California Odyssey of the Mind Team Code of Conduct

Long-Term Problem Division
Membership Name Membership #
Coach(es) Name(s) Date
City Region

We, the team members, know that participating in California Odyssey of the Mind is a creative journey and that while on that journey, we represent each other as well as our families, school, and town. We are proud of our accomplishments and we want to make everyone else proud of us.

We will read and understand the rules in the current Odyssey of the Mind (OotM) Program Guide and for the Long Term (LT) problem our team is solving. We know that the judges must enforce these rules, including general rules and clarifications.

We commit to the team by promising to attend practice and competition.

We will remain open to accepting our teammates’ ideas and know that teamwork and friendship is an essential part of Odyssey of the Mind.

We refuse to accept Outside Assistance from anyone including our coaches, parents, and team supporters, or give Outside Assistance to other teams. No Outside Assistance means no help creating and/or making anything used in a solution, no suggestions or directions in creating or practicing a LT skit, and no help (such as applying makeup, putting on costumes, etc.) when preparing to perform that skit. We refuse to view or post videos of solutions on video sharing web sites such as YouTube® until after World Finals as stated in the Program Guide.

We will respect our coach(es), the judges, and other tournament officials, remembering that they volunteer their time to provide us the opportunity to participate in Odyssey of the Mind.

We believe that we should be treated fairly, with respect and kindness, and we will treat all others in the same manner.

We will not change our problem solution based on other teams’ performances at regional or state competitions, should our team advance to the next level. We understand that it is Outside Assistance if our team changes its solution to include any ideas seen in any other team’s solutions or performances.

We will not damage any tournament site property, other teams’ materials, or any property that is not our own. We understand that causing harm or damage to other people or their property will result in appropriate disciplinary action and fines. We will report anyone causing harm/damage to any person or property. It is our responsibility to notify OotM information staff so that person can be stopped. If we fail to do so, we are condoning that behavior.

We know that inappropriate behavior/actions by our team or any individual team member, coach, or team supporter may result in disciplinary action that could include forfeiture of awards (even after awards have been announced), probation, suspension, or denial of future membership.

We will do our best to make our Odyssey journey a fun and memorable experience filled with opportunities to share our creativity, to meet new people, and to have fun!

Team Member
Team Member
Team Member
Team Member
Team Member
Team Member
Team Member

Be sure to review this form with the team. It must be filled out and signed by every team member.

The completed and signed form must be available on request at any competition.