We were playtesting our novice set for some families in Apple Valley, MN, and one mother asked about doing this as an activity. Is there an active middle school circuit in that vicinity?
(I know that now, with online tournaments, there are lots of possible middle school tournaments that teams can play online, but maybe next year, or even in the spring, it's nice to do them in person, too.)
Minnesota middle school
Minnesota middle school
Colin McNamara, Boise State University
Member, PACE
Idaho Quiz & Academic Teams
Member, PACE
Idaho Quiz & Academic Teams
Re: Minnesota middle school
In 2018–2019 there were at least five middle school tournaments in Minnesota. (I chose that year because the 2019–2020 season was truncated.)
Jonah Greenthal
National Academic Quiz Tournaments
National Academic Quiz Tournaments
Re: Minnesota middle school
Yes, there is an active middle school circuit in Minnesota, although it's fairly new and somewhat small. Like the high school circuit, it's almost exclusively played on NAQT questions and is comprised mostly of teams in the Twin Cities metro area. I'm not immediately aware of any middle school programs in Apple Valley, but there are some nearby (particularly in Burnsville). Apple Valley High School does have a quiz bowl team, but they don't attend many tournaments (usually just our league).
Unfortunately, Knowledge Bowl does remain very prevalent in the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities (like Apple Valley), both at the middle school and high school levels. NAQT has been doing an impressive amount of outreach work over the past few years in Minnesota, although Covid has interrupted that.
Unfortunately, Knowledge Bowl does remain very prevalent in the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities (like Apple Valley), both at the middle school and high school levels. NAQT has been doing an impressive amount of outreach work over the past few years in Minnesota, although Covid has interrupted that.
Reilly Melville
Chaska High School '22
Purdue University '26
Chaska High School '22
Purdue University '26
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- Wakka
- Posts: 219
- Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2017 9:30 pm
- Location: Minneapolis, MN
Re: Minnesota middle school
In addition to the road block of knowledge bowl, a lot of school districts haven't really made an attempt to venture into having formal teams. Two of the three Wayzata middle schools for instance are parent and high schooler run rather than supported by the school district itself. I coached a middle school team for a year and we had to do everything on our own. That being said, the middle school game has grown over time in the state thanks mostly in part due to outreach by NAQT, so I hope that such trends continue with time.Halinaxus wrote: ↑Sat Aug 08, 2020 11:35 am Unfortunately, Knowledge Bowl does remain very prevalent in the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities (like Apple Valley), both at the middle school and high school levels. NAQT has been doing an impressive amount of outreach work over the past few years in Minnesota, although Covid has interrupted that.
Ben Weiner
Wayzata '20
Minnesota '24 '28
VP of Tournament Direction, PACE
Wayzata '20
Minnesota '24 '28
VP of Tournament Direction, PACE
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- Lulu
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Thu Mar 23, 2023 7:21 pm
Re: Minnesota middle school
Three years on, I think that one can fairly say the circuit has returned just as strong as ever, and I personally am even more excited about the middle school circuit in the years to come! While the circuit still isn't quite the size it was a few years ago, I can attest that it is excellent as ever- 6 different schools qualified for MSNCT this year!
Last edited by Vainglorious yet Victorious on Sat Mar 25, 2023 6:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Amory Kaufman
Player, Providence Academy (2020- )
Yes, I have 266 career -5s. Go figure!
All-Star, 2023 MSNCT
Player, Providence Academy (2020- )
Yes, I have 266 career -5s. Go figure!
All-Star, 2023 MSNCT