We're half way through the first day of the tournament. So far, so good.
We left the hotel at an insanely early 6:30, but everyone was wide awake and excited. After a few wrong turns (thanks Jeremy) we finally made it to the Akron campus. For a while, we weren't sure the vans would fit in the parking deck - low ceilings - but we risked it and barely made it in. Even though it was freezing in the parking deck, we had an impromptu dance party.
Warm-ups were great. Because we were there so early (extemp draw wasn't until 9) we had more than an hour to get ready. They were full of energy and loads of fun! First round went off at 9:30. Everything was great - except for the shockingly cold wind. Luckily things have warmed up as the day has gone on.
As we've seen kids between rounds, they seem to be happy with their performances. Everyone's focused and staying positive. They all are buzzing about the great performances they've seen from other teams.
The last round should wrap up at around 7. We're having dinner brought in to the hotel, so we should be able to get plenty of sleep tonight. Sleep is a weapon at nationals.
Thanks for the well wishes. We'll keep posting whenever we have some downtime.
