If anyone wants to recruit new coaches--NOW is the time. 

Invite them to go to the VADC FLL Championships in Harrisonburg on Sunday,
Dec 7. Invite them to go to the FTC Tournament in Charlottesville on
Saturday, Dec 6. Suggest they start reading the FLL website now and lend
them your coach's manual to read. And invite them to the FRC Tournament in
Richmond, the first weekend in March. Also, invite them to attend the
World's in Atlanta in mid-April where they can see FLL, FTC and FRC. We met
the greatest little FLL Team from China--their pit was across the aisle from
the Virginia team and that's how we got introduced. If anyone goes to
Atlanta--try to get there for the Opening Ceremony and stay for the Closing
Ceremony. The speakers are fantastic and the crowd is amazing! Just be sure
that wherever they go, they talk to the kids on the teams. Their enthusiasm
is contagious.

This way, potential new coaches can see all aspects of FIRST and the
importance of FLL in the overall scheme of development for these kids. Then
they'll be excited (although maybe still intimidated) about coaching a team.

Experienced coaches and former coaches are great resources and can help
several local teams at one time. We gave our county teachers and interested
parents an introduction to FLL last spring in May and from that, we had at
least five new teams that competed and several new teams that didn't compete
this year. We also have kept a team going with a new coach, we had one
school restart two teams and we have several people come to the Tournament
to evaluate if they could start teams for next year. We still only have one
area FTC team but we are hoping that our other high schools pick that up as
well.

Don't wait. Start now! There are great opportunities out there to help
potential new coaches understand what FIRST has to offer.

Just my 2 cents worth,
Ginny Echelberger
in Charlottesville/Albemarle

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