The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
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The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
So, it's Spring again, with only ICT left to attend for my school, which means that my mind is really only on one thing: next year. And with that train of thought comes no small amount of concern about how to get high schools to come to our tournaments.
You see, the circuit around Buffalo is far from typical. There is the NY Masterminds league, as well as a few local radio leagues that use 's questions, so there's really no communication between teams (and arguably not very much passion for the game). So, naturally, it is beyond difficult to get schools to come to tournaments. My outreach activities basically amount to cold-contacting fifty teams from Buffalo and Rochester (I have an email list that I've built over the past few months using online data) and hoping that they respond (my rate is hovering around 10%).
We had 8 teams this season attend our tournament, and I'd really like to get that up to 24 for this coming season. We expect all the schools who attended this past season to come again, many with additional teams, but I'm having trouble contacting new schools!
I've also been told to start staffing events around the area, but aside from Masterminds, there really aren't any events, other than the ones we run at UB. And Masterminds runs on weekday afternoons, which is just a horrible time for me.
I'd appreciate any suggestions about how to actually raise awareness and attendance. Thanks in advance.
You see, the circuit around Buffalo is far from typical. There is the NY Masterminds league, as well as a few local radio leagues that use 's questions, so there's really no communication between teams (and arguably not very much passion for the game). So, naturally, it is beyond difficult to get schools to come to tournaments. My outreach activities basically amount to cold-contacting fifty teams from Buffalo and Rochester (I have an email list that I've built over the past few months using online data) and hoping that they respond (my rate is hovering around 10%).
We had 8 teams this season attend our tournament, and I'd really like to get that up to 24 for this coming season. We expect all the schools who attended this past season to come again, many with additional teams, but I'm having trouble contacting new schools!
I've also been told to start staffing events around the area, but aside from Masterminds, there really aren't any events, other than the ones we run at UB. And Masterminds runs on weekday afternoons, which is just a horrible time for me.
I'd appreciate any suggestions about how to actually raise awareness and attendance. Thanks in advance.
Zach Pace
Clarence High School '10, University at Buffalo '14
Writer, NAQT; Reader, NY MasterMinds
Space Advocate, Amateur Astronomer, and Occasional STEM Pundit
You don't want me anywhere near literature that's not sci-fi or written in Latin. Seriously.
Clarence High School '10, University at Buffalo '14
Writer, NAQT; Reader, NY MasterMinds
Space Advocate, Amateur Astronomer, and Occasional STEM Pundit
You don't want me anywhere near literature that's not sci-fi or written in Latin. Seriously.
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- Auron
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Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
If you do blind invites via snail mail, be sure to address them to the "Quiz Bowl Coach" or "Academic Team Coach". if you send it c/o the school only then it will probably get buried on someone's desk. I'm assuming that you're hosting high school level tournaments.
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- Tale of Mac Datho's Pachycephalosaur
- Wakka
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Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
I have a list of schools (from a combination of NAQT's website and the Masterminds homepage), and I scour district websites for coach email addresses. Then I send them a marginally-customized form letter. Do you think I should instead send a hard-copy letter? Would that get more responses?
Zach Pace
Clarence High School '10, University at Buffalo '14
Writer, NAQT; Reader, NY MasterMinds
Space Advocate, Amateur Astronomer, and Occasional STEM Pundit
You don't want me anywhere near literature that's not sci-fi or written in Latin. Seriously.
Clarence High School '10, University at Buffalo '14
Writer, NAQT; Reader, NY MasterMinds
Space Advocate, Amateur Astronomer, and Occasional STEM Pundit
You don't want me anywhere near literature that's not sci-fi or written in Latin. Seriously.
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Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
One problem we've run into with teams in Northeastern Missouri is that they don't have a long memory when it comes to tournaments. It certainly could help to get your name out there if you A) send out an invitation letter that explains what pyramidal quizbowl is and explains the rules you will use at various tournaments, in addition to any tournaments you will be hosting and B) following that up with e-mail contact with coaches, on a month-by-month basis to try and get teams registered. This will be the system we use next year, and I'm hopeful that it will be very effective.
Jacob O'Rourke
Washington (MO) HS Assistant Coach (2014-Present); MOQBA Secretary (2015-Present)
Formerly: AQBL Administrator (2020-2023); HSAPQ Host Contact; NASAT Outreach Coordinator (2016 and 2017); Kirksville HS Assistant Coach (2012-2014); Truman State '14; and Pacific High (MO) '10
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Washington (MO) HS Assistant Coach (2014-Present); MOQBA Secretary (2015-Present)
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Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
Try this:
Call up school's office.
"Hello, do you happen to know who the Academic Team Coach or Sponsor is? If not, can you look it up?"
If Yes:
"Great! Can you get me his/her email? Thanks! And can you give me his/her extension? Thank you."
If No:
"Ah okay, do you happen to have someone in charge of extracurricular activities that I could talk to?"
Works wonders for figuring out who's actually in charge and getting up-to-date name and contact info (stuff online is good, but it's often outdated). Then, you can email, snail mail, and call all the possible contacts. Just email or just snail mail likely won't work. Keep talking to people and be enthusiastic.
Call up school's office.
"Hello, do you happen to know who the Academic Team Coach or Sponsor is? If not, can you look it up?"
If Yes:
"Great! Can you get me his/her email? Thanks! And can you give me his/her extension? Thank you."
If No:
"Ah okay, do you happen to have someone in charge of extracurricular activities that I could talk to?"
Works wonders for figuring out who's actually in charge and getting up-to-date name and contact info (stuff online is good, but it's often outdated). Then, you can email, snail mail, and call all the possible contacts. Just email or just snail mail likely won't work. Keep talking to people and be enthusiastic.
Chris C.
Past: UGA/UCSD/Penn
Present: Solano County, CA
Past: UGA/UCSD/Penn
Present: Solano County, CA
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Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
Although Texas is a LONG way from NY, one of the things you might try is to ask students in your own school who attend "academic" events with other schools, such as National Honor Society, Cum Laude, Math Club, Debate Club, JETS (Junior Engineers), etc. to use their contacts with/at other schools to locate students who might be willing to give QB a try.
Also, having your own faculty sponsor be out front as someone willing to mentor a fellow teacher at an area school makes it A LOT EASIER to get something started at another area high school.
Take it for what it's worth -- and good luck!
Also, having your own faculty sponsor be out front as someone willing to mentor a fellow teacher at an area school makes it A LOT EASIER to get something started at another area high school.
Take it for what it's worth -- and good luck!
Gregory Schweers
County of Dallas
City of Irving
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County of Dallas
City of Irving
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The only Monk on this whole board
Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
Zach, have you considered possibly reaching out to other states? Northeast Ohio has a vibrant quiz bowl circuit that plays on good questions. For many schools, it would only be about a 2.5 to 3 hour drive to Buffalo.
Matt Hayes
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Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
I'm in college now, but in my experience, students from different districts don't seem to talk much. In the meantime, my contacts are drying up in my home district.Remember-the-Alamo-Remember-Goliad wrote:Although Texas is a LONG way from NY, one of the things you might try is to ask students in your own school who attend "academic" events with other schools, such as National Honor Society, Cum Laude, Math Club, Debate Club, JETS (Junior Engineers), etc. to use their contacts with/at other schools to locate students who might be willing to give QB a try.
Also, having your own faculty sponsor be out front as someone willing to mentor a fellow teacher at an area school makes it A LOT EASIER to get something started at another area high school.
Take it for what it's worth -- and good luck!
As for a faculty sponsor, I had considered it, but there doesn't seem to be anyone around campus who even knows what quiz bowl is, much less why anyone would want to spend their Saturday doing it. You wouldn't imagine the funny looks I get (well, maybe you would). I have considered appointing an outreach director, but no one's really been enthused about it (maybe I'll tackle that once I step down at the end of next year--although I hope I can get an ex-Masterminds frosh into my web early enough next year, so that I don't have to).
Yeah, Matt, that's a thought that's been bouncing around in my big bulbous brain for a while now, but I'm pretty clueless about Ohio quiz bowl. I might be able to get some teams from Mahoning County, but I'm largely unaware of other programs, aside from Olmsted Falls. I also have some qualms about claiming exclusivity on a set, and then being on the hook for paying for 10 teams from Ohio. Would I be taking a big risk by hinging our tournaments on attendance by Ohio teams? Are there 10 or 15 schools who would send teams up to the land of bad sports teams and worse weather?mhayes wrote:Zach, have you considered possibly reaching out to other states? Northeast Ohio has a vibrant quiz bowl circuit that plays on good questions. For many schools, it would only be about a 2.5 to 3 hour drive to Buffalo.
Zach Pace
Clarence High School '10, University at Buffalo '14
Writer, NAQT; Reader, NY MasterMinds
Space Advocate, Amateur Astronomer, and Occasional STEM Pundit
You don't want me anywhere near literature that's not sci-fi or written in Latin. Seriously.
Clarence High School '10, University at Buffalo '14
Writer, NAQT; Reader, NY MasterMinds
Space Advocate, Amateur Astronomer, and Occasional STEM Pundit
You don't want me anywhere near literature that's not sci-fi or written in Latin. Seriously.
Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
Yeah those are legit concerns. I'm not sure if you could pull as many as 15 teams, but there are certainly many teams who wouldn't mind traveling that distance. I know some of them would welcome a change of scenery every now and then, so I definitely think you could get some northeast Ohio teams to attend.Melkor6000 wrote: I also have some qualms about claiming exclusivity on a set, and then being on the hook for paying for 10 teams from Ohio. Would I be taking a big risk by hinging our tournaments on attendance by Ohio teams? Are there 10 or 15 schools who would send teams up to the land of bad sports teams and worse weather?
It may be risky, but it's probably worth looking into.
Matt Hayes
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Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
Note that you wouldn't necessarily need to claim exclusivity on a set to invite Ohio teams: just find a set that's not being used in Ohio itself (IS #107, which you used last fall, was not, and a few Ohio teams went to West Virginia and Pennsylvania tournaments using that set)Melkor6000 wrote:I also have some qualms about claiming exclusivity on a set, and then being on the hook for paying for 10 teams from Ohio. Would I be taking a big risk by hinging our tournaments on attendance by Ohio teams? Are there 10 or 15 schools who would send teams up to the land of bad sports teams and worse weather?
Jeff Hoppes
President, Northern California Quiz Bowl Alliance
former HSQB Chief Admin (2012-13)
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former HSQB Chief Admin (2012-13)
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Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
While the Trumbull County Prep Bowl doesn't use good questions like the league in Mahoning County does, it is closer to Buffalo and some of the teams other than Warren G. Harding (who obviously travels) have also left the county to play a good tournament or two.
Jonathan Graham
Beavercreek HS 1999-2003, Ohio State 2003-2007, Wright State (possibly playing)2012-2015
moderator/scorekeeper at some tournaments in Ohio, and sometimes elsewhere
"Ohio has a somewhat fractured quizbowl circuit, with a few small pockets of intense competition (like in Mahoning County) and with the rest scattered around the state."-Chris Chiego
Beavercreek HS 1999-2003, Ohio State 2003-2007, Wright State (possibly playing)2012-2015
moderator/scorekeeper at some tournaments in Ohio, and sometimes elsewhere
"Ohio has a somewhat fractured quizbowl circuit, with a few small pockets of intense competition (like in Mahoning County) and with the rest scattered around the state."-Chris Chiego
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Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
Ashtabula County is closer. Lakeside _used_ to do northeast Ohio events. Saints John and Paul have come to a tournament or two. Plus, there's Erie to consider. Is there anything there?
Greg Bossick
Director, Mahoning Quizbowl League (2004-2011, 2013-present)
Director, NAQT Ohio Small School State Championship (2018-present)
Executive Director, Ohio Academic Competition (2013-2016)
Director, Mahoning Quizbowl League (2004-2011, 2013-present)
Director, NAQT Ohio Small School State Championship (2018-present)
Executive Director, Ohio Academic Competition (2013-2016)
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Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
All of these ideas are good: note to self to consult this thread when recruiting.
Perhaps more research is in order. What y'all are saying makes me think that I've really been missing some stuff, and that I am even more clueless about high school quiz bowl than I thought. Well, there's almost a month between finals and the end of the high school year, so I'll have more time.
For some reason, I thought Bowling Green used 107. But now that I read the online report, I see that they used 108A. That's what I get for trying to think after midnight, I guess.bt_green_warbler wrote:Note that you wouldn't necessarily need to claim exclusivity on a set to invite Ohio teams: just find a set that's not being used in Ohio itself (IS #107, which you used last fall, was not, and a few Ohio teams went to West Virginia and Pennsylvania tournaments using that set)Melkor6000 wrote:I also have some qualms about claiming exclusivity on a set, and then being on the hook for paying for 10 teams from Ohio. Would I be taking a big risk by hinging our tournaments on attendance by Ohio teams? Are there 10 or 15 schools who would send teams up to the land of bad sports teams and worse weather?
Perhaps more research is in order. What y'all are saying makes me think that I've really been missing some stuff, and that I am even more clueless about high school quiz bowl than I thought. Well, there's almost a month between finals and the end of the high school year, so I'll have more time.
Zach Pace
Clarence High School '10, University at Buffalo '14
Writer, NAQT; Reader, NY MasterMinds
Space Advocate, Amateur Astronomer, and Occasional STEM Pundit
You don't want me anywhere near literature that's not sci-fi or written in Latin. Seriously.
Clarence High School '10, University at Buffalo '14
Writer, NAQT; Reader, NY MasterMinds
Space Advocate, Amateur Astronomer, and Occasional STEM Pundit
You don't want me anywhere near literature that's not sci-fi or written in Latin. Seriously.
Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
Zach,
If you'd like I can go ahead and send some contact information your way for Ohio teams (and any NW PA teams whose emails I have) that I think may be interested in going up to Buffalo for a tournament. Teams such as Olmsted Falls, Solon, Warren Harding, and Copley, among others, do a good bit of traveling and a 3 hour trip to play some quizbowl wouldn't be out of the ordinary for them.
If you'd like I can go ahead and send some contact information your way for Ohio teams (and any NW PA teams whose emails I have) that I think may be interested in going up to Buffalo for a tournament. Teams such as Olmsted Falls, Solon, Warren Harding, and Copley, among others, do a good bit of traveling and a 3 hour trip to play some quizbowl wouldn't be out of the ordinary for them.
Steven Wellstead
Fisher Catholic High School '07
Case Western Reserve University '11
NAQT writer
Fisher Catholic High School '07
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Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
Outside of South Range and maybe Lowellville, I think you would be hard pressed to get Mahoning County teams to travel. This is not to discourage you from trying, but it takes some considerable head-beating-against-wall just to get Mahoning teams to a tournament 30-40 minutes away...or hell one that's right down the road. But South Range and Lowellville are certainly the most active in the County, and I could see a Buffalo tournament appealing to them.Melkor6000 wrote:Yeah, Matt, that's a thought that's been bouncing around in my big bulbous brain for a while now, but I'm pretty clueless about Ohio quiz bowl. I might be able to get some teams from Mahoning County, but I'm largely unaware of other programs, aside from Olmsted Falls.
The teams mentioned by Matt and Steven are also good bets since you are interested in reaching out to Ohio teams. This past year, or two, Hawken has been more involved in tu/b tournaments around Ohio, and I believe are registered for HSNCT this year. They might be another team to get in contact with.
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Re: The Art of the Cold Call: Contacting High School Teams
Feel free to pass along the information to me as well, either on the boards or at [email protected]. We do a ton of traveling and haven't played in New York before, so if we haven't played the set or the weekend works, we would definitely consider attending. Its about a 6 hour drive for us, so if the field is good we would definitely consider it.
David Jones
Coach, Northmont High School
Coach, Northmont High School