Organized collection of ramblings about Teen Bible Quizzing
Teen Bible Quiz
  • Study
  • Equip
  • Videos
  • Podcast

How To Deal With Mid-Season Burnout - Tips From A Fellow Quizzer

11/25/2015

3 Comments

 
By Danae Phillips, Former LA District Teen Bible Quizzer
Picture
​I’ve been around quizzing virtually my entire life, and the most common problem I see with my fellow quizzers is mid-season burnout. For some reason, after all the holidays, quizzers start to drop out one by one. And for those of us who don’t drop out completely, mostly our averages drop because we don’t study as much.

​If I were to ask all the quizzers who experienced the infamous burnout what happened, I imagine the majority of them would say either, “I don’t have the time anymore!” or, “I got bored.” If you really want to be involved in this program and excel in it, then you need to do something about this burnout. There’s only so much your coach can do for you!
Here are 3 simple ideas to keep you going:

1. Change your study technique
Picture
So you’ve had this technique that’s worked for you all year! But suddenly, you find yourself zoning out or checking Instagram. The solution? Find other ways to study! I know, it seems obvious. But you’d be surprised how many times this concept has slipped people’s minds, myself included. Put away the phone and study. The Bible is more important than that cute guy at church or that new video game you just bought. I promise they’ll still be there when you finish.

If you’ve been reading the scripture every day straight through, maybe try the double-repetition technique. Or learn a few short memory verses. Get a family member or ask yourself some questions. Listen to the passage while reading it. Just do something different.

When one of my teammates told my dad about his lack of motivation to study, my dad suggested that he should deny himself some of his favorite things until he met his study goal. He should say to himself, “I will not eat this candy bar unless I study for 15 minutes straight. And if I don’t, I have to give it to my brother.” This, of course, inspired him study. (I’d like to imagine it was because he wanted the chocolate, but I don’t think that’s the whole story.) So tell yourself that you will not watch the new episode of your favorite show or play Halo until you finish studying. If you fail you must try again tomorrow and watch your sibling eat your candy. 

2. Go on a quizzing-related trip
Picture
Just like how businesses send some employees on retreats to build trust and teamwork, or to re-ignite a spark for their job, you or your team may need a little fun trip to get that passion stirring again. Make a weekend out of it!

There is a fun quiz every October in Louisville, KY where any church can go and - trust me - it’s a blast. Plus you get to stay in a hotel. And that’s one of the reasons you quiz, right?
​
But if it’s too late for that, contact a nearby district and ask if your team can join the next quiz. More than likely, they will be willing to accept you. Or spend the weekend at someone’s house and play some fun quizzing games. 

3. Remember why you started
Picture
My volleyball coach told our team when we were beginning to lose our infatuation for the sport: “You obviously started doing this for a reason. Whether you started because it was a way to be active, because you saw a game one day and thought it looked fun, or you saw someone you admire play and you decided you wanted to be just like her so you joined a team. I don’t care. You started for a reason. Relive what inspired you and if you don’t come to practice tomorrow with the same passion as the first practice, you’re wasting your time.”

That has stuck with me since then and I’ve applied it to pretty much everything. I started volleyball so I could meet new people since I had just moved to the area. I started quizzing because I saw how much fun the teenagers I admired were having and I wanted to join in the fun.

Maybe you started because you saw a video or heard a friend talk about it. Or maybe your mom talked you into it – or bribed you. Or maybe it was because the cute girl from the church across town quizzed. Whatever it was, relive the moment that made you decide to quiz. Watch the video, talk to your friend. Ask your parents why they thought it was important that you do this. Find the inspiration. Find the spark. Do everything you can to keep from missing a quiz meet. And keep studying! 


Picture
About Danae Phillips

While currently studying Psychology at LSU, Danae previously quizzed on the Mississippi and Louisiana districts and represented each of them as a member of their Regional All-Star teams. She enjoys playing volleyball, loved being home-schooled, and once filmed a movie scene with Tom Hiddleston.

3 Comments
Ranee Terry
11/25/2015 11:39:02 am

Great article! Good to see it from a teen quizzer's perspective.

Reply
Jacob
11/25/2015 02:31:11 pm

I am actually kind of experiencing the exact opposite of what was described in this post. All this extra time while on break has given me a chance to catch up on everything I hadn't learned and to relearn some parts that I had forgotten. I will agree that a lot of why I quit studying was that I got bored with it. I've just reminded myself of what my goals are, and I am prepared to do as much as I can to achieve them. Still, great info and I look forward to more great posts like this. As a side note, I am a third year from the East Central USA Field.

Reply
Josiah Rutledge
11/26/2015 03:21:33 am

I'm in my sixth year of quizzing and every single year I experience this. I like to think of it more as a mid-season slump than a burnout; I know I'll eventually reestablish my footing and start firing on all cylinders again, but in the meantime I lose valuable time and often have to relearn things that I neglected to review. I am in the middle of this phase right now. My personal motivation to break the slump is to focus on one specific quizzer who is significantly better than me, but not so much so that I can't catch them. I am unbelievably competitive, so once I set the goal of beating that person I become obsessed with it and the slump is gone. As I continue to improve each year it becomes harder and harder to find someone who's better than me by a big enough margin so as not to be an easy goal; I've had to start looking outside my district.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    The TBQ Podcast

    Picture
    Check out the Podcast tab to listen to the archived episodes!

      STAY UPDATED

      Enter your first name.
      Enter your email address.
    Get Updates
    Privacy Guarantee: I will never share your e-mail address with anyone else.

    What Is Teen Bible Quizzing?

    Teen Bible Quizzing is a dynamic, enriching ministry with a mission to invite youth into a deeper relationship with Jesus! Endorsed by Nazarene Youth International (NYI), Teen Bible Quizzing uniquely combines study of the Bible, competition, fellowship and disciple-making in a program attractive to youth.
    Read More

    Bible Quiz Board Game

    Picture
    A board game to play using your Bible Quiz questions! Play at home to review or during a team practice. See this article to learn how to play. Purchase the physical board game or download and print your own.

    Bible Quiz Challenge Cards

    Picture
    Playing cards for quiz practice or at a quiz meet to add another dimension of excitement to Teen Bible Quizzing. See this article to learn how to play.

    Get The NPH Bible Quiz App

    Web app works on iOS and Android devices

    About Me

    I am the Louisiana Nazarene Teen Bible Quiz Director, the author of several Teen Bible Quiz apps and study guides, and regular host of The TeenBibleQuiz Podcast.

    I have been involved in Teen Bible Quizzing as either a coach or District Director since 1995.

    I am married to a wonderful wife and have a son and daughter who love the Lord and have recently retired from Teen Bible Quizzing.


    Archives

    June 2022
    August 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    December 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    Categories

    All
    According To
    Burnout
    Card Game
    Challenging
    Christian Competition
    Coaching
    Context Question
    Culture Change
    Danae Phillips
    Focus
    Good Sportsmanship
    How To Study
    Karl Tabor
    Keeping Score
    Memory Verses
    Mindset
    Motivating
    New Quizzers
    Passion
    Pitfalls
    Practice Questions
    Quiz Practice
    Quizzing App
    Rules
    Ryan Holman
    Score Sheet
    Situation Question
    Study Resources
    Time Management
    Top 10
    Uninvolved Parents
    Videos
    Volunteers
    What Is TBQ?

    RSS Feed