Introducing a Team to NAQT

[ambisinister]

I'm from a highschool team from NJ that's been around for a while but has never really competed much past the county level. For the last few years we've only ever gone to one or two tournaments a year, but last year we attended Chatham Academic Tournament VI, and myself and a bunch of the other players on my team really loved the format and the atmosphere.

I don't think any of us really expect to win much, especially considering our performance at Chatham, but I've asked around and basically all of us are on board with doing more, trying to improve, and going to more tournaments. However I don't exactly know how to go about doing that, and the NAQT Upcoming Events page is a little overwhelming.

So how do we go about getting more active? Are there certain tournaments that we should keep a lookout for?

Thanks

[David Riley]

Welcome to the boards! Check out the New Jersey forum in the Northeast section of the National and Regional Discussions forum. You'll see several coaches and players from New Jersey who regularly contribute to these forums, and if funds permit there are tournaments in New York and Connecticut within driving distance.

[Beevor Feevor]

As someone who's trying to do the same thing and basically in the same boat, I can completely sympathize. Looking at the NJ and Northeast boards would be a great start, and depending on how good your team is, going to a tournament that's a qualifier for NSC or HSNCT would probably be good so you guys can go to some nationals and see some better opposition. Playing better teams has to be good for improving right?

[Important Bird Area]

Welcome!

This thread has a calendar of upcoming tournaments in New Jersey and New York.

[Kyle]

As someone who's trying to do the same thing and basically in the same boat, I can completely sympathize. Looking at the NJ and Northeast boards would be a great start, and depending on how good your team is, going to a tournament that's a qualifier for NSC or HSNCT would probably be good so you guys can go to some nationals and see some better opposition. Playing better teams has to be good for improving right?

If you could find somebody "attempting to do the same thing and basically in the same boat" who was located much closer to your respective schools, you could have that team over for a practice game on a weekday after school. That would allow your players to get used to the format and the questions while playing against opponents of similar experience in a game they'd have a decent shot at winning. Plus, when you then go to your next regular tournament, your players will know some people on one of the other teams.

(EDIT -- I certainly don't mean to imply that you shouldn't go to tournaments as often as possible. I'm suggesting that you do this as well so that your students will know what to expect when you do.)

[Great Bustard]

Hi Eryk,
Welcome to the forums! If you're looking to help build the program in Sparta, check out the guide to quiz bowl resources that I put together for new schools (which encompasses all subjects, not just history). It's here http://www.historybowl.com/study-guide/ under "More resources".
Secondly, I'm not sure how familiar you are with the National History Bee and Bowl, which I direct, but we have a bunch of tournaments upcoming within an hour and a half of Sparta. Both our Westchester County (at White Plains HS on 12/15 on our C Set) and Northern New Jersey (at Ridgewood HS in Bergen County on Jan. 19 on B Set) will be very well attended and great events. NHBB tournaments in particular tend to be well-attended by teams relatively new to the broader quizbowl circuit (due to the amount of outreach we do), so you would be in roughly the same position as many of the other teams who attend. If you're interested, I would even be willing to come out to Sparta at some point in the first two weeks of December to run an after school scrimmage for you and perhaps another school or schools. Lenape Valley might be a good school to reach out to for something like that - they're one of the more active schools in Northwestern NJ. Or, for that matter, Ridgewood (whose quizbowl program I revived last year) might be particularly willing to come up to Sparta, as one of Ridgewood's team members, Aryan Falahatpisheh, even used to go to Sparta by coincidence, before he moved to Ridgewood.
Anyway, hope this helps - feel free to email me or send me a private message if you want to try and coordinate something in early December.

[ambisinister]

Thanks for the fast replies! I've added the list of tournaments to my bookmarks, I'll be sure to take a closer look at that.

Hi Eryk,
Welcome to the forums! If you're looking to help build the program in Sparta, check out the guide to quiz bowl resources that I put together for new schools (which encompasses all subjects, not just history). It's here [...]
Secondly, I'm not sure how familiar you are with the National History Bee and Bowl, which I direct, but we have a bunch of tournaments upcoming within an hour and a half of Sparta. Both our Westchester County (at White Plains HS on 12/15 on our C Set) and Northern New Jersey (at Ridgewood HS in Bergen County on Jan. 19 on B Set) will be very well attended and great events. NHBB tournaments in particular tend to be well-attended by teams relatively new to the broader quizbowl circuit (due to the amount of outreach we do), so you would be in roughly the same position as many of the other teams who attend. If you're interested, I would even be willing to come out to Sparta at some point in the first two weeks of December to run an after school scrimmage for you and perhaps another school or schools. Lenape Valley might be a good school to reach out to for something like that - they're one of the more active schools in Northwestern NJ. Or, for that matter, Ridgewood (whose quizbowl program I revived last year) might be particularly willing to come up to Sparta, as one of Ridgewood's team members, Aryan Falahatpisheh, even used to go to Sparta by coincidence, before he moved to Ridgewood.

Thanks! The resources guide was especially interesting and I'll be sure to take a look at that. I'm not entirely sure how the rest of the team would take to attending a NHBB tournament, but I'll certainly throw the idea out there. I actually know Aryan, actually, he's one of the reasons the team is so interested in NAQT in the first place!