Coaches Corner

Co-Coach

Every team needs a Coach, an adult over the age of 18. The nice thing about being an Odyssey Coach is that all of the work, every prop, device, prop, every line in the skit must be designed and created ONLY BY THE STUDENTS ON THE TEAM, anything else is considered Outside Assistance which is forbidden. This takes the pressure to be creative off the COACH!

Coaches provide supervision, organize transportation & storage of props, help the students focused on the goals within the timeline from October to March and keep track of registration and other paperwork. Coaches may ask questions designed to 'stimulate' thinking rather than 'influence' thinking. Coaches ask questions like, why did the structure break there? what else could you use to make it look like a . . .? since we can't set off real rockets in the gym, how could you make it look, feel, sound like it? Coaches can take teams to bridges to see and discuss what makes them strong enough to hold a train. They can take them to a TV stations to see how a weather program is really created. They frequently take the team to local hardware, fabric, craft stores to look for ways to solve specific problems (to make the clock look like it's real, to disguise the robot's arm or to figure out a way to make the vehicle move, to consider different glues) and for materials they might use for their device, vehicle, giraffe or unicorn.

Being a coach for an Odyssey of the Mind team can be confusing the first year, until the team has experienced a season of Odyssey, therefore, we recommend that coaches find a co-coach to share the job. It's not required to have a co-coach, but it can make the season more fun!

Consider being a coach! We have coach training and many resources to help you along the way! Being a coach is one way to make sure your child can be part of this wonderful program. There is nothing like watching a group of students working together to figure out why the X won't work ! And when it finally works! It's simply marvelous- for them and for the coach, because the coach made this "eureka! we did it!!" moment possible.

 

 

 

TESTIMONIALS

"It teaches kids to work as a team and that hard work and creativity will get you anywhere!"

- Team Member, Middle School