Optimist Brain Bowl is 100% volunteer driven! Consider an average size tournament of approximately 80 teams. Each team-vs-team competition room requires 3 officials which adds up to almost 100 volunteers to start! Then add the written room proctors and the many score room volunteers who are busy taking care of running scores, checking tests, score input and protests. That’s over 130 volunteers for one tournament! And we do it four times per year!
Our concessions are also run by Optimist volunteers who are raising money for district supported projects such as Junior Optimists, Children’s Cancer and Type 1 Diabetes. In short, it takes our entire Colorado/Wyoming Optimist District working together to produce four tournaments every year.
Non-members are encouraged to volunteer for the Optimist Brain Bowl. These busy tournaments are a perfect way to introduce friends and Brain Bowl supporters to Optimism. There is plenty of time for comradery and learning about the other wonderful projects in which Optimist members are involved.
Volunteer Training
Every competition volunteer is trained. Some volunteers such as Readers and computer input personnel are trained/oriented prior to the tournament. All of the Brain Bowl in-person tournaments are run exactly the same. Tournament day starts early and volunteers are required to arrive at 6:45am in order to train and receive their assignments by 8:00am.
Tournament day volunteers for the Optimist Brain Bowl should register here and let us know which tournament(s) you wish to work. For more information email volunteers@optimistbrainbowl.org.
Here’s more information on being an Optimist Brain Bowl Reader. For even more information on being a reader and training email readers@optimistbrainbowl.org.
Concession volunteers are recruited separately. If you are interested in helping with concessions, contact concessions@optimistbrainbowl.org.
Volunteer Resources
Brain Bowl Tournament Dates
Central/South Region
January 20, 2024
Heritage High School
North Region
January 27, 2024
Standley Lake High School
Championship Tournament
February 10, 2024
Hamilton Middle School
Volunteer Planning Schedule
6:45 Volunteer Check-In
7:00 Reader Check-In
7:45 – 8:00 Team Check-In
8:00 – 8:15 Team Orientation
Morning Rounds
8:30 – 9:00 Round One
9:10 – 9:35 Round Two
9:45 – 10:10 Round Three
10:20 – 10:45 Round Four
10:55 – 11:20 Round Five
11:20 – 12:30 Lunch
12:30 – Scores announced and posted”
Afternoon Rounds
12:45 – 1:10 1st Elimination (Top 8 teams per grade)
1:15 – 1:40 2nd Elimination (Winners from 1st Elimination)
1:45 – 2:10 Championship and Consolation Rounds
Awards