In this article, the author describes how she prepares her middle school students for their Regional Junior Scholastics and the lessons they have learned through the process. Just as coaches never let athletes prepare without a clear understanding of the rules, her students ground themselves in how different art competitions work. Preparation for her students begins with their work in the sixth grade. Not only do they evaluate their own work with each project, using appropriate rubrics, but they also affirm their individuality in class-wide reviews throughout studio practice until the culminating critiques. By eighth grade art, her students have a firmer idea of how they grow as artists, and how the opinions of others can foster that progress or at least provide impetus for thinking through a rut. Thus, by eighth grade, students are ready for more formal outside evaluations like Scholastic's. Before entering their own work, students also evaluate each other "blind," using the same rubrics as the regional judges. In the face of potential rejection, the author asks her students to keep a file of favored comments and positive rubrics of their work. She also reads from David Bayles and Ted Orland's "Art and Fear" and talks about her own experiences with rejection. (Contains 2 online resources.)