Photos: NSSC 2014: Before the Tournament

Crestdale / Northwest School of the Arts (NC) and other students are escorted up to the playing room by Hasbro characters

Crestdale / Northwest School of the Arts (NC), Park Road Montessori (NC) and other students are escorted up to the playing room by Hasbro characters

Hasbro's elevator lobbies are identified by characters

Waiting to register

Waiting to register

Staff members Matthew and Kieran O'Connor, Chris Lipe, Ben Greenwood and Donna Paul

Staff members Matthew and Kieran O'Connor, Chris Lipe, Ben Greenwood and Donna Paul

Matt Dube and Peter Sokolowski at the Merriam-Webster desk

Warmup games

Check-in with data entry staff

Tournament Director John Chew at his station

At data entry check-in: Vince Castellano, Sherrie Saint John, Chris Lipe

At data entry check-in: Vince Castellano, Sherrie Saint John, Chris Lipe

Waiting for first-round pairings

Arriving on the fourth floor

Donna Paul checking the room setup Donna Paul checking the room setup Fourth-floor elevator lobby Checking out the goodie bags Waiting for round 1 Looking at Round 1 pairings Scrabble Wizards (ON) and others checking first-round pairings Eastern Greene MS 1 (IN), Eastern Greene MS 2 (IN) and others playing a warm-up game From the Scrabble archive From the Scrabble archive From the Scrabble archive Warm-up games Scrabble history Coach Katya Lezin, Crestdale / Northwest School of the Arts (NC), Park Road Montessori (NC) and others at registration Data entry check-in Mount Pleasant Christian School 1 (MD) Coach Stefan Fatsis and some of the DC teams, including Alice Deal MS 1, (DC), Alice Deal MS 3 (DC), Alice Deal MS 5 (DC), Alice Deal MS/Janney ES (DC). Coach Stefan Fatsis and some of the DC teams, including Alice Deal MS 1, (DC), Alice Deal MS 3 (DC), Alice Deal MS 5 (DC), Alice Deal MS 8 (DC), Alice Deal MS/Janney ES (DC). Before Round 1 Data entry check-in Jack Van Leer, Senior Marketing Manager at Hasbro, welcoming players Karen Davis (at left), VP Community Relations for Hasbro Tournament Director John Chew discussing event rules TD John Chew thanking Karen Davis

Fourth-floor elevator lobby

Checking out the goodie bags

Waiting for round 1

Looking at Round 1 pairings

Scrabble Wizards (ON) and others checking first-round pairings

Eastern Greene MS 1 (IN), Eastern Greene MS 2 (IN) and others playing a warm-up game

From the Scrabble archive

From the Scrabble archive

From the Scrabble archive

Warm-up games

Scrabble history

Coach Katya Lezin, Crestdale / Northwest School of the Arts (NC), Park Road Montessori (NC) and others at registration

Data entry check-in

Mount Pleasant Christian School 1 (MD)

Coach Stefan Fatsis and some of the DC teams, including Alice Deal MS 1, (DC), Alice Deal MS 3 (DC), Alice Deal MS 5 (DC), Alice Deal MS/Janney ES (DC).

Coach Stefan Fatsis and some of the DC teams, including Alice Deal MS 1, (DC), Alice Deal MS 3 (DC), Alice Deal MS 5 (DC), Alice Deal MS 8 (DC), Alice Deal MS/Janney ES (DC).

Before Round 1

Data entry check-in

Jack Van Leer, Senior Marketing Manager at Hasbro, welcoming players

Karen Davis (at left), VP Community Relations for Hasbro

Tournament Director John Chew discussing event rules

TD John Chew thanking Karen Davis