What she said. The tournaments turn out to be somehow less about competition
with other teams than about fun and competition with yourselves.
They're about far more than just how the robot does on the table: I've seen
teams with robots that were too ambitious and basically didn't work win
Robot Design awards, teams that did very poorly on the table win Project
awards (or is it Research? I can never remember the official name!), and
teams of all varieties win Teamwork and other awards.
And it's not even about the awards. In nine years of FLL, I've never seen a
team go home unhappy. In fact, I've only ever seen ONE child crying at the
15 or so tournaments I've been to, and I think he had fallen down and
physically hurt himself (he was with a parent and it clearly wasn't
critical, so I didn't inquire further). Compare that to any sports
tournament you've taken your kids to, and I think you'll find it a
refreshing change.
FLL is about everything you want your kids to be involved in, and part of
that is the tournament experience. Please plan to compete!
And make sure your team knows that EVERY team goes through a period where
"nothing works, we'll never make it, there's no point in continuing" -- and
then something starts working, and by the time they get to the tables at
competition, they'll be pumped and surprise themselves.
--
Phil Smith III
Coach, The Capital Girls (retired)
Team 1900 (2002)
Team 2497 (2003)
Team 2355 (2004)
Team 1945 (2005)
-----Original Message-----
From: First Lego League in Virginia and DC
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Darlene Pantaleo
Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2011 9:53 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VADCFLL-L] Another rookie coach
Hi Jennifer!
It's tough to be a rookie since there is so much to figure out. I don't
recommend skipping out on competing, though, as the experience is good for
the team to go through even when they don't think the robot will do well.
Performance is only 25% of the score after all, and they could win an award
in one of the judged categories.
1. The National Registration must be done every year. You pay the fee and
you get a new number.
2. You need to find a computer to get all of the information. It is not just
single sheets--there are guides and manuals. The award categories that your
team will be judged on are performance (on the field), robot design,
research project, and teamwork. Each judging interview is 10 minutes; there
are usually 3 matches on the field--only the highest score counts.
3. 2 hours a week is plenty for many teams. You will most likely add more
time right before the competition as the kids never feel they are ready.
4. It doesn't matter if teams have the same name. As to the logos, that
information is on the website. If you get a sponsor's logo to add, you will
need to find out what their rules are, too.
Tell the parents what your needs are, including the ability to download all
of the information. Perhaps one of them can take care of that for you. You
will need a laptop for competition, and it would be best to have all the
rules, etc., along with the programming on that computer. Also, if you need
to spend money, divide by 6 and ask the parents to chip in, or see if any of
them work for a company that will help out.
Good luck!
On Jul 28, 2011, at 12:01 AM, SUBSCRIBE VADCFLL-L Anonymous wrote:
> Hi,
> My team of 6 has met three times and we're trying to decide whether to
> compete this year or wait. I'm sorry, I'm sure these questions have been
> posted before. I have looked through the archives, but haven't found what
> I'm looking for.
>
> 1. Is the National Registration a one time fee forever, that will be
attached to
> the coaches name or the school, regardless of what students are on the
team?
>
> 2. I can't download most of the files on here as my computer doesn't have
> anything except works and pdf capabilities. Is there a sheet from a
previous
> year that breaks down the basics of the competition? I read that the
robot
> missions are 25% of the score, but don't know what encompasses the other
> 75%.
>
> 3. Would it be humiliating for a group of 9-11 yr olds to meet 2 hours a
week
> and compete? My parents don't want to add more at this point, and I don't
> have a point of reference as far as skill levels in either research or
maneuvers.
>
> 4. Are there licensing legalities to putting logos on team t-shirts? And
how do
> we find out if other teams have the same name?
>
> We don't have funding organized at this point, so I can't go get some of
> these great resource books you have been suggesting. Thanks for any tips,
> and for posting them yet again.
>
> Jennifer Armstrong
>
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