VIRTUAL REGIONAL QUALIFIER MEET

[gidyup1313]

Hey guys/girls...Chuck Thompson from City View here...The Regional Qualifier Meet set for April 14th will be a Virtual Meet...your coaches will gain access to the tests via passwords, download the tests, give them to you during the testing window, grade them and submit them to me via Project Mustang, our new web-based Tabulation website...maximum flexibility, no travel, very low costs, great competition.

Since this is a Regional Qualifier Meet, our test-writers have been interviewed, chosen and instructed to simulate both in depth and difficulty what we think the Regional Meet UIL Test will be like...most tests you buy from vendors like Hexco and TMSCA, as helpful as they are during the regular season, have their tests all written in advance...hopefully, the test-writers we have chosen will be able to use this year's released tests and last year's Regional UIL Tests as a model to create the best test possible to prepare you for Regionals.

The results will be separated by Classification (1A, 2A, ...) and the Regions will be listed for comparison purposes...also, there will be an "Overall" Division just for fun to identify the "Best of the Best. I received 37 responses to this mornings State-wide invitation within the first hour, so all indications are that this will be a well-"attended" and competitive meet. Tests will be offered in NS, CALC, MATH, SCI, CE, SS, CS, ACC & SPELLING.

Hope everyone out there joins us!!

Chuck Thompson
City View HS
cthompson1313@gmail.com
Project Mustang - www.virtualchallengemeets.com

[nsguy1350]

I am attending. I believe 007math is attending.
Anyone else?

[FabensMath]

I tried to convince my coach, but i'm not sure if we're doing it, he said he was going to e-mail to check something with the P.O. or something like that.

[rcoker7]

I know my school's attending.

[chrishuff]

I know this would be good practice, but I will never do such a thing. It takes the fun out of traveling, and there is always this thought in the back of my head that some schools may "cheat" to win since there is virtually no way to monitor everyone in different locations.

[007math]

[nsguy1350]

[007math]

Does anyone know who is making the tests? The math test last time was very odd...it did not resemble a UIL test whatsoever (i think NS and Calculator were okay though).

[nsguy1350]

[nick3194]

In the flier, it says that they hired writers that were also State U.I.L. coaches and champions.

[007math]

[gidyup1313]

Hey everyone...Mr. Thompson from City View here, the Meet Director for the Virtual Regional Qualifiers Meet coming up next week...I have been reading your posts and have enjoyed the questions that you guys have brought up...here is the scoop on most of them...

The Tests: To me, the most important aspect of putting on any meet, especially one of this importance and magnitude (we have over 60 schools entered and several more have contacted me for information) is the quality of the tests...not just their accuracy, but that they represent in both depth and difficulty what you can expect to see at the Regional Meet. To help us accomplish this goal, I interviewed and hired experienced test writers with years and years of State Meet level coaching experience to write for us. They have, to the best of their abilities, developed a test for you that is based on the released UIL tests this year, combined with the difficulty level of previous years' UIL Regional Tests...we have sent each of these tests to other State level coaches to proof them both for accuracy and Regional-level difficulty & depth...though they may not be perfect, I really think you and your coaches will be pleased.

The Meet: I put on 6 Invitational Meets at City View each year...this year we went virtual for three of them...the pros for us and for your teams are flexibility and cost, both in time and in budgets...the flexibility issue is that your coach can administer the tests to you and your team any time within the assigned window, working around all of the things the Spring throws at our calendars like the SAT, the ACT, athletics, band, etc and can get a better read on what kind of full team you have...I realize the budget issue isn't as big a concern for you as it is your coach and school, but if you can get a great competitive experience in for a total cost of only $100/unlimited entries in 10 events (our entry fee during the regular season) WITHOUT having to pay travel costs, meals, etc., then that leaves you much more money to travel to other meets...I completely agree, you might not get as much out of a meet that you take at your school as opposed to traveling and competing in testing rooms with other schools, but it does work as a valuable complimentary training opportunity, if you take it seriously and give it the same preparation and effort you would for a conventional meet...an option some schools have utilized in the past is that they meet with schools in close proximity and have a duel or tri-meet, getting the best of both worlds...minimal travel and cost, but in-the-room competition from other schools...of course, you could always ask your coach to go ahead and drive to Wichita Falls and join us Saturday morning like a normal meet...always an option...:)

The Test Security/Accuracy in Grading Issue: Well, honestly, a lot of that depends on the integrity of you and your coach...I do trust you and your coaches to do the right thing when it comes to keeping test security between teammates, taking great care to accurately grade and score the tests and for everyone to do their part to make this a positive, helpful experience for all involved...if I didn't trust everyone involved, I wouldn't put the many hours of time in to put this meet together...obviously, Mista Potter will be vigilant, as all of you will need to be too, to not post anything from the RQ Meet until after 2:00PM ON SATURDAY, APRIL 14TH, the official cut-off for results...then, your feedback is not only welcome but desired to help us improve...I really do hope everyone that posts here chooses to/gets to play...you guys obviously have invested a tremendous amount of time and effort into preparing yourselves to do your best in UIL Academic competition...who better to help us make this meet and other Virtual meets to come as competitive and beneficial as possible...please post any questions you have and I will try to answer them over the next couple of days.

Chuck Thompson
Virtual RQ Meet Director
City View HS