Official Contest Rules

1. Overview

These Official Contest Rules govern the Community Choice voting component of The Coachies 2026 Awards program, produced by The Teaching Studio, LLC ("Producer"). By casting a vote, you agree to these Rules in full.

2. Voting Period

The voting period opens on or around the date nominations are accepted and closes at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on November 15, 2026. Votes submitted or confirmed after this deadline will not be counted. The Producer reserves the right to extend, shorten, or close the voting period at any time without notice.

3. Who May Vote

Voting is open to any individual with a valid, personal email address. The following are prohibited from voting: automated systems, bots, scripts, or any non-human voting mechanism; individuals using temporary, disposable, or purchased email addresses for the purpose of casting multiple votes; nominees voting for themselves; and any party acting in coordination to artificially inflate vote counts.

4. How Voting Works

1. Voter navigates to a nominee's unique voting page at thecoachies.com/vote/[nominee-slug]
2. Voter enters their email address and submits the form
3. A confirmation email is sent to that address containing a unique, single-use token link
4. The vote is not counted until the voter clicks the confirmation link
5. Each email address may cast one confirmed vote per award category
6. Voters may vote in multiple award categories using the same email address, provided each vote is for a different category

5. Vote Integrity & Disqualification

The Producer actively monitors voting activity for fraud, manipulation, and abuse. We reserve the right to:

• Disqualify any votes deemed fraudulent, automated, coordinated, or otherwise invalid
• Disqualify a nominee's entire vote count if vote manipulation is suspected
• Require additional verification from any voter at our sole discretion
• Adjust, nullify, or recount votes at any time before the winner is announced
• Determine the Community Choice winner by any method we deem appropriate

All determinations by the Producer regarding vote validity are final and binding.

6. Community Choice Recognition

The nominee with the highest number of confirmed, valid votes in each award category at the close of voting will be recognized as the Community Choice winner for that category. The Community Choice winner automatically earns inclusion among the Top 5 Finalists for their category. No cash prize or monetary award is associated with Community Choice recognition. Recognition is in the form of on-air acknowledgment during the December 10, 2026 broadcast and related promotional materials.

7. Finalist Selection — Top 5

Up to five nominees per category will be recognized as Top 5 Finalists. Four finalist positions are determined by AI-assisted scoring. One finalist position is reserved for the Community Choice winner. If the Community Choice winner is already among the AI-selected top four, all five positions are filled by AI scoring. Finalists are presented in no particular order. There is no ranked winner among the Top 5.

8. Publicity

By voting, you consent to the Producer's use of your participation (not your email address) for general promotional statements such as "Thousands of votes cast in The Coachies 2026." Your individual email address will not be published, sold, or disclosed except as described in the Privacy Policy.

9. General Conditions

The Producer is not responsible for technical failures, lost or misdirected emails, internet outages, or any other circumstances that prevent a vote from being submitted or confirmed. The Producer's decisions on all matters relating to this contest are final. These Rules are subject to change at any time.