CoachingWho can be a coach? |
Any adult over 18 years of age, such as a parent, volunteer, older sibling, scout leader, or teacher may be a coach. An individual may only coach one team. A team may opt to have an assistant coach as a stand-in, in case the coach is unable to perform their mentoring duties the night of the battle. The coach or another designated adult MUST attend ONE of the mandatory coaches meetings held in the fall prior to the event. In addition, the coach or other designated adult must also attend ONE of the Battle’s logistics meetings in the spring.
The spring logistics meeting for the 2022 competition is in March 2022 virtually via Zoom.
New Date and Location
What is the date, location, and time of this year’s battle?
Friday, April 29
7 pm
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Why did the location change?
After holding the 2021 online, we wanted to return to an in-person event. The community loves this event, and this year’s fifth graders have been eagerly awaiting it for years. Pre-pandemic, BOB was held simultaneously at six high school gyms with as many as 1,000 people in attendance at each site (this includes students, coaches, event staff and volunteers, and spectators). Given the pandemic, we wanted a location where everyone would feel safe gathering in person. There’s only one place large enough to accommodate everyone associated with the nearly 300 participating teams: Merriweather Post Pavilion. It is a covered location, so students will be protected in case of rain. The Downtown Columbia Arts and Culture Commission (DCACC), who manages events at Merriweather (MPP), was thrilled at the opportunity to host this event.
Why did the date change?
Merriweather was not available on the original date.
Does the venue require masks, vaccine verification, and / or negative test results for students? What about other attendees?
Stay tuned for details on venue policy.
How will admission work for teams and other attendees? Are tickets required? Is there a cost to attend?
As always, there is no cost to attend. Watch the BOB web page for more information in April.
Will there be parking available on site?
Yes, MPP will provide parking in nearby parking lots and garages. ADA parking access will be available throughout lots and upon request.
Will coaches swap teams or sit with their home team? How many coaches can sit with each team?
Coaches will sit with their home team. One coach will be seated per team. Assistant coaches may wish to sign up to volunteer in other capacities at the event and also help gather their home team on site before the event begins.
Will there be seats for families and other spectators in the community?
Is there access to restrooms, hand sanitizer, and accommodation for accessibility needs?
Yes
Will all teams compete in the same place at the same time? Are there pre-assigned seats?
All teams will compete in the same place at the same time. The BOB team will assign seats to each team.
What happens if it rains?
The pavilion is covered. Dress for the weather.
Is there a virtual option for teams who do not want to compete in person?
Yes and, if so, the entire team must compete together virtually. Team members may not divide to participate both in person and virtually.
Will this virtual option take place at the same time as the in-person competition?
Yes
When do we have to decide whether we will compete virtually or in person and do we have to notify the BOB team of our decision and if so, how do we do it?
Confirm that the entire team will participate virtually. Members may not be split between the in-person and virtual events. Email [email protected] by Wednesday, March 16 at 11:59pm.
Student Participation and Teams
Who can participate?
Teams of Howard County fifth graders who attend the same school. The competition is open to all 5th grade students that attend public, private, or home schools in Howard County.
What constitutes a team?
A team is comprised of five students and an adult coach (at least 18 years old). When registering, the online form requires the registration of three to five students. If a team loses a member before the actual Battle, remaining members may still participate; however teams, must have at least three members to participate on the day of the Battle.
Will special accommodations be made for visually challenged team members?
If any type of special accommodations are needed, let us know by February 7, 2022. During the Battle all questions are spoken. If a team member has trouble circling the answer within the allotted 30 seconds, another team member may circle the answer.
Does a homeschool team all have to participate in the same co-op or tutorial or can they be from a mix of unaffiliated/co-ops/tutorials?
They should represent one co-op. If a co-op wants to put individuals from other Howard County home school associations that it okay.
Does a homeschooler have to reside in HoCo in order to participate, or is it enough that they attend a co-op/tutorial in HoCo?
They only have to attend a co-op/tutorial in HoCo. Further it is only open to students that attend HoCo associations not students that are virtually attending some other organization or attending a co-op in another county.
For homeschoolers, what constitutes a 5th grader? Is there a birthday range? Do they need to be being reviewed as a 5th grader? Do they need to be doing 5th grade-level work?
A fifth grader is someone that would be attending/accepted as a 5th grader if they were in a public/private school.
Costumes
What type of team costumes are permissible?
Team shirts, spirit wear and/or costumes are encouraged; however, costumes must comply with all requirements listed in HCPSS Policy 9210: Student Dress Code. Please see the Coach’s Handbook for more information. If a costume/prop/sign is not in compliance, it will not be permitted to the event.
May the name of any of the characters or book titles be on costumes?
No book titles, character names, or authors are allowed on costumes, signs, team members, or coaches.
Are school names allowed on costumes?
Yes.
Is there a need for costumes?
Yes.
Do we have to get approval for a “logo” or t shirt design?
No.
Posters
Can we put our pictures on the jam board?
Yes.
Books
Are the teams allowed to keep the book and author names with them?
No. They would not be allowed.
When do we find out which books to read?
The book list is posted to the HCLS web site: Book List
Where will I obtain the Battle books?
Each team is provided with a set of books, courtesy of the Battle sponsors. The books are distributed via curbside pickup at the Miller Branch on December 2, 3, or 4, and must be picked up at that time. A limited number of copies of the books are available to borrow at HCLS branches. Battle books are subject to the same borrowing period (three weeks) as other library materials. If possible, books will be available in audio format, although some Battle questions will address visual details in the books, such as illustrations and photographs. Remember, all questions will come from the specific editions given to the teams, see the Coach’s Handbook for ISBNs.
How are books chosen?
A committee of librarians from Howard County Library System and the Howard County Public School System discuss and determine the title list for each year. The target number of books per list is 10-14 titles. Reading levels of titles reflect on, above, and below grade level of participants. In its entirety, the list should represent a broad and diverse range of topics, writing styles, settings, genres, characters, authors, and classifications. Most books need to be available in paperback with no more than two titles in hardback. Books may not reappear on the list. Award winning books such as Caldecott, Newbery, and ALA Notables are all excellent sources for potential list candidates.
Procedures and Rules
The event is going to be about 2 hours with 4 rounds. is there any break in between the rounds?
We will have one intermission after round two.
Could our student’s families watch/listen in the background?
Yes.
How do we know if parents of our team members did or did not sign the photo release?
You will be contacted if release forms are not received. But if you are not sure email the [email protected],
Is there a collection of practice questions that coaches can use in mock battles?
We do not have a collection of practice questions. It helps the students prepare by writing their own practice questions for their teammates.
How much time will be allowed for the answering of the 2 questions?
30 Seconds.
Will all the options for answers be the correct title and author? (i.e., no incorrect options will be provided - slightly wrong title or author name)
Correct.
To clarify, the questions come from the content of the book. Will any questions from covers?
It’s possible.
Will the answers be announced after each question?
Yes.
