Our team is a school-based program so our first year we only had 6 weeks from first meeting to tournament date. The kids' goal was simply to have a single, cool robot mission work well and they succeeded at their goal. They didn't have any expectations for core values or the project. They had a lot of fun at the tournament and were very happy without any awards. To everyone's surprise, they won 1st prize for the project! Moral: Set realistic goals and focus on doing your best -- you will be amazed what comes out of it. Some practical ideas: - Filter parent involvement to limit crossing the line. I start nearly every conversation with parents with the statement "the solution is the kids', the kids do the work" (see Core Values bullet #2). Its more fun for the kids when it really is theirs. We expect the kids to do the work -- let the kids enjoy the fruits of their labor! - Have the kids set achievable goals they can be proud of. Give out your own team prizes for success (pizza party, LEGO party, etc.). Some very achievable goals: - Attend the tournament no matter what. This is the best reward of all! - Complete the project. - Share with at least one group before the tournament. Showing off what they learned is a lot of fun (especially with friends and classmates)! - Set a number of working missions or number of points scored at the tournament. - Have a mission working using a sensor (versus just dead reckoning). - Be proud of your Core Values poster. - Give out certificates to all the kids using official looking FLL participation certificates. - See the template on the website: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/marketing-tools/fll/2013-natures-fury-challenge-logo-and-poster - Create unique fun prizes or fun paper plate awards for every kid. - Most creative use of a sensor. - Most creative robot attachment not used in the tournament. - Incredible time-keeping. - Best display of GP. - Best actor/actress in a supporting role. - To appease your NoVA parents, try: - Have parents attend the tournament as spectators -- they will be impressed. - Make sure your historian at the tournament shares their videos and don't zoom in on just their kid (recall the camera commercial). - Have the kids re-enact the judging sessions after the tournament (not during please). - Have the parents try a Core Values challenge themselves! Have fun! Jeff Beima Coach, Terra-Techno Tigers, FLL #9403 On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 4:09 PM, Lillian Sun Tadlock <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > > I agree -- very well spoken (typed)! For new teams, I have to say that > FLL is very exciting, and the host groups have always been phenomenal about > making the atmosphere fun. The teams are truly celebrated and the cheering > for these kids is incredible. It is a very fun day, and all the teams are > treated like rock stars. > > As the coach, just make sure they are well-rested and well-fed (bring or > plan to buy snacks and drinks, etc), and they will pick up on your positive > energy. Being nervous and tense really will negatively impact their > attitude for the day. Most teams who have done FLL more than once will > tell you ANY and EVERY team can have a bad run, a bad day, a bad > presentation, whatever. We've all been there. The judges have always been > exceptionally supportive, gracious, and understanding, and it's a fantastic > experience for the kids to have such a rapt audience. > > Best wishes!! Have fun! > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Phil Smith III <[log in to unmask]> > To: VADCFLL-L <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Fri, Oct 25, 2013 3:07 pm > Subject: Re: [VADCFLL-L] Rookie team > > Tell the parents to calm down (I know, this is the subtext of your > message already). > > The Capital Girls realized early on that the competition wasn’t really > against the other teams: it’s against themselves and their robot. So they > never really cared how other teams did, just whether THEY felt that THEY’D > done their best. Essentially, the FLL Challenge is a mountain that nobody > is supposed to climb all the way. Some teams are GT 8th graders with no > extracurriculars who live in the same neighborhood and spend many many > hours every day; other teams are full of busy 5th graders who meet once a > week for an hour. And everything in between (and being older isn’t > necessarily an advantage, but I’m sure the kids THINK it is). > > So sure, there might be some “keener” team at a tournament clicking off > high table scores. But that’s only 25% of the overall evaluation. I’ve seen > teams advance to State who did poorly on the table; I’ve seen teams NOT > advance who did GREAT on the table. > > And I have yet to see a team NOT have fun at a tournament. I like to tell > the story of having only ever seen ONE kid crying in eleven years of > coaching and judging, and there was clearly a lot more going on there than > just unhappiness over performance. Compare that to ANY sport your kids have > participated in. > > So…worry not. Tell them to do their best, and enjoy the ride. And when > they get together this week and complain that NOTHING IS WORKING AND WE > AREN’T READY AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO THERE’S NO POINT… -- deep breath, > help them figure out what DOES work, and don’t even let them THINK about > not coming. They’ll have a blast! > -- > Phil Smith III > > Coach, The Capital Girls (retired) > Team 1900 (2002) > Team 2497 (2003) > Team 2355 (2004) > Team 1945 (2005) > > *From:* First Lego League in Virginia and DC [ > mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On Behalf Of *Linda Budiman > *Sent:* Friday, October 25, 2013 2:24 PM > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* [VADCFLL-L] Rookie team > > Hi Everyone, > > We are a new rookie team (joined FLL in September -- enjoying it very > much - especially everyone's support) and as we approach the finish line > parents are worried about the kids feeling really bad if they don't perform > up to the other teams. > > Our hearts are torn because we know in our minds it's about teaching the > FLL Core Values. We are thinking of the core values -- "We are a > team", "What we discover if more important". At the same time, we > respect the parents who feel strongly that the kids may feel bad in > the end. Has anyone ever been here walking in these shoes that could > offer advice. W > > We would love to hear everyone's thoughts. > > Best Regards > Linda Budiman > > · We are a team. > · We do the work to find solutions with guidance from our coaches and > mentors. > · We know our coaches and mentors don't have all the answers; we learn > together. > · We honor the spirit of friendly competition. > · What we discover is more important than what we win. > · We share our experiences with others. > · We display Gracious Professionalism® and Coopertition® in everything > we do. > · We have FUN! > ------------------------------ > To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit > https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or > leave the list". > VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. > Visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-announcements-l.html to > subscribe. > ------------------------------ > To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit > https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or > leave the list". > VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. > Visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-announcements-l.html to > subscribe. > ------------------------------ > To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit > https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or > leave the list". > VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. > Visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-announcements-l.html to > subscribe. > -- To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or leave the list". -- VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. 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