As Ollie got up there to serve as a judge during this the cubing tournament, I could feel the other nervous parents near me, hoping their children wouldn’t mess up judging other competitors. We were all learning forward, but none of us got up as our children figured out where to go and what to do.
There is a lot of steps to judging: asking the competitor if they were ready, timing the preview period, giving them time warnings of the period, marking down the score, making sure the competitor signed off on the score and judging issues with the solves. I was worried Ollie would mess up someone else’s experience, but he didn’t. He wasn’t the fastest judge, but he figured it out, and it was because of the people at the competitions.
The people running the competition were very helpful, which was nice but not unexpected. What impressed me was the competitors, many of them older than my 9-year-old son (some of them were adults). The were helpful and patient with him as he figured out how to be a judge. Clearly, for the competitor, their priority was doing well, but from the way I saw them treat my son, treating judges and new participants with respect was as part of that process.
Ollie started getting into cubing last June. As he got faster, I wondered if there were any competitions he could check out. I didn’t think he would go and win, but I hoped he would enjoy experiencing. Luckily we found one near us, The Mt. Prospect Open 2022. Ollie was really excited when I asked him if he wanted to go, so we got him registered. He wanted to do all of the events, so he got practicing. Before he registered, he didn’t even have a 7x7 cube, so I got him one, and he figured it out.
This cubing competition was fascinating. It was at a park district center gymnasium. The competitor limit was 200, and there were five events: 2x2, 3x3, 7x7, pyraminx, and meganminx. People were called up in groups at one of four stations for most of the events. First, they dropped their cube in a box with a scorecard and then sat down in a waiting area. Next, cubes were scrambled, and people were called up to complete a solution. When they were done, they would sit down and wait for the cube to be scrambled for their next solution. Once they got through five solves, that round was done. Here is a video that outlines the process.
Initially, the process seemed a little convoluted, but once I watched a couple of rounds, it made a lot of sense.
Initially, the process seemed a little convoluted, but once I watched a couple of rounds, it made a lot of sense.
The tournament really felt right. I realized it was because three things that I feel are central to educational and human development were a part of the foundation of these competitions.
First off, ages and genders were not split up. 8-year-olds were competing against 40-year-olds and girls were competing against boys. Was this unfair? Not really. The nature of speedcubing means that younger people can be competitive and there are no reasons to split up people by gender. We live, learn and operate best when around people of different ages and genders. It is unnatural to segregate by age and gender as much as we do as a society, and many of our issues result from these practices.
Second, every single participant served others in the competition as a judge. I think this came from needing help for these events, but it has created a fantastic vibe. If you know you will have to serve as a judge, you have more empathy for the people judging you. This also encourages interaction between people and opportunities for support and kindness. I saw many judges being very kind, offering encouraging comments, and helping out competitors. Also, judging creates a situation where people can see competitors up close, which is a thrill.
More competitions should have individuals serve others and have a role in judging. It makes the competition feel less like competitors vs. judge/referee, and more of a feeling where the competitors are working with the judges to make the competition fair and kind.
Finally, this competition was about finding satisfaction in your progress and goals while competing against others. This allowed for success to look and feel different for people. For example, hitting a personal best and not making the finals was an awesome accomplishment. However, while competing against each other, people were not competing head-to-head.
Two people could still hit their personal best, and one would win because they were slightly faster than the other. Nothing that another person could do, like intercepting a football pass, directly impacted another person, and this made for a positive feeling in this competition. A lot of this was due to the setup of the competition, but I think a lot of it had to do with the cubing community.
I was first introduced to the cubing community by this incredible Netflix documentary, The Speed Cubers. It’s an excellent documentary about cubing and how positivity and kindness can be present in a highly competitive atmosphere:
One of the best and most beloved cubers right now Max Park, featured in this documentary, is autistic. This is significant. As I’ve joined cubing Facebook groups, I’ve seen this kindness and inclusivity worldwide and saw it on display during this competition last weekend. The camaraderie in this documentary sets a tone for the cubing community. Are there people in the cubing community who are jerks? I’m sure of it, but it makes a difference when the leaders in this community are not. This a community where neurodiversity, racial diversity, and a wide age range are features that are celebrated.
There were emotional ups and downs. Ollie wanted to make the finals, but he didn’t. Ollie had great times and disappointing times. Overall he completed seventeen solves and had one DNF (did not finish) because he couldn’t finish the 7x7 cube in the ten-minute time limit.
When this happened and the judge had to stop him, Ollie was clearly disappointed. As he returned to the chair next to me, a parent sitting next to me noticed his sadness and told him how amazing he was for even trying. As he sat next to me and finished his 7x7 in a couple more minutes, another parent sitting nearby told him how most people in the competition didn’t even try to do the 7x7 event and how he was doing something 99.999% of the world couldn’t do. I couldn’t help but reflect on this kindness during the whole event, talking to other parents and being encouraging to other competitors.
I think this is why Ollie wants to come back to another cubing competition. Competitors and spectators were friendly to Ollie. People started conversations with him and gave him encouraging comments, and Ollie reciprocated this by responding to people and showing great care when judging.
I’m proud that Ollie went out and did something different, and was so successful. I’m really grateful to Ollie that his interests and excitement got me to try something different and go to an event that was new for me too.
Yes, it’s nice when Ollie shares my interests, but that’s not the point of our relationship. If I’m looking for someone to share my interests with, I should look for that in my friends more than my children. While my children should learn to understand and try out my interests, it’s okay if they are not into something I’m passionate about. Love isn’t about loving the same things.
I remember getting into Broadway music when I was in middle school, and my father, who was not into Broadway music, made an effort to dive into this musical genre to understand me better. Then he developed his passion for musicals. This was so cool of him, and I feel it’s one of the best examples of what is so great about parenthood. My children being into something I’m not, which leads me to new experiences and growth, is part of the transformative experience of parenting. This happened in a very real way with Ollie’s interest in speedcubing.
I sat down for an hour and a half to learn how to solve a cube just so I could better understand Ollie’s passion, and I went to this competition last weekend to be closer to him. And at the same time, I’ve developed my independent interest in cubing. How cool is that?
To the organizers of the Mt. Prospect Open 2022 Cubing Competition: Bravo. Nicely done, and thank you. This competition felt like the best of parenting: when doing for your child feels like doing for yourself and pride fills your heart as they do more than you ever could.
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