<p>I went to my first quiz bowl tournament last week, and I feel pretty bad as I hardly contributed to my team. I really want to prepare in advance for the next tournament, so my question is: how do you guys prepare, and what would you recommend I do to prepare? </p>
<p>On my kid’s team, the students had areas of specialty and studied for those. So pick out where you want to dive deep (maybe some area where your team is weak? Ask your captain or coach for suggestions.). Sporcle is a great resource. My kid attended ACE Quiz Bowl camp a couple of summers, and got great materials from that. Ask your coach or captain for more suggestions. My kid was kind of a natural at Literature (go figure, she is now a Physics major in college…). Eventually she branched out into art, opera, and a fair amount of history.</p>
<p>Buzzer speed is also something you will want to work on in practice. </p>
<p>Don’t be discouraged if you feel like you don’t contribute too much this season. My kid studied a lot for years (starting in 9th grade) to work her way up to being the top scorer on her team and a top 3 player in the state by senior year. But she was awful as a freshman. 
Also, as you have more coursework through high school, you will naturally learn more that helps you. My kid kept flashcards on her computer, and studied them in spare time and on the way to tournaments.</p>
<p>Be persistent and keep working at it, and you will gradually get better. But don’t expect big things immediately, and be prepared that some tournaments will just go better than others. Stick with it, Quiz Bowl is a great activity for smart kids!</p>
<p>@intparent Thank you so much! That just gave me a boost of confidence. I’ll ask to my team captain for some suggestions. </p>