Best question set to show new teams?

[Fado Alexandrino]

I'm from Canada, and Canada is dominated by a local format known for it's uneven distribution, hoses and excessive "trivia". Only a few schools are willing to play good quizbowl in addition to that local format. If there was one set or packet that can be shown to new coaches and players to try and ask them to come to a tournament, what would it be?

[Bartleby]

I'm from Canada, and Canada is dominated by a local format known for it's uneven distribution, hoses and excessive "trivia". Only a few schools are willing to play good quizbowl in addition to that local format. If there was one set or packet that can be shown to new coaches and players to try and ask them to come to a tournament, what would it be?

We're talking high schoolers here, then? Obviously, I have the same knowledge of these struggles as you, and I'd say that It's difficult to tell exactly what would work. I broke in a team last year using CMST, but obviously that's not-quite difficulty appropriate.

[Theodore]

The two major high school novice packets I can think of are SCOP and FKT. However, the FKT has bonuses assigned to tossups, and this is not ideal as it makes the new players believe this always occurs. There's also the Fall Novice Tournament that I played during my freshman year (by the way, is that set still produced each year? I can't seem to find more recent versions of it).

I believe any high school novice pack would be suitable. I don't middle school packets would be suitable - as Brian stated, it's not difficulty appropriate. In addition people tend to be greatly discouraged if they are unable to answer a question intended for middle schools (I've seen this happen).

[Adventure Temple Trail]

There's also the Fall Novice Tournament that I played during my freshman year (by the way, is that set still produced each year? I can't seem to find more recent versions of it).

As far as I know, the Fall Novice Tournament has been permanently discontinued.

[Sniper, No Sniping!]

However, the FKT has bonuses assigned to tossups, and this is not ideal as it makes the new players believe this always occurs.

I'm not seeing how this is not ideal, unless the target audience isn't going to be playing a lot of tossup/bonus quiz bowl. Even if they aren't going to be exposed to TU/B regularly, it's more in-depth and knowledge rewarding!

[Theodore]

However, the FKT has bonuses assigned to tossups, and this is not ideal as it makes the new players believe this always occurs.

I'm not seeing how this is not ideal, unless the target audience isn't going to be playing a lot of tossup/bonus quiz bowl. Even if they aren't going to be exposed to TU/B regularly, it's more in-depth and knowledge rewarding!

Sorry, I meant that this pack has a bonus directly after each tossup, as opposed to the traditional format of placing all tossups first, and all the bonuses afterwards. This may cause new teams to read packets incorrectly in the future should a tossup go dead; they will probably get the notion that bonus 8 must be read after tossup 8, even if say tossups 1 and 4 went dead.

[t-bar]

However, the FKT has bonuses assigned to tossups, and this is not ideal as it makes the new players believe this always occurs.

I'm not seeing how this is not ideal, unless the target audience isn't going to be playing a lot of tossup/bonus quiz bowl. Even if they aren't going to be exposed to TU/B regularly, it's more in-depth and knowledge rewarding!

I think he means that in the FKT packets, each bonus is paired with a specific tossup, rather than having a block of tossups and then a block of bonuses. Effectively, the only difference is in whether you skip a bonus if a tossup goes dead, but it's good to make sure that people understand the rules about that clearly.

[Fado Alexandrino]

I broke in a team last year using CMST, but obviously that's not-quite difficulty appropriate.

Which team?

NAQT IS-A is certainly a viable option given my audience, due to our local format, is geared more towards trash, current events and geography, but it's not representative of most other question sets.

Also, which autumn novice tournament is the best to break in a circuit? Fall Novice was excellent but it's been gone for a couple of years now.

[Bartleby]

I broke in a team last year using CMST, but obviously that's not-quite difficulty appropriate.

Which team?

NAQT IS-A is certainly a viable option given my audience, due to our local format, is geared more towards trash, current events and geography, but it's not representative of most other question sets.

Also, which autumn novice tournament is the best to break in a circuit? Fall Novice was excellent but it's been gone for a couple of years now.

We started South Collegiate in London ON off on CMST before moving up to more difficulty-appropriate questions (which I know was an NAQT set, but do not remember if it was an IS-A or an IS set).

Are you trying to affect some change in Montreal, or elsewhere?

[Fado Alexandrino]

We started South Collegiate in London ON off on CMST before moving up to more difficulty-appropriate questions (which I know was an NAQT set, but do not remember if it was an IS-A or an IS set).

Are you trying to affect some change in Montreal, or elsewhere?

I thought London South with Elizabeth played in the inaugural Ontario Quizbowl provincials? But good for them on going to Kingston last year.

I'm speaking for general change in Ontario, but trying to focus on where I'll actually be located this year, which is Montreal/Ottawa. One of the reasons I ask this is because unfortunately, one of the stronger high schools in Ontario was introduced to Quizbowl through a south-GTA mirror of a college regular set and thus have been turned off for the rest of their lives. Furthermore, a lot of coaches don't support playing quizbowl even though most of the time players are okay with it.

[Theodore]

I broke in a team last year using CMST, but obviously that's not-quite difficulty appropriate.

NAQT IS-A is certainly a viable option given my audience, due to our local format, is geared more towards trash, current events and geography, but it's not representative of most other question sets.

Wouldn't you have to buy these IS-A packets?

Also, I wouldn't want new schools starting quizbowl thinking there's going to be lots of pop culture/word puzzles/types of questions found in the local format in it. However, some teams enjoy such types of questions to the point at which they are uninterested in quizbowl and prefer the local format. I suppose this is a reason to show them IS-A packets as a hook. However, in the end, they will eventually have to accept that quizbowl's distribution is primarily academic when they move on to higher difficulties than IS-A sets.

[Bartleby]

We started South Collegiate in London ON off on CMST before moving up to more difficulty-appropriate questions (which I know was an NAQT set, but do not remember if it was an IS-A or an IS set).

Are you trying to affect some change in Montreal, or elsewhere?

I thought London South with Elizabeth played in the inaugural Ontario Quizbowl provincials? But good for them on going to Kingston last year.

I'm speaking for general change in Ontario, but trying to focus on where I'll actually be located this year, which is Montreal/Ottawa. One of the reasons I ask this is because unfortunately, one of the stronger high schools in Ontario was introduced to Quizbowl through a south-GTA mirror of a college regular set and thus have been turned off for the rest of their lives. Furthermore, a lot of coaches don't support playing quizbowl even though most of the time players are okay with it.

They did, years back, but of course it's a whole new crop of students there now, and it was Elizabeth and I coaching the team last year!

[Theodore]

Furthermore, a lot of coaches don't support playing quizbowl even though most of the time players are okay with it.

It seems that many Canadian teachers favour the local format over quizbowl. This greatly puzzles me, as quizbowl questions are better written, there are more tournaments to attend, it is significantly cheaper, and its distribution is more academic. Teachers, by the nature of their profession, should theoretically favour an academic distribution over the pop culture/word puzzles found in the local format. However, this doesn't seem to be the case for some strange reason.

They did, years back, but of course it's a whole new crop of students there now, and it was Elizabeth and I coaching the team last year!

I strongly commend you on your work! After playing against them at this year's provincials, it is evident that London South is a promising team. I hope you and Elizabeth continue to shape London South into an even stronger team in the future, and look forward to seeing (and competing with) them again at next year's provincials!

This is exactly what the Canadian circuit needs - coaches that have actually played quizbowl. Any coach can learn the rules of quizbowl and provide general guidance, but a coach with actual playing experience is able to help their teams to a much greater extent. In addition, this would greatly increase support for quizbowl as opposed to all the coaches that advocate for the local trivia format.

[AKKOLADE]

Why haven't people said LIST yet?

[vinteuil]

Why haven't people said LIST yet?

Because Max is too modest to do so—but this is the best housewrite I encountered this year. HSAPQ packets would work too, surely?

[Theodore]

Why haven't people said LIST yet?

Because Max is too modest to do so—but this is the best housewrite I encountered this year. HSAPQ packets would work too, surely?

These are high-quality packets, but I think new teams should be introduced with a novice packet.

[AKKOLADE]

Labeling something as "novice" doesn't inherently make it an appropriate introduction. LIST is eminently accessible and well written; I don't know what else you could possibly want.

[Corry]

LIST was probably my favorite housewrite this year. It actually had powers! And 2/2 current events and geography per packet is always fun. Plus, the difficulty of the set definitely ranks on the easier end of the spectrum.

That being said: I don't think LIST is the best packet for novices. There are just too many packets out there that are, well, easier. When introducing quiz bowl to new teams, I'm particularly biased towards the NAQT IS-A sets. I mean, they exist for a reason. IS-A was my first introduction to quiz bowl-- short questions, generous powers, kind of trash-heavy (but not to a fault), and really really easy. I thought they were awesome.

[AKKOLADE]

It actually had powers!

"That ain't a criterion, son," he said, spitting on the floor.

That being said: I don't think LIST is the best packet for novices. There are just too many packets out there that are, well, easier.

Not that many.

kind of trash-heavy

That isn't inherently a positive.

[Off To See The Lizard]

What about an HSAPQ set? Preferably the mACF ones

Edit: oops didn't see Jacob's post

[Stained Diviner]

I think that the sets that have been suggested in this thread should be the sets that are bolded at quizbowlpackets.