2011 NH-DI Swanzey Regional Tournament

How To Watch A Destination ImagiNation Challenge (2011)

Results for this meet

The Details

Date: Saturday, March 19, 2011

Location: Monadnock Regional High School

More Regional Information

NEW Swanzey Team Managers with Competitive Level Teams (Note 3)

Let’s go through the day for you and your teams:

The building will be open to you as of 7:00.  Check-in will be in the Gym.  This is where you go get your packet for the day.  It will also be your confirmed times for Performing your Team Challenge Solution as well as your Instant Challenge time.  It is almost certain that they will be the same as the schedule I will have put out, but if there is a reason for an adjustment, it will be on your folder/packet.

At either 8:15 or 8:30, we will begin the Opening Ceremony.  That means that we start getting them in line, underneath the signs on the walls with your school or groups name, about 15 minutes before we begin the Banner Parade for Opening!   You will need to have picked up your folders at Check-In before that if at all possible.  If not, see me later and we can get them to you.  Once we have everyone in the Gym and take care of a couple of things, we have the DI Creed.  Before we begin that, we will ask that all the Graduating Seniors from teams come up to the front, and also that all the Rising Stars! teams come up.   After they have helped the crowd in the DI Creed, they go back to their place on the Gym Floor.

I take care of the rest of the pieces of business for the day, go over any changes in schedule or situations, finish the Opening Ceremonies and then try to get everyone out of the Gym no more than 30 minutes after we start.

With the exception of Spinning a Tale, all performance sites will begin somewhere between 9:30 – 10:00.  Spinning a Tale Team Challenge performances will be on the Stage of the Auditorium in the afternoon.   Teams will start having their scheduled times at Instant Challenge (in the Jr. High Wing of the building) staring about 9:30 – 10:00 as well.  For your Team Challenge Performance, check the rules of the road and notes on your challenge to see what time you need to be meet with your prep area appraiser.  For Instant Challenge, show up 20 minutes before your scheduled time. If your team is scheduled for Instant at 10:20, go to the Instant Challenge Check-In Table between 10:00 and 10:05 and you will be all set.

I am building the schedule with the appropriate breaks for appraisers and lunch etc, and if all goes well, the last teams will be performing at or before 4:00 PM.  If all of that works out, we should be to the Awards part of Closing Ceremonies for 5:30, which is earlier than usual.

Please confirm who is going to be your two-hour volunteer.  This is a key part of making the day run smoothly.  I plug people in so that they can see the team performance for the team they are associated easily.  If you did not put anyone down, then you are the one whose name I have for that job.  You will have a lot going on that day.  Try not to have to do this.

There will be Pizza, Soda, Water, Soups, fruit and other items for sale for food.  The Cakewalk, more on that later if you are not yet aware, will start at either 12:00 or 12:30.  Once I am sure on the details, I will put out a note on that.  It is a great day, but it is a long one.  It has its own rhythm.  Yes, your team may want to watch teams in their own challenge, but if you have other teams from your school/district/group, have them go to those to not only support others but see some of the rest of the challenges going on that day. They might find something they never thought of before to be the best thing since sliced bread!  I will have activities in the Gym towards the end of the day as things are getting taken care of in the Score Room and by the Appraisers.  More about all of that later as well.

I guess the last major point to make in this initial note is the following:  Ask about what you do not know, do not understand, or have not heard about yet that you expected to know by now.  The earlier we can get you answers, maybe the more stress we can relieve going into the day.

My personal goal each and every year is to make sure that the kids (and adults, too) start circling this date for 2012 as soon as we are done that night and that they go home knowing it is one of if not the best day of the year.  If they have half as much fun as I have, it will be a great day for all.

Please send along any questions.  We are here to help make this a great day for you and for them.   I will be back in touch soon and thank you for taking the time, energy, and commitment to the kids to be a part of NH-DI!

Dan

Rising Stars! Team Managers (Note 2)

Your day is the most unique of all parts of the program.  Let’s go through the day for you and your teams.  At either 8:15 or 8:30, w will begin the Opening Ceremony.  That means that we start getting them in line, underneath the signs on the walls with your school or groups name, about 15 minutes before we begin the Banner Parade for Opening!   You will need to have picked up your folders at Check-In before that.  Once we have everyone in the Gym and take care of a couple of things, we have the DI Oath.  Before we begin that, we will ask that all the Graduating Seniors from teams come up to the front, and also that all the Rising Stars teams come up.   I do realize that not all the little ones are totally comfortable with that and if some do not want to take part, it is not an issue.  After they have helped the crowd in the DI Pledge, they go back to their place on the Gym Floor.

I take care of the rest of the pieces of business for the day, go over any changes in schedule or situations, finish the Opening Ceremonies and then try to get everyone out of the Gym no more than 30 minutes after we start.
The First Rising Stars Team will perform in the pit of the Auditorium at 9:30.  The reason we use the pit is we have found it is easier to hear them than if they were on the stage.  The team will then go directly from their performance down to Instant Challenge Hallway for a Special Instant Challenge just for Rising Stars.  Anyone can come to the Rising Star performance in the Auditorium.  In something that is a change from the competitive levels, everyone can go with them to watch the Instant Challenge as well.  We encourage their fans to go along with them.

Once they are done with Instant Challenge, the team is “officially” done for the day.  We would love it if you stick around and go watch some of the performances and enjoy the day.  Your two hour volunteer will be scheduled during the earlier part of the day since all the teams will be done by 12:40 PM.

When we get closer, I would like to know if any of the teams or team members will be staying or coming back for Closing Ceremonies.  If they are, we like to make them some part of tings, maybe helping us give out the certificates for one of the challenges, for example.
Please send along any questions.  We are here to help make this a great day for you and for them.   I will be back in touch soon.

Dan

Note #1 for Returning Coordinators and Team Managers:

From Dan on 8-Feb-2011

Good evening, most things will be pretty much the same this year as in the past.  I am fine tuning, but Opening Ceremonies will begin at either 8:15 or 8:30.  Rising Stars! Teams will do their performance in the pit of the Auditorium.  This way they can be heard better than if they were on the stage, where their voices might get swallowed up a little.  Spinning A Tale Performances will being on the Stage of the Auditorium, starting at about 1:00 PM.

For all the other challenges, First performance will begin between 9:30 – 10:00.  As of the moment, the last performance should go on by 4:20 so we can be at the Awards part of Closing for 5:30 and have people on their way out for 6:15 – 6:30 that evening.

I will be sending out the list of jobs later this week and asking for 3 options for each team.  One of the larger issues is it would be good to have a few more people around on Friday Night doing set-up.  If this is a possibility, please let me know.  It often falls to the same people each time, and spreading this around more would be better for all.

If you have a High School team, please let me know how many Seniors you have on the team and of those Seniors, how many have 8+ years with the program.  We will be asking Seniors to come up at Opening to help lead the DI Oath along with our Rising Stars! teams. This year, we will have 8 Rising Stars teams at Swanzey, so it will be really full up front and that is a great thing!

If you are reading this note, you have an idea of the layout of the building.   We will be using the Gymnasium, Auditorium, Music Room, Library, and the Glass Annex just off the Cafeteria for performance sites.  Instant Challenge will be down in the Junior High Wing once again.  We have a real balance this year as opposed to having one challenge that much more popular at our Regional, so things will finish up in most challenges within 60 minutes of each other.

I expect the preliminary schedule to be out within 10 days, tops.  Please send along any notes regarding siblings, coaches with multiple teams as soon as you can.  I am looking for working with you as we get closed to the meet.  The intent is to keep it simple, do what has worked, and give the kids a day to remember and cherish.

Look forward to hearing back from many of you soon.
Dan

NEW Swanzey Team Managers with Competitive Level Teams:

Let’s go through the day for you and your teams.

The building will be open to you as of 7:00.  Check-in will be in the Gym.  This is where you go get your packet for the day.  It will also be your confirmed times for Performing your Team Challenge Solution as well as your Instant Challenge time.  It is almost certain that they will be the same as the schedule I will have put out, but if there is a reason for an adjustment, it will be on your folder/packet.

At either 8:15 or 8:30, we will begin the Opening Ceremony.  That means that we start getting them in line, underneath the signs on the walls with your school or groups name, about 15 minutes before we begin the Banner Parade for Opening!   You will need to have picked up your folders at Check-In before that if at all possible.  If not, see me later and we can get them to you.  Once we have everyone in the Gym and take care of a couple of things, we have the DI Oath.  Before we begin that, we will ask that all the Graduating Seniors from teams come up to the front, and also that all the Rising Stars teams come up.   After they have helped the crowd in the DI Pledge, they go back to their place on the Gym Floor.

I take care of the rest of the pieces of business for the day, go over any changes in schedule or situations, finish the Opening Ceremonies and then try to get everyone out of the Gym no more than 30 minutes after we start.

With the exception of Spinning a Tale, all performance sites will begin somewhere between 9:30 – 10:00.  Spinning a Tale Team Challenge performances will be on the Stage of the Auditorium in the afternoon.   Teams will start having their scheduled times at Instant Challenge (in the Jr. High Wing of the building) staring about 9:30 – 10:00 as well.  For your Team Challenge Performance, check the rules of the road and notes on your challenge to see what time you need to be meet with your prep area appraiser.  For Instant Challenge, show up 20 minutes before your scheduled time. If your team is scheduled for Instant at 10:20, go to the Instant Challenge Check-In Table between 10:00 and 10:05 and you will be all set.

I am building the schedule with the appropriate breaks for appraisers and lunch etc, and if all goes well, the last teams will be performing at or before 4:00 PM.  If all of that works out, we should be to the Awards part of Closing Ceremonies for 5:30, which is earlier than usual.

Please confirm who is going to be your two-hour volunteer.  This is a key part of making the day run smoothly.  I plug people in so that they can see the team performance for the team they are associated easily.  If you did not put anyone down, then you are the one whose name I have for that job.  You will have a lot going on that day.  Try not to have to do this.

There will be Pizza, Soda, Water, Soups, fruit and other items for sale for food.  The Cakewalk, more on that later if you are not yet aware, will start at either 12:00 or 12:30.  Once I am sure on the details, I will put out a note on that.  It is a great day, but it is a long one.  It has its own rhythm.  Yes, your team may want to watch teams in their own challenge, but if you have other teams from your school/district/group, have them go to those to not only support others but see some of the rest of the challenges going on that day. They might find something they never thought of before to be the best thing since sliced bread!  I will have activities in the Gym towards the end of the day as things are getting taken care of in the Score Room and by the Appraisers.  More about all of that later as well.

I guess the last major point to make in this initial note is the following:  Ask about what you do not know, do not understand, or have not heard about yet that you expected to know by now.  The earlier we can get you answers, maybe the more stress we can relieve going into the day.

My personal goal each and every year is to make sure that the kids (and adults, too) start circling this date for 2012 as soon as we are done that night and that they go home knowing it is one of if not the best day of the year.  If they have half as much fun as I have, it will be a great day for all.

Please send along any questions.  We are here to help make this a great day for you and for them.   I will be back in touch soon and thanks for taking the time, energy, and commitment to the kids to be a part of NH-DI!

Dan