event dates for team members & Judges:

Mark your calendar! Below are the key dates for the 2024/25 Odyssey season.

  • Families, dates and locations are evolving, so please check back regularly.

  • Judges, scroll down for a personalized calendar of your important dates.

  • Coaches, check here for more details & event registration links.

Registration is closed for the 2024-25 USC Odyssey of the Mind season. If you would like to be placed on a waitlist, please email uscootm@gmail.com. We cannot guarantee there will be space on a team, but we will do our best! Questions? Feel free to send us a message!

 
 

2024-25 USC Odyssey of the Mind Calendar for Families & Team Members

 
 

October-December 2024

  • 7-Oct: USC Kickoff Meet & Greet - 6:15-8:30pm at USCHS Cafeteria. This is where we start our season! New team members meet for the first time, while parents and coaches compare schedules and come up with a practice day/time. Please review these Kickoff 2024 slides prior to attending - full of important information about key dates, volunteer opportunities and the long term problems for the upcoming year. Two evening sessions split by divisions:

    • 6:15-7:15pm - Primary (K-2) & Division 2 (6-8)

    • 7:30-8:30pm - Division 1 (3-5)

  • 31-Oct: Registration Fee Deadline - Deadline for team members to pay $175 to their coach.

  • 15-Nov: Drop Out Deadline - Last day to drop out and receive full refund.

  • Late Nov: USC Odyssey T-shirt & Clothing Sale - Team members & Coaches must have an Odyssey T-shirt for Regionals. Feel free to use shirts from prior years - they are the same design! Order by midnight on 12/4 (NO LATE ORDERS!) Opening soon!

  • 7-Dec: Round Robin Skills Training for USC Teams - 9am-12pm at Boyce Middle School. Sponsored by the USC OM Board, this is an opportunity for our USC teams to get together and learn some important Odyssey skills.

January-May 2025

  • 22-Feb: Western PA Spontaneous Fun Day - 9am-2:30pm (7:30am-4pm if riding bus) at Linton Middle School, Penn Hills. This is a fun Saturday field trip to a friendly competition all about Spontaneous. Highly recommended to help get ready for Regionals! Optional USC bus transportation provided.

  • 1-Mar: USC Rehearsal Day - 1-2 hour time slot, 8:30am-4pm at Boyce Middle School. This is an optional date provided for teams to practice performing their Long-Term problem solutions in a different space before Regionals. Coaches have the option to invite family & friends.

  • 8-Mar: Western PA Regional Tournament - All day at Keystone Oaks MS/HS. THE BIG DAY! Teams compete in Spontaneous and Long-Term. Primary teams have an awards ceremony in the afternoon and do not advance to State. All divisional teams return for an evening awards ceremony. Invite your families to cheer your teams’ hard work on during their Long-Term performances. Plus food, OM merch, raffles, photo ops, dance party, awards ceremony and more!

  • 5-Apr: PA State Odyssey of the Mind Tournament at Pocono Mountain East High School in Swiftwater, PA (Only teams who advance from Regionals)

  • 12-Apr: Snow date for State Finals (Only teams who advance from Regionals)

  • 21-24-May: Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Michigan State University (Only teams who advance from States)

Summer 2025

  • June TBD: Ingenuity Camp at Fort Couch Middle School Missing Odyssey already?! Invite your friends, and come spend a week being creative with us!

 

2024-25 USC Odyssey of the Mind Calendar for judges

Thank you for signing up to judge for your team! Parents, Grandparents, neighbors and/ or teachers can perform these important duties. If the team does not have the required judges, there is NO team. Please note, Judges cannot always see their child perform.

January-April 2025

  • 21-Jan: Western PA Virtual Roundtable Discussion & Training for JUDGES - 7-8pm on Zoom. MANDATORY attendance for Long Term & Spontaneous judges to be on call or view recording before Judge Training. Register here!

  • 8-Feb: Judge Training - 9:30am-1:00pm at Robert Morris University. MANDATORY attendance for Long Term & Spontaneous judges who will be judging at the WPA Regional Competitions or Spontaneous Fun Day. Get in-depth knowledge from your Regional Problem Captain and learn what is expected on competition day. Includes morning coffee & pizza lunch. Judges are automatically registered for this training when coaches register them on the national site.

  • 22-Feb: Western PA Spontaneous Fun Day - 9am-2:30pm (7:30am-4pm if riding bus) at Linton Middle School, Penn Hills. Your team's trained Spontaneous Judge MUST attend, as well as a volunteer.

  • 8-Mar: Western PA Regional Tournament - All day at Keystone Oaks MS/HS. THE BIG DAY! Teams compete in Spontaneous and Long-Term. Both team judges (Long Term & Spontaneous) MUST be able to attend, as well as one volunteer. Schedules are announced the week of the event.

  • 5-Apr: PA State Odyssey of the Mind Tournament at Pocono Mountain East High School in Swiftwater, PA (Only teams who advance from Regionals) If your Division 1-3 team earns 1st or 2nd place at the Regional Tournament, they will advance to the State Finals. Your Long Term Judge MUST be able to attend, and overnight stay is recommended for families. Generally, Upper St. Clair sends 5-10 teams to States.

  • 12-Apr: Snow date for State Finals (Only teams who advance from Regionals)