🧑🔬 SITE FOR COACHES
Guidance and resources for building culture, organizing practices, and running smoothly.
Team Assembly & Organization
Matching Partners & Assigning Events
Assigning students to the right events and partners early prevents scheduling issues and builds stronger teams.
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Check event time blocks: Students can’t compete in two events running at the same time. Review the tournament schedule carefully to avoid overlaps.
Focus on your tournament’s events: The Baltimore Div. B tournament offers a subset of 20/23 events — don’t spend time preparing for ones that won’t run.
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Pair students strategically: Assign students to events based on their interests and strengths, and match partners who work well together and can practice consistently. Most events allow 1-3 participants, but some (like Write It, Do It) require 2—competing solo can be a disadvantage in certain events.
Encourage consistent practice: The best preparation comes from stable partnerships that train together week after week.
Practice Management
Use these tips from experienced coaches to keep practices focused, consistent, and student-driven throughout the year.
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Set a regular schedule: Hold at least one weekly team meeting so students build routine and momentum.
Balance structure and freedom: Use part of each practice for guided activities (like event rotations or rulebook scavenger hunts) and part for independent or partner work.
Use practice tests: Help students get familiar with question styles, rubrics, and pacing under real conditions.
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Participate in Practice Events: Invitationals, scrimmages, and challenges—like the new Mission Codebusters series—give students the most valuable preparation: real competition experience.
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Build independence: Empower students to take ownership of their preparation. Encourage students to set goals, reflect on progress, and make their own binders, cheat sheets, and experiment logs—coaches guide, students lead.​
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Check progress mid-season: Revisit goals, adjust practice focus, and keep motivation up after the initial excitement fades.
Prepare for competition: Know what materials each event needs on tournament day. Review the Rules Manuals carefully to confirm what’s allowed so students arrive fully equipped and prepared. Keep in mind the dress code is strictly enforced for labs!
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Celebrate learning: End practices with quick reflections or shout-outs to keep morale high.
Team Spirit & Retention
Keep your team connected, motivated, and proud to represent your school all year long. A strong sense of community keeps students engaged and excited to return each season.
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Create team T-shirts or hoodies: Let students design them together to build identity and pride and wear to tournaments!
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Plan fun team events: Exciting guest speakers, science demos, year-end celebrations, after-school pizza/bake sale fundraisers, or friendly competitions help students bond outside of practice.
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Encourage collaboration on scrimmages: Build team work skills early by encouraging students to work together on practice scrimmages from the start.
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Celebrate milestones: Recognize effort and growth.
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Stay connected: Maintain a form of communication outside of meetings so students can be informed, ask questions, and stay engaged between practices.