Description

AT Coaches:  Moriah Bickel (5th & 6th Grade)
                         Danica Thornburg (7th & 8th Grade)

Academic Triathlon is available for students in grades 5 & 6 (Challenger Division) and grades 7 & 8 (Cross-Trainer Division). This program is designed to develop creativity, increase knowledge, and build divergent thinking skills, logic, problem-solving abilities, and team cooperation. Teams are composed of five members plus alternates. Three events comprise an AT meeting with all members participating in every event. There are Mind Sprints, individual or team quick problems to solve; Face-Off, which is similar to a quiz bowl on various topics; and P.A.R.T.Y. in a Box, where teams receive a problem and some miscellaneous items and have a short time to come up with a short play that demonstrates the problem solution.

To view the rules and learn more about Academic Triathlon visit the AT website @ http://www.usacademictriathlon.com/

How an Academic Triathlon Meet Works

Meets are held after school on Fridays from 3:00 pm – 7:30 pm. Transportation to the away meets is provided by K-M Schools.

A typical AT meet starts @ 3:15 with the registration of the teams. Then there is an 8-minute Written Face-Off that tests students’ knowledge of current events, trivia, etc. At 3:45 pm, students begin the tri’s of Academic Triathlon: Mind Sprints, Oral Face-Off and P.A.R.T.Y. in a Box prep. Around 6:00 pm, the P.A.R.T.Y. in a Box performances begin. The meet concludes with the awards presentation for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each of the four meets.

Starting time of the meets may be adjusted up to 30 minutes depending on the host school’s schedule.

Students’ families are allowed and encouraged to come see their child compete at the meets. We just ask that you not talk to students until after the P.A.R.T.Y. in a Box performances have concluded. The only part of the meet you will not be allowed to observe is the P.A.R.T.Y. in a Box prep.

We’d also love to have family members of participating students volunteer to help judge at the meets. We can’t do this without you.