States sending two teams

[ThePrudentGuava]

What is the rationale for a state to give up it's spot at Nationals? I can't imagine why the OK state champs would not want to go, unless it's a funding problem or something similar.

Well, there are VERY few teams in OK. I suspect that none of them take SO very seriously. In the past OK has sent teams to nationals and both times they placed 59th. A trip to nationals is quite expensive, there is no doubt, but it also takes a ton of planning on the part of the coach and/or the team captains. I suspect that based on their repeated disappointing performance at nationals, the OK teams have concluded that it simply isn't worth it to put in all of the time and effort required to make it to nationals only to find that as a team, they are not as prepared as they would like to be.

OK has dropped out every year for the past three years and has not attended nationals for the past four years. If I were the second place Washington team (although they don't yet know who they are) I would prepare and anticipate getting the spot to go to nationals.

In Oklahoma it is kind of hard to get into stuff like SO because the schools put a lot of emphasis on sports. That is for rural communities, I dont know about Tulsa or OKC.

[FormerBuilder]

How many of the teams making nationals are really only one team of 15 kids that go from Regionals to States to Nationals together. I heard someone say that some teams change up the members on the team and kids can challenge to replace others. What they said was that in some schools the team really is 30 or 40 kids not 15 even though only 15 compete at each competition. The kids on the team that went to Regionals could be completely different from those that went to Nationals. Not sure if that really happens though cause it seems different from the intentions.

[rfscoach]

How many of the teams making nationals are really only one team of 15 kids that go from Regionals to States to Nationals together. I heard someone say that some teams change up the members on the team and kids can challenge to replace others. What they said was that in some schools the team really is 30 or 40 kids not 15 even though only 15 compete at each competition. The kids on the team that went to Regionals could be completely different from those that went to Nationals. Not sure if that really happens though cause it seems different from the intentions.

From the soinc.org website :

08/21/2008 - 13:23 May a team member participate in the state competition if they cannot participate in the regional competition?
Each tournament is independently organized. Your team may be composed of any students who meet the requirements. They do not have to be the same as those who competed in previous tournaments.

At my school, we start off the year in August with 55+ kids studying 3-6 events and register 3 teams with the state. We have an in school practice tournament in Nov/Dec to narrow down to 45 kids who will compete on our 3 teams at Invitationals and Regionals. Placement of students on each on the 3 teams varies at each tournament based on prior performance, practice tests, and the different conflicts created by each tournament schedule. The best combination of 15 move on to State and although we are allowed to change our line up between State and Nationals, we as coaches plan our State team with our National conflicts in mind.

[FormerBuilder]

So the kids who make it to States haven't necessarily earned the opportunity by winning at Regionals-same with Nationals? I know it is allowed. Seems very different from taking one group of 15 from Regionals to Nationals. I wonder if any of the teams at Nationals are really one team.

[rfscoach]

So the kids who make it to States haven't necessarily earned the opportunity by winning at Regionals-same with Nationals? I know it is allowed. Seems very different from taking one group of 15 from Regionals to Nationals. I wonder if any of the teams at Nationals are really one team.

Our State and Nationals Team is always the same unless someone on the State team has a conflict with Nationals. We try to go into Regionals with 12-13 kids on our A team, which leaves room to move really out standing performers on the B team up to the State Team.

There are a few states that don't let schools move students between teams - NorCal comes to mind. Also, most home school teams don't have extra kids to switch in and out. There were 5 home school teams at Nationals this year.

[silverheart7]

So the kids who make it to States haven't necessarily earned the opportunity by winning at Regionals-same with Nationals? I know it is allowed. Seems very different from taking one group of 15 from Regionals to Nationals. I wonder if any of the teams at Nationals are really one team.

Our State and Nationals Team is always the same unless someone on the State team has a conflict with Nationals. We try to go into Regionals with 12-13 kids on our A team, which leaves room to move really out standing performers on the B team up to the State Team.

There are a few states that don't let schools move students between teams - NorCal comes to mind. Also, most home school teams don't have extra kids to switch in and out. There were 5 home school teams at Nationals this year.

At my school, for regionals, we have teams A, B, C, D, and E. Our coach creates a tentative A team. However, people of any grade, from any team, can move to the A team for states and nationals. For example, you can be on the E team at regionals and still make the "varsity" team, because it's based more on determination and previously shown skill level and ability rather than a single preformance. Also, we cannot pack all of our "best" onto our A team for regionals, we need to give them a little time to try a new event, work with a new person, or to give the other teams(especially if they are full of seventh graders) help.