Providing opportunities for collegiate students to participate in competitions can be an effective recruitment and retention tool for programs. Often, these competitions are supported through a student organization. The advisor serves as a teacher, coach, and motivator for members on competition teams. Intentionally guiding members through the preparation process will increase success and create a more enjoyable experience. We recommend using a five-stage framework to prepare students for academic competitive events. 1) Develop interest through the introduction of the competition. Build a rapport with students in the program, creating the desire to compete and represent their organization. 2) Build belief in success through past results and goal setting. Convincing students they can be successful is paramount. The advisor and team members should collaboratively develop goals and a vision for success. 3) Outline a path to success to show students what it will take to accurately prepare. Consider a timeline for check-ins, a calendar for practices, or tests to verify content retention. 4) Provide ample time to prepare members. Advisors need to be flexible in their approach. Motivating students to progress through the competition material, holding them accountable to high expectations, while maintaining primary responsibilities like teaching can be a balancing act for advisors. Strive to meet students’ needs while ensuring they are preparing in a timely and organized manner. 5) Allow team members to represent their organization at the competition. Advisors not only guide students in preparation for competitions but also support them through registration, travel, and rapport at the competition. Success and enjoyment of academic competitions can lead to retention and growth within a program. Becoming established as a program of distinction through collegiate competitions, like the NACTA Judging Conference, will build notoriety for your academic program, impacting recruitment, retention and overall program satisfaction.