Volunteer at the National Competition

The Competitors

We expect 30-35 state champion teams to compete for the national LifeSmarts title in 2010. The students work very hard to make it to the national level, and they appreciate the help and support of interested adults.

Location

The 2010 LifeSmarts National Competition will be held in Miami Beach, Florida at the Miami Beach Resort and Spa. Room rates are $159/night without a resort fee.

Dates

Competitions will take place Sunday, April 24 - Tuesday, April 27, 2010.

Tentative Schedule

Competitions generally run from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday; 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Monday; and 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday. One-hour orientation sessions are held for officials each day prior to the start of competition. Orientation sessions for teams take place on Saturday. The full agenda will be available online in April 2010.

The Important Role of Officials

A number of officials work together to make each LifeSmarts competition fair and fun. Volunteers usually serve as Question Masters or Judges. State Coordinators and National Consumers League staff fill the other roles. Officials have the following duties:

Master of Ceremonies -- opens and closes the competition; makes announcements; introduces officials.

Question Master -- asks the questions for the competition and interacts with the students throughout the event. The Question Master will have the questions and answers.

Judges -- generally working in a group of three or more, judges determine if the answers given are correct and acceptable. The Question Master will defer to the judges whenever a call is needed.

Referee -- ensures that the rules are followed. The Referee may stop a match if clarification is needed.

Scorekeeper -- tracks and posts the scores.

Timekeeper -- tracks the time for responses and operates the buzzer system.

Room Monitor -- controls the flow in and out of the room and monitors the audience

To learn more:

Download the Official's Guide for detailed information.
Contact Brandi Williams, LifeSmarts Assistant Program Director.