Jason
I competed in my first conterst last weekend, here are my thoughts...

1. try to take a caller with you who you know and will call exactly as you agree. the volunteer caller that I used tried to tell me how to do every thing and all the talking just screwed me up. I really appreciate that everyone is willing to help, but you need to concentrate on what you are doing not trying to listen to what someone is telling you about every little thing you probably know anyway. I just wanted him to say one word, what the next manuver is. Sorry, I rambled...

2. I thought my knees would be knocking, that didn't happen, once my plane left the groung everything else just faded away.

3. Make sure you take a comfortable chair with you, you do a lot of waiting in those two days.

4. volunteer to scribe, you can watch how smooth some guys are and you can learn a lot from that.

5. Pay close attention to the wind, I never practiced in a crosswind, and it blew me off track several times. If there is a crosswind hold in a little rudder while the plane is upright to hold the line. Inverted rudder is too confusing until you can practice using it.

6. flirt a little with the lady cooking lunch, she has a nice smile.

6. Above all, you will get to know some really nice people, and have fun.