COACHEs’ CORNER:
CALENDAR &
REGISTRATION LINKS

JANuary-March

• 21-Jan: Western PA Virtual Roundtable Discussion & Training for JUDGES 7-8pm (MANDATORY VIRTUAL MEETING FOR ALL JUDGES) Judges must attend call or view recording before Judge Training. Register here!

• 27-Jan: USC In-Person Coach Forum: Getting Ready for Regionals at 7pm in Cafe 321 at the USCHS (theater entrance, first room on the right inside cafeteria) Hear about Spontaneous Fun Day, required tournament paperwork, all about the Regional Tournament, and ask any questions or concerns you may have.

• 6-Feb: Spontaneous Fun Day Registration Deadline - Please fill out both USC & WPA registration forms to sign your team up for Fun Day (22-Feb). Register here!

• 8-Feb: Western PA In-Person Judges’ Training 9:30am-1pm at Robert Morris University (MANDATORY IN-PERSON TRAINING FOR ALL JUDGES) Long Term & Spontaneous judges who will be judging at the WPA Regional Competitions or Spontaneous Fun Day must attend. 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.

• 11-Feb: Western PA Virtual Coach Training #2: Competition Edition - 7-9pm via Zoom (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) This session will focus on navigating the competition. Topics covered: team required forms, final practice tips, general updates. Register here!

• 15-Feb: Clarification Deadline Deadline to submit a clarification request.

• 22-Feb: Western PA Spontaneous Fun Day - 9am-2:30pm 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. Register here by Feb 6!

• 1-Mar: USC Rehearsal Day - 8:30am-4pm at Boyce Middle School This is an optional date provided for teams to sign up for a slot to practice performing their Long-Term problem solutions in a different space before Regionals. Coaches have the option to invite family & friends. Sign up here by Feb 22!

• 8-Mar: Western PA Regional Tournament - 7am-7pm at Keystone Oaks MS/HS THE BIG DAY! Teams compete in Spontaneous and Long-Term. Both of your judges MUST be able to attend, as well as one volunteer. Schedules are announced the week of the event. 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!

• 11-Mar: Western PA Virtual Coach Training #3: Movin’ On Up - 7pm via Zoom (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) This session is for coaches of teams advancing to the PA State Finals. Register here!

april/may (advancing teams only)

• 5-Apr: PA State Odyssey of the Mind Tournament at Pocono Mountain East High School in Swiftwater, PA 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.

• 12-Apr: Snow date for State Finals

• 21-24-May: Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Michigan State University If your team earns 1st or 2nd place at the State Tournament, they will advance to the Odyssey World Finals. Your judges do NOT attend, and overnight stay is required. It is HARD to get to World Finals! Upper St. Clair generally only sends 1-2 teams each year.

summer

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

Past

• 7-Oct: USC Kickoff Meet & Greet - 6:15-8:30pm at USCHS Cafeteria. This is where we start our season! New teams meet for the first time, while parents and coaches compare schedules and come up with a practice day/time. 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)

• 13-Oct: USC Coach Kickstart Call - 8:00pm via Zoom (link will be sent prior to meeting)

• 31-Oct: Registration Fee Deadline - All team members’ $175 registration fees paid in full to their coach.

• 5-Nov: Team Registration Fee Deadline - Coaches deliver team check (# of team members x $100) payable to USCSD (note in memo line: Odyssey of the Mind) to Shanna Caplan, Odyssey Treasurer.

• 7-Nov: Pick Up Spontaneous Packs #2 - Please pick up your spontaneous pack from Brett Duffy's home.  They will be on the front porch and are labeled with the team coaches' names.

• 9-Nov: Western PA In-Person Coach Training #1 8:30am-12:30pm at Boyce Middle School (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for all coaches!) A wonderful day to learn from our region’s "experts." Training sessions in Style, Long Term and Spontaneous.  Plus Q & A and open discussion. From beginner to advanced, there's something for everyone! Register here!

• 11-Nov: Western PA Virtual Roundtable Discussion & Training 7-8pm Monthly meetings on Zoom for coaches looking for insight, guidance, tips, and much more. Register here!

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

NOVEMBER-december

• Thanksgiving (or sooner!): Problem Selected & Determine Judges/ Volunteer Decide which long-term problem your team is solving & let us know on our Team Details Spreadsheet (Coming soon!)

• 7-Dec: Round Robin Skills Workshop for USC Teams & Pick Up Spontaneous Packs 9-12 at Boyce Middle School. Register here by November 26! This is a USC-specific opportunity to learn from experienced coaches! The presenters are planning fun, creative, and interactive sessions for your teams. This year's topics are:

  •  What is Style?

  • Spontaneous - What is spontaneous like at competition, get real-time feedback, spontaneous games

  • Creating an Effective Character

  • Creative use of materials

• 10-Dec: Western PA Virtual Roundtable Discussion & Training 7-8pm Monthly meetings on Zoom for coaches looking for insight, guidance, tips, and much more. Register here!

• 7-Jan: Western PA Virtual Roundtable Discussion & Training 7-8pm Monthly meetings on Zoom for coaches looking for insight, guidance, tips, and much more. Register here!

• 15-Jan: Registration Deadline! Deadline to register team, judges and volunteer for Regional Tournament (8-Mar)! (Coaches, do NOT attempt to do this on your own! We’ll provide detailed instructions to help you do this.)