Help Guide the Next Generation
of Innovators
Coaching at Creative Innovators Project is not traditional sports coaching—and you do not need to be an engineer, artist, teacher, or Odyssey of the Mind expert to make a meaningful impact
CIP coaches create an environment where students can wonder, build, experiment, solve problems, collaborate, and lead. Coaches do not provide answers or complete the work for the team. Instead, they ask thoughtful questions, teach useful skills, maintain a safe and respectful workspace, and help students turn their own ideas into reality.
Parent, grandparents, family members, and community members are welcome to apply. You do not need to have a child enrolled in CIP to become a coach.
Coaching Opportunities
Head Coach
The Head Coach provides the primary leadership and guidance for a CIP team throughout the season. This person works closely with CIP leadership, students, families, and the Assistance Coach to keep the team safe, organized, supported, and moving forward.
Head Coaches receives a $250 membership discount per enrolled student.
Head Coach Responsibilities:
The Head Coach is expected to:
Attend and lead weekly team practices
Become familiar with CIP policies, safety procedures, and team expectations
Learn the team’s Odyssey of the Mind Long-Term Problem and applicable competition rules
Guide students through brainstorming, planning, building, writing, practicing, and problem-solving.
Use questions and coaching techniques that keep the ideas and work student-led
Create a respectful environment where every student has an opportunity to contribute
Help students learn how to communicate, compromise, manage disagreements, and work as a team
Monitor the safe and appropriate use of tools, materials, and the workspace
Help the team establish goals, assign responsibilities, and manage its time
Monitor the safe and appropriate use of tools, materials, and the workspace
Help the team establish goals, assign responsibilities, and manage its time
Communicate important updates, needs, and concerns with CIP leadership
Help keep families informed about schedules, deadlines, and team needs
Maintain required coach meetings, training sessions, and competition paperwork
Attend required coach meetings, training sessions, and competition events
Support additional practices as the team approaches competition
Follow and uphold CIP’s student safety, emergency, and check-in/check-out procedures
The Head Coach is not expected to know everything. CIP leadership will provide guidance, resources, and support throughout the season
Assistant Coach
The Assistant Coach works alongside the Head Coach to support the team and help practices run safely and effectively. Assistant Coaches may help supervise activities, teach skills, organize materials, guide small-group work, and provide additional support wherever the team needs it most.
Assistant Coaches receives a $150 membership discount per enrolled student.
Assistant Coach Responsibilities
The Assistant Coach is expected to :
Attend weekly practices consistently
Support the Head Coach in carrying out practice plans and team goals
Help supervise students, tools, materials, and work areas
Work with individual students or small groups while keeping the work student-led
Ask guiding questions without providing solutions or doing the work for the students
Help students stay focused, organized, and engaged
Encourage respectful communication and participation from every team member
Assist with setup, cleanup, material organization, and workspace managemen
What Coaching at CIP Looks Like
Coaches Do:
Ask questions that help students explore their ideas
Teach students how to use tools, materials, and creative processes safely
Help the team break large projects into manageable steps
Encourage students to test, revise, and learn from unsuccessful attempts
Help students consider different perspectives and include everyone’s ideas
Provide structure, supervision, encouragement, and accountability
Celebrate effort, growth, and teamwork, and creative risk-taking
Learn the basic requirements and rules of the team’s Long-Term Problem
Communicate concerns or important observations to the Head Coach
Step in to help lead a practice when arranged with the Head Coach and CIP leadership
Attend required training, meetings, and competition events
Support additional practices as competition events
Follow all CIP policies, safety procedures, and emergency protocols
The Head Coach remains the primary point of contact and team leader, but the Head Coach and Assistant Coach should work together as a consistent coaching team.
Coaches Do Not:
Design or build the team’s solution
Write scripts, create props, make costumes, or solve challenges for students
Tell the team which idea to choose
Take over a project because a deadline is approaching
Allow parents or other adults to complete the students’ work
Share confidential student or family information
Use language or behavior that is disrespectful, intimidating, or discouraging
Adult guidance matters, but the final ideas, decisions, designs, and work must belong to the students.
What the Season Looks Like
1
Beginning of the Season September Building Teams
At the beginning of the season, coaches focus on creating a strong foundation. Students learn CIP policies, safety expectations, tool procedures, teamwork skills, and the creative problem-solving process
During this stage, coaches will help students:
Get to know one another
Identify individual strengths and interests
Practice brainstorming and collaboration
Learn how to disagree respectfully
explore tools and materials safely
Review and understand their Long-Term Problem
Begin identifying possible ideas and team goals
This stage is less about rushing into a final solution and more about helping students become a team.
3
Competition Preparation January - February
As competition approaches, practices become more focused and may increase in frequency. The team will begin combining all parts of its solution, practicing its presentation, making repairs, completing paperwork, and preparing for Spontaneous Problem.
Coaches will help students:
Track the deadlines and unfinished work
Practice the complete solution from beginning to end
Improve transitions, timing, and organization
Prepare props, costumes, devices, and materials for transportation
Review competition-day expectations
Practice different types of Spontaneous Problems
Complete required team paperwork
Prepare for questions or unexpected challenges
Additional evening or weekend practices may be needed during this part of the season.
2
Middle of the Season October - December Planning & Creating
Once the team understands its challenge, students begin developing, testing, and refining their solution. Depending on the problem, this may include building structures or devices, writing a script, creating characters, designing costumes, making scenery, solving technical elements, or combining several of these areas
Coaches help the team:
Break the problem into smaller sections
Create a realistic timeline
Assign and track student responsibilities
Identify materials and supply needs
Test ideas before committing to them
Documenting progress and decisions
Manage setbacks, disagreements, and changing ideas
Keep the solution within the applicable rules and cost limit
This is usually the longest portion of the season and requires patience, consistency, and flexibility.
4
Tournament Day February (Regionals) March (State)
Coaches are expected to support their team throughout the tournament experience. The day may include team check-in, staging, the Long-Term Problem performance, Spontaneous Problem, awards, and other scheduled activities.
Coaches ensure that students:
Arrive prepared and on time
Have the materials and paperwork they need
Follow tournament and facility rules
Remain together and properly supervised
Handle their own work and solve last-minute challenges themselves
Represent CIP with respect and good sportsmanship
Coaches encourage and support the team, but students must remain responsible for their solution and competition work.
5
After Competition
Following competition, coaches help students reflect on the experience, recognize their growth, and celebrate what they accomplished.
If a team advances to the nest level of competition, the coaching commitment continues. The team may return to its solution, review feedback, make student-led improvements, fundraise, and attend additional practices and events.
Time Commitment
CIP’s regular season runs from approximately August through May. Coaching requires a consistent commitment throughout the season, not only during competition month.
Coaches should plan for:
Weekly three-hour team practices
Required coaches orientations, meetings, and training
Preparation and communication between practices
Additional practices as competition approaches
Regional competition and any other required team events
Continued practices and travel preparation if the team advances
Occasional family communications and coordination CIP leadership
The exact schedule may vary by team, division, and project needs.
Consistency is essential. Students depend on their coaches to provide stability, supervision, and follow-through
Coach Expectations
All Head Coaches and Assistant Coaches are expected to:
Be dependable, punctual, and prepared
Communicate promptly with CIP leadership and families
Treat every student, family, volunteer, and staff member respectfully
Listen to and follow direction from CIP leadership
Protect confidential student and family information
Support an inclusive environment where students feel safe contributing
Follow all CIP safety, supervision, emergency, and behavior policies
Address concerns calmly and bring significant issues to CIP leadership
Model teamwork, patience, flexibility, and good sportsmanship
Represent CIP professionally at practices, tournaments, and community events
Complete all required forms, acknowledgements, screenings, and training before serving
Coaches must never use physical punishment, humiliation, threats, discriminatory language, harassment, or aggressive behavior.
Working With You Own Child
Many CIP coaches are also parents of students on their team. This can be a rewarding experience, but it requires coaches to separate their role as a parent from their responsibility to the entire team.
Parent coaches should:
Hold their own child to the same expectations are every other student
Avoid giving their child extra attention, authority, or preferred assignments
Allow another coach to address and issue when the parent-child dynamic is affecting the team
Make decisions based on what supports the whole team
Encourage their child to listen to and respect all coaches
CIP leadership may assist when additional support or perspective is needed.
Is Coaching Right for You?
You may be a great CIP coach if you:
Enjoy helping young people discover what they are capable of
Can guide students without taking over
Are patient when ideas do not work the first time
Value creativity, teamwork, leadership, and hands-on learning
Are willing to learn alongside the students
Can make a dependable, season-long commitment
Believe the process of learning matters as much as the final result
You do not need to be an expert—you need to be dependable, curious, encouraging, and willing to help students do the thinking and creating for themselves.
Training & Support
Coaches are not expected to begin the season with all the answers. CIP provides resources and guidance to help coaches understand:
CIP policies and procedures
Student supervision and emergency protocols
Tools and workspace safety
The creative problem-solving process
Odyssey of the Mind rules and coach expectations
Long-Term and Spontaneous Problem preparation
Team organization, communication, conflict management
Competition preparation and tournament-day procedures
Coaches are encouraged to ask questions, communicate challenges early, and seek support whenever needed
Ready to Coach?
If you are interested in becoming a Head Coach or Assistant Coach, complete the Coach Interest Form below. A member of CIP leadership will contact you with additional information about available teams, training, expectations, and next steps.
Looking for Another Way to Help?
Coaching is not the only way to support CIP. Parents and volunteers can also help by serving as a trained judge or tournament worker for the Regional Tournament—and receive a membership discount for their commitment.