Volunteer coaches are vital to the success of this entire initiative! In fact, without coaches’ voluntary partnership, CyberPatriot will never be able to expand to the tens of thousands of schools and students who are eager to participate – and our nation needs. The CyberPatriot coach serves in dual roles. On one hand, the coach is the teacher/mentor (with additional assistance at her/his sole discretion) who guides the team through preparation for the competition. As importantly, the coach is a critical member of the CyberPatriot management team who ensures: 1) access to minor students in a way that protects them and respects parental prerogatives; and 2) the integrity of the competition during the online competition periods. Coaches must serve well in both roles for CyberPatriot to succeed.

As a CyberPatriot Coach, I agree to:

ACCESS TO STUDENTS:

1. Coordinate parental notification and permissions to allow their minor children to participate in the program in accordance with the current “CyberPatriot User Agreement and Privacy Policy” published by the Air Force Association.
2. Coordinate and provide permission for any student/cadet to register in the CyberPatriot Competitor Relationship Management (CRM) system.
3. Coordinate, arrange, and approve involvement with the team by any “Mentor(s)” [technical advisor(s)] at the coach’s sole discretion, whether in-person or online, and whether obtained from the CyberPatriot Mentor Databank or any other source.
4. Abide by the CyberPatriot Standards of Conduct attached to this document.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

1. Deliver basic network security training to all assigned students/cadets as may be reasonably accommodated at the coach’s sole discretion. Resources for accomplishing this training may be found here.
2. Encourage students/cadets to devote some time each week to self-study/preparation for the competition.
   NOTE: This guidance may seem too flexible, but it is intended to spark creativity. We have found in previous competitions that encouraging students to take a central role in team preparation (with adult guidance and involvement) enhances both team cohesion and performance.

COMPETITION MANAGEMENT

1. Select and designate primary and alternate competitors for each competition period. The primary competitors for any single competition period must be assigned from students registered in the CyberPatriot Competitor Relationship Management (CRM) System.
2. Uphold the integrity of the competition by ensuring no more than five students participate in any particular round of the competition and that competitors do not receive assistance from any external source.
3. Ensure that all rules of the competition as described in the “Competition Team Packet” (to be distributed at least one month prior to the first competition round) are strictly followed.

COMPETITION LOGISTICS

1. Coordinate and support all elements of the preparatory training and online competition rounds, including arranging a competition location and obtaining necessary computer equipment for training/qualification rounds of the competition.
2. Provide feedback to the CyberPatriot management team and coordinate feedback from students/cadets designed to improve the entire program.
3. Should the team be selected for any of the in-person competitions, agree to coordinate logistics for the trip with the CyberPatriot management team (all expenses except entertainment and personal expenditures will be funded).
4. Agree to accompany the team and be responsible for supervision and guardianship during the travel and onsite at the competition.