This coming Saturday, March 5th, teams from around the state will compete at the Sub-State Tournament being held at Ames Middle School, 3915 Mortensen Road. If this is your team’s first time participating at a Destination ImagiNation® Tournament (and even if it is not), you may find the following reminders helpful.
Schedules
The Sub-State Tournament schedule, along with driving directions, is posted here.
The last day for STATE tournament scheduling requests to be made is 14 days AFTER the Sub-State Tournament. If you do not notify us by this date, it is your team’s responsibility to contact another team in your Challenge and Level, and exchange times with them–and for both teams to NOTIFY us of the change ahead of time by emailing cre8iowa@gmail.com.
Send all special scheduling requests to cre8iowa@gmail.com. Make sure you include your team number (112-XXXXX) so that we don’t confuse you with someone else!
If your team withdraws from ANY tournament, please let us know right away, as this affects the schedule.
Clarifications
Remind your teams to read and re-read the Challenge, and then to read it again. Your team is responsible for knowing all of the rules, and for reading and following all of the Published Clarifications, and (of course) for solving the Challenge. Team Managers, repeat to yourself this mantra, “This is not my Challenge; this is not my Challenge!” Published Clarifications supersede the Team Challenge rules, and Team Challenge rules supersede Rules of the Road. Clarifications may be found here.
Site restrictions
Please note that there is a zero tolerance weapons policy in effect at cre8iowa Tournaments. This means that no weapons, real or facsimile, may be brought to the site. Dry ice and helium balloons are allowed as long as appropriate safety precautions are followed, as outlined in Rules of the Road. Dry ice must be handled correctly. Helium balloons must remain under control at all times. Lights may not be turned off during any performance. This is a safety issue. If you have questions about site restrictions, contact the Tournament Director, Bruce Antion (antion.bruce@gmail.com), for clarification.
Conduct concerns
All team members and non-competing youths must have adult supervision at all times, especially in Prop Storage areas. Please be aware that other activities may be taking place at the same time teams are there, so it is important to be quiet in the hallways and respectful of other people’s needs.
There is no dumping of Challenge materials at the Tournament site unless a team has secured approval. Teams that discard any part of their Challenge solution at the Tournament site may receive an Unsportsmanlike Conduct deduction.
Site procedures for your Challenge
If you are new to the Destination ImagiNation® program, you will find the TravelGuide for Teams extremely helpful. This guide explains, step by step, what occurs at each Challenge site (including Instant Challenge), how scoring works and what may or may not be appealed, awards, and much more. To download the guide, go here.
General information for all competitive teams
1. What paperwork does the team need to bring to the Tournament?
* Please note that in addition to PAPER copies of the Tournament forms within the official Program Materials, you can download interactive tournament forms from the Resource Area of IDODI.
* Check in at Registration & Sales before you go to your Team Challenge site. This is very important!
* Bring at least 2 photocopies of the Declaration of Independence. One copy will be turned in before you compete in your Team Challenge, while the other one will be turned in before you compete in Instant Challenge. Do NOT turn in both copies at the same location! If you have team members who have moved away or have dropped off the team, just write these individuals’ names on the form with an explanation in place of the signature. The Declaration of Independence may be found on page 42 of Rules of the Road.
* Bring 5 photocopies of the Tournament Data Form, which can be found at the end of every Team Challenge. Team members–not Team Managers–are responsible for completing this form. Younger teams may be assisted by Team Managers as long as the Team Manager writes down the exact words dictated by team members.
* Bring 1 photocopy (not your original!) of the Expense Report, as well as copies of your receipts and evidence of research about rental costs in case there are questions about your Expense Report. The Expense Report may be found on page 41 of Rules of the Road. Not sure what is exempt or how to complete this form? Read pages 19-20.
* Bring a photocopy of any response(s) the team has received for Clarification requests. These will be turned in to the Prep Area Appraiser prior to competing in the Team Challenge.
* Bring one Medical Information form for each team member in case of a medical emergency. This form will not be collected by anyone, but will be retained by the Team Manager. You can download a generic form here.
2. How many team members are required to participate at Tournament?
* Encourage all of your team members who are available to participate, both in the Team Challenge and in Instant Challenge. It is not to your advantage to compete with fewer team members. However, if everyone is not available, two participants is the minimum that is required. Team members who “sit out” during the Team Challenge will be seated with the Team Manager(s) and may not communicate in any way with team members, or else this will be construed as Interference. Team members who choose not to participate in Instant Challenge may accompany the team into the Instant Challenge room if they desire, but may not communicate with team members in any way, or else this will be construed as Interference. Team members must decide ahead of time whether they will participate in Instant Challenge. Only one adult Team Manager may accompany the team into the Instant Challenge room, and only if the team decides that it wishes the Team Manager to be there. This rule does not apply to Rising Stars! teams.
3. Interference issues:
* As students prepare for competition, it is important that they learn skills that will help them figure out how to solve their Challenge. However, to avoid Interference, Team Managers or other adults need to talk about/teach skills in a context that is different from any part of the team’s solution. For example, if a team needs to learn how to use power tools or how to sew, the team needs to practice these skills on something other than their solution. Demonstrations follow this same rule.
* It is Interference for team members to talk to the audience (or to Appraisers) during their Team Challenge. This makes the audience or the Appraisers part of the team.
* Props must be created by team members, not by adults! If repairs must be made at the Tournament site, it is Interference for adults to repair props, fix costumes or apply makeup. Ahead of time, teams should brainstorm a list of items that might be useful to include in an emergency tool kit
4. What is the procedure to be followed if a team or Team Manager has concerns about what happened at the Team Challenge site?
* Approximately 30 minutes after the team’s performance, one adult (usually the Team Manager) and one team member may pick up raw scores from the Head Appraiser. Please do NOT interrupt a team that is performing! If you have concerns or questions about the objective portion of these raw scores, you have 30 minutes to address them. The correct procedure is to approach the Head Appraiser first for clarification. If you do not feel your questions have been adequately addressed, you may then approach the Challenge Master. If you still have concerns, you may take them to a DIalogue team consisting of at least 3 people, one of whom is the Tournament Director or Affiliate Director. A final decision will be made at this point. Instant Challenge scores may not be appealed, as appraising for this part of the competition is subjective. Remember: Only objective scores may be appealed.
5. Can teams change their solution between the Sub-State and State level of competition?
* Absolutely! It is encouraged and expected that teams will triple their level of sophistication between the Sub-State and State level of competition. Treat the Sub-State Tournament as a trial run, gathering as much information as possible to prepare for success at the State level of competition. Watch other teams perform, then fine-tune your own solution.
6. Is there anyone in Iowa that I can talk to about team or Tournament issues?
* BEFORE the Tournament, please direct your questions to Judy Nolan at judynolan@aol.com. If she cannot answer your questions herself, she will direct them to the appropriate individual(s). Solution-specific questions, however, need to have been submitted as Clarification requests to IDODI.
*DURING the Tournament, refer to #4 above.
*AFTER the Tournament, contact the Affiliate Director, Jay Swords, at jswords@prodigy.net.
7. How many teams will advance to the State Tournament?
Students for a Creative Iowa emphasizes above all the learning process of creative problem-solving. We recognize that the popularity of two Challenges this year created a significant disparity in the number of teams competing across all challenges. We understand that Destination ImagiNation® involves competition; however, to eliminate teams at the Sub-State level in some Challenges while allowing all teams to advance to the State Tournament in others is inconsistent treatment. Therefore, all teams that make a good faith effort to present Team Challenge and Instant Challenge solutions at the 2011 Sub-State Tournament will be allowed to advance to the 2011 State Tournament.
Any team that, in the opinion of the Team Challenge and/or Instant Challenge Appraiser team(s), fails to demonstrate a good faith effort to present a solution will be denied the opportunity to advance to the State Tournament. This also eliminates that team from the opportunity to advance to the 2011 Global Finals Tournament. The Appraiser team recommendation will be carefully reviewed by the Affiliate Director, who will make the final decision.
By participation in an event conducted by an Affiliate, Region or other gathering related to the Destination ImagiNation® program, the participant or participant’s parents or participant’s guardian understands and hereby voluntarily agrees to release, waive, forever discharge, hold harmless, defend and indemnify Destination Imagination Inc., and their agents, officers, boards, volunteers, and employees from any and all liability and all claims, actions, or losses for bodily injury, property damage, wrongful death, loss of services, or otherwise which may arise out of the participant’s participation in activities related to the Destination ImagiNation event, including travel to and from the event.
