
Florida Odyssey of the Mind
Manatee Region
HOW TO GET STARTED
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Choose a coordinator: Coordinators communicate with the regional director,
register the national and state memberships, and distribute information to their
teams.
Register for your organization’s national Membership: Register at
https://ootm.wildapricot.org/join-us This will give you access to the Full Problems
when they are released. A school or community organization may purchase a
national Membership. The Membership will allow the school to field one team in
each Long-Term problem for each division the school covers. The exception to this
rule is the primary division (K-2) in which a Membership can field multiple Teams.
Most elementary schools are Division 1, middle schools are Division 2, and high
schools are division 3. Team registration will open in October.
Advertise the program to the kids and parents: Start early in the school year.
Talk it up. Send home a Team Recruitment Flyer. Hold an informational meeting.
Secure adults who are willing to coach: A parent/teacher partnership works well! Coaches should be willing to commit a large amount of time to help their teams prepare for tournaments.
Form/Register Teams: There are a variety of ways to form teams. Some memberships have students sign up or apply for the problem in which they are most interested, some hold a creative competition to select team members, and others build teams through teacher recommendations and invites. Remember no more than seven students can participate in a team's solution, and no member can be replaced if he/she leaves the team, so choose carefully. Once teams are formed, they will need to be registered individually. Teams must be registered by December 15, 2024!
Coaches sign up for training here
Secure judges and workers for tournament: Do not forget each team must provide volunteers for tournament day.
See it firsthand: If possible, visit or volunteer at a tournament. There is no better way to see the amazing creativity of our local OMers!
Have fun! Remember Odyssey is about the Journey!