KEHamlin wrote:
"And beyond time
constraints, there also exists the problem that the more
rounds are crammed into each day, the more exhausted all
of the teams will be by the evening."
And
ZAMM_Phaedrus wrote:
"It was a combination of the
questions and getting about three hours of sleep each of
the previous two nights, but I was almost asleep for
the last few rounds of this year's ACF Regionals. And
it was only a 15 team RR! I hope to have more sleep
for my first (and possibly only) ACF
Nationals."
There's a physical element to academic competition that's
frequently overlooked. When the body gets tired, the fatigue
toxins produced can have a deleterious effect on
concentration and recall. When the mental pressure of the late
stages of a national championship tournament are added
in, players who are best able to maintain a relaxed,
focused concentration and who are in the best physical
conditioning may find themselves with an
advantage.
Tournament preparation should not be solely focused on
knowledge drills. Endurance conditioning is also very
important, as is adequate sleep.
Tom