I think that ACE Camp has helped me and the rest of the team at Johnson Central tremendously. While studying and practicing for competition, you learn a wide range of knowledge and by playing in the daily tournaments you are faced with new formats. ACE Camp is definitely something to look forward to! If the Kentucky Governors' Scholars Program accepts me, I will be at a 5-week camp at one of three colleges. It's very unfortunate that the dates of the program interfered with that of the dates at ACE Camp. I loved last year's camp.

--Eric LeMaster
Johnson Central High School
Paintsville, KY

Posted Sunday, February 4, 2007

I can't say enough good things about Ace Camp. It has elevated my team to the next level of quiz bowl competition. Not only did the knowledgeable and personable staff share a plethora of facts with us, but they also recommended resources for future study. I made countless friends from all over the country, whom I see on the tournament circuit throughout the year. I can't tell you the number of times that facts my team has learned from camp have helped us win matches (i.e. the one question that won the semi-finals for us at the 2007 Dorman Cavalier Challenge). Camp is inexpressibly useful and undeniably fun!

--Rachel Beckman
Danville High School
Danville, KY

Posted Sunday, January 28, 2007

Maine South has really grown individually and as a team. So far, we've managed top-4 finishes at all the tournaments we've been to except one. I definitely think ACE helped us tremendously. It gave us a little more exposure in subjects we've been weak on in the past, and it was a great way to learn things that we'll face in tournaments. As you're learning and memorizing, you sit there saying, "No one will EVER ask about that!" Lo and behold, they do. Many times. I went with three teammates. We met for meals, between classes, studying, and went to a few of the same classes. We definitely got a little bit closer, and you can learn simply by helping someone study. Br

--Brigette Demke
Maine South High School
Chicago, IL

Posted Sunday, January 21, 2007

Under NO circumstances should ANY coach in our competition area allow their students to attend this camp. We LIKE having the edge it gives our best students (and we already have to deal with Dr. (Ronnie) Rummage's well-coached team!). Just STAY HOME!!

--Kay Campbell, Academic Team Coach
Lincoln County High School
Fayetteville, TN

Posted Sunday, January 21, 2007

Ace Camp has been valuable for Carl. He captained his JV team through its season and received recognition like this (on the announcements at his school): "The Springfield High Scholastic Bowl Team pulled double duty very well on Saturday by capturing 2 tournament titles in the same day. The JV team traveled to Jacksonville and took on the rest of the CS8 conference. The team finished the day undefeated, winning all seven of their games. Sophomore Carl Butt was the leading scorer in the tournament posting an amazing 40 tossups on the day." He is now with the varsity team for the rest of this year. At the last varsity tournament, he captained for parts of a couple games. He will have this role full-time as a junior and senior. Carl is a definite returning camper in 2007.

--David Butts, Parent
Springfield High, IL

Posted Sunday, January 21, 2007

The four boys who attended Maryville last year were members of Fremd's Varsity Scholastic Bowl team that won the Illinois Masonic Academic Bowl Tournament and were also the Class AA champions of the Illinois High School Association's Scholastic Bowl! My son will be the only member returning to Maryville, but will be attending with some of next year's teammates.

Brian definitely felt ACE Camp contributed to their success the year. The boys studied their notes from camp before almost meet this year.

--Mariann Greetis, Parent

Posted Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Thank you ACE Quiz Bowl Camp! We owe much of Johns Creek Middle School’s team's success to your camp. Our team has been attending ACE Camp the past four years. ACE Camp has helped our students to be better prepared and confident at competitions. At camp our team members have learned how to be more responsible and develop better study habits while learning vast amounts of information.

We have always been so impressed with how organized the camp is run. The teachers who conduct the majors/minors are knowledgeable and care about each camper’s success. The nightly competitions are great at motivating students.

ACE Quiz Bowl Camp doesn’t only motivate students but coaches as well. The coaching sessions provide information and ideas to the most novice coach as well as the most experienced.

This past year Johns Creek Middle School placed first in Quick Recall at the state level. Several other students placed in the top 10 in written assessment in Math, Science, and Arts and Humanities at the state level. The team has earned many awards and achievements at numerous competitions throughout the past year.

Once again thanks ACE Quiz Bowl Camp for providing students a time in the summer to meet others who share the common interest of gaining knowledge.

--James and Renee Coleman, Coaches
Johns Creek Middle School
Pikeville, Kentucky

Posted Wednesday, July 6, 2005

Thank you for the kind words concerning White Cloud's reputation as "hard workers" at camp.

I want to return a compliment concerning ACE. White Cloud (MI) won the Class B State Championship in Michigan this spring due in large part to our starters attending ACE for the last two summers.

Tiffany Tremlin (our literature scholar) won 1st-team All-State accolades last month. She attended ACE the past two summers, majoring in literature.

Your ACE camp staff's dedication has paid dividends for White Cloud's quiz bowl players.

Thanks so much to you and the rest of your staff.

--Tony McHattie, Coach
White Cloud High School
White Cloud, Michigan

Posted Saturday, June 4, 2005

"I believe Ace camp has been a major factor in any success that Savannah High School has had in Quiz Bowl. My students learn how to study and build a knowledge base in their chosen area of study. They also get to practice several different game formats and learn some tips on game strategy. The camp has helped me pick up some good ideas and coaching techniques. One of my current players may have summed up our experience at Ace camp best when he said, 'We learn a lot of stuff and have fun.' I have never taken a player to camp who would disagree with that statement."

--Bill Luce, Coach
Savannah High School
Savannah, MO

During my freshman year, my first year playing Scholastic Bowl for Rockford Auburn, my coach, Linda Greene, told the other freshman players and me about ACE Quiz Bowl Camp. Though I knew little about the camps, other than the fact that some of my older teammates had gone in the past, I jumped at the chance to improve as a player.

ACE holds two camps each year, one at Southeast Missouri University (SEMO) and one at South Carolina’s Furman University. Run by top coaches from several different states, the camps are designed to help each student develop all around as a Quiz Bowl player.

At SEMO, four majors—literature, science, social studies, and math—are offered, along with two minors, art and music. Each camper chooses one major and, with the exception of math, is placed in a level that corresponds to his or her previous knowledge, based on a placement test. Each student also chooses one minor, though it is an option to attend both.

Along with my teammate Tyler Kerr, I attended the camp at SEMO in 2003. I chose to take Lit I, the first level of the literature major, and was quickly immersed in American lit. The sessions were fun, quick, and informative, and I soon found myself ruefully remembering questions I’d missed in the past.

In 2004, I attended camp again, this time joined by teammate Emily Marlow. I took Lit II, and learned more about early world lit. Although I’d enjoyed my first year at camp, I had been nervous, especially when I saw how smart and talented my fellow campers were. As a veteran, I felt more confident, and was able to do well and make friends.

Each day we were quizzed on information we’d learned in previous sessions, and I learned that it pays to study (we were rewarded with edible prizes for top scores). Practice sessions on the buzzers determined our placement for nightly tournaments, providing a chance to experience different playing formats and to show off our skills.

At the end of camp, the top players from each subject area competed against each other in tournaments. Both years, I was lucky enough to be able to play against top literature players from Missouri, Arkansas, Maryland, Georgia, and other states, awed by their speed and knowledge. When camp ended, I left happy and eager for the next Quiz Bowl season to begin.

--Colleen Powers, Eleventh Grader
Auburn High School
Rockford, IL