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  • 1.  Thinking about starting a Comedy Sportz High School team

    Posted 07-01-2019 20:16
    I am thinking about starting a Comedy Sportz High School team and would like to hear how it went for you. How was the training for teachers and students and how much more of a time commitment is it?
     
    Thanks!
     
    Scott


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    Scott Bier
    Whittier, CA

    "Your fear of looking stupid is holding you back."
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  • 2.  RE: Thinking about starting a Comedy Sportz High School team

    Posted 07-02-2019 10:35
    Our drama club has sponsored an Improv team for several years that is now run by students. We only practice 1 day a week up to 2 hours. We do 3-4 shows a year. As it costs nothing to do a show this has become our fundraiser to support our thespian troupe and the shows are the most well-attended. I coached the team for a few years and then a student asked to be improv captain and since then students run our practices. This coming year I have 3 seniors who want to be captain. I am going to have them rotate being in charge of the practices until someone emerges as the best captain. 

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    Amy Sando,
    Douglas High School Drama
    782-5136
     
    "You've got to paint the picture and then walk into it. And if you ever find you can't paint the picture, just don't walk."



    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Thinking about starting a Comedy Sportz High School team

    Posted 07-03-2019 09:50
    This school year we will be celebrating our 15th year in the ComedySportz High School League. For Paramount HS it has been a great fundraiser for our drama club to support the financial expenses of productions and go on field trips, it changed the lives of students on the team, and has brought non-theater going audiences to the theater.
    ComedySportzLA gives you lots of support and guidance as an advisor, as to running the team, structuring the team, training the team and teaching your student managers how to manage the team. CSZLA assigns you one of their pro players to coach you for the year and each year you are involved. As a new school you will have 5 training sessions from October to March(you will schedule those dates with your coach), 2 Gamecons(big meetings with all schools in the league[app 70 schools], a full day of breakout workshops for students and advisors at one of our CSZHSL schools in October and February), as a new school you won't play matches until the Spring when your coaching workshops have ended and your coach has approved your students to play. There is a fee for being part of the league(it is less for new than for returning teams, i'm not sure of the cost for new teams), the team fee covers the costs of the training, the rights to perform ComedySportz matches(you keep 100% of the profits made) and use the CSZHSL Logo. There is also a player fee, cost for uniforms(which you could purchase a team set  or have each student buy there own) and a ref fee for matches if you choose to use one of the CSZLA players to ref(which i recommend).
    Like anything your 1st year could be filled with challenges, but after that it becomes a well oiled machine. Annually, we play 6 homes matches and 4-6 away matches depending on what my student managers arrange with other student managers. California HS in Whittier has a team, we share the same coach and have played with them several times. Reach out to Cal High, perhaps she can give you tips about starting the team, start up funding and mentoring you through your first year.
    Checkout High School League®
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    High School League®
    The ComedySportz High School League® is the largest, most successful improv training program for high school students in the country. The High School League® empowers students to create their own theatre and nourishes their communication skills through improvisational theatre workshops and performances.
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    I


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    Elizabeth M Aldave
    Theater Arts Teacher
    VAPA Team Leader
    PHS ComedySportzHSL Team Advisor
    Paramount High School
    Paramount, CA
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Thinking about starting a Comedy Sportz High School team

    Posted 07-03-2019 16:30
    We've been a member of the LA  ComedySportz® HS League for 25 years. I find it to be a valuable part of our program. The team attracts students from all over campus. 

    The league trains the manager, the sponsor, and teaches everyone how to hold auditions and run a match. We audition in the fall, select a team of about 25-30, hold practice one night a week (except for show weeks), and have about one night match per month. The matches more than pay for the yearly league fees. Each team gets assigned a coach who comes out for four two hour sessions, and usually is the ref assigned to that school's night matches.

    Some years I pay a young teacher or alum to co-sponsor the team so I don't have to be at evening practices. 

    Matches are very popular with our 5th-8th graders, as well as the HS kids. We've do a yearly teacher, alumni, and parent match which all bring in huge audiences.

    CZ is a great way to get another professional involved in your program, and it is always wonderful for kids to hear notes from a different voice. 

    I say take the plunge and give it a try. You will find many (about 75) area high schools to collaborate with who will have all kinds of suggestions and ideas for building your team/audience.

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    Krista Carson Elhai
    CA Educational Theatre Association, Past President
    CA Thespians Director of Membership & New Teacher Outreach
    Theatre Chair Claremont HS
    An International Baccalaureate World School
    Claremont CA
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    Original Message


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