage them and answer any questions. We continue this through the entire season. Contact is essential to keeping quizzers connected to Bible Quiz.
We were all pretty happy about the results of our first practice. We think it's going to be an exciting year.
If you have any questions or ideas about starting a new team, leave a comment. I would also be happy to send my coach instructions from our first practice where I go into detail about how to get students memorizing quickly. If you'd like a copy, e-mail me at karltdawson@mac.com.
Friday, July 11, 2008
National Finals 2009 in St.Louis, MO
July 11-17, 2009 at the Renaissance Hotel in St. Louis, MO. Mark your calendars and pack your bags.
New Poll: Who is the Impossibly Early Favorite to Win Nationals in 2009?
If the internet serves a purpose, it's to make outlandishly early and provocative predictions that a year later will either make you look like a fool or a genius. With that in mind, I offer a new poll. Who is going to win it all next year?
Owasso, Bothell, and James River are the choices I provided, but feel free to pick someone else. Leave a comment to let us know who you think it's going to be, and why.
Owasso, Bothell, and James River are the choices I provided, but feel free to pick someone else. Leave a comment to let us know who you think it's going to be, and why.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Owasso Wins It All!
Nationals is over, and a new champion has been crowned. Owasso, OK went undefeated over the entire tournament, a rare feat. All three starters finished in the top 20 individually, with two in the top ten. Bothell, WA finished second, and James River was third. Defending champions Briargate ended in sixth.
Individually, Grant Warnock from Bridgeville, PA was first, and Jared Burkhalter from Orlando was second, Both averaged more than 100 points per game. Brandon Duffy was sixth and Blake Porter was eighth.
In Challenger, James River's other team won first place with an 18-1 record. South Bend was second. The top quizzer was James Lex from Dunwoody.
Blake Porter was the individual tournament champion, defeating a final field that included Jared Burkhalter, Brandon Duffy, and Daniel Wagner. Josh Wagner was the quoting bee winner.
Congratulations to all the winners!
As for predictions, those who picked Owasso were proven correct. They did an outstanding job of quizzing consistently, and survived all the close calls. Four of my five contenders were in the top six, so I wasn't completely crazy. Slidell had a rough week, but Kournti Wyatt has one more year, and I expect they'll bounce back.
I expect that we'll have more analysis from the tournament over the next few days. Feel free to comment on any of the results. If you're on the ground in Green Bay, let us know what you saw and what you liked.
Individually, Grant Warnock from Bridgeville, PA was first, and Jared Burkhalter from Orlando was second, Both averaged more than 100 points per game. Brandon Duffy was sixth and Blake Porter was eighth.
In Challenger, James River's other team won first place with an 18-1 record. South Bend was second. The top quizzer was James Lex from Dunwoody.
Blake Porter was the individual tournament champion, defeating a final field that included Jared Burkhalter, Brandon Duffy, and Daniel Wagner. Josh Wagner was the quoting bee winner.
Congratulations to all the winners!
As for predictions, those who picked Owasso were proven correct. They did an outstanding job of quizzing consistently, and survived all the close calls. Four of my five contenders were in the top six, so I wasn't completely crazy. Slidell had a rough week, but Kournti Wyatt has one more year, and I expect they'll bounce back.
I expect that we'll have more analysis from the tournament over the next few days. Feel free to comment on any of the results. If you're on the ground in Green Bay, let us know what you saw and what you liked.
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