Parents are welcome - and encouraged - to stay and watch the action at the tournament.  It is a fun event to attend as a spectator and the more spectators who are there the better as far as the kids are concerned (they love all of the cheering!).  Parents, and other non-coach spectators, are welcome in the pit (where the teams set up shop for the day) and in the room where the robot performance portion of the competition takes place.  For the research project, teamwork, and robot design judging it is the VA/DC FLL policy that only two coaches and one historian (someone who is recording the session for the team) are allowed in the room.  There is no requirement that coaches or a historian go into the judging rooms with the team, it is simply a limitation on the number permitted.

The rule regarding who can be in the judging rooms, which has been slightly expanded from last year, was put into place for two reasons.  The first is because past experiences have taught us that having a large audience can be overwhelming for some kids and we want, first and foremost, for the teams to walk away feeling good about their participation in the tournament.  The second is that we want to make sure that teams have a consistent experience across Virginia and DC, regardless where they are participating.  Some venues have room for spectators and others don't.

While VA/DC FLL requires that least one adult coach is with the team all day, it is up to the individual tournament director or coach to decide whether or not parents are required to be present at that particular event or for that particular team.  Please ask your child's coach if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Brittany

---
Brittany Rose
VA/DC FIRST LEGO League
www.vadcfll.org

----- Original Message -----
From: "Joan Ackroyd" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 3:30:04 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: [VADCFLL-L] Parents at tournament

Hi all,
 Can parents stay ant watch the tournament, or just club members?

Are we required to be present the whole time, or are there break times when
we can leave and return?

Thanks,
Joan

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