Ditto Stuart's and Frank's comments!

For my and the school's first year, we only had 6 weeks total and we were feeling the same exasperation you are expressing.  It was the best year ever!  

It's great that, as the coach, you are doing your job by recognizing the team's weaknesses and helping them work through them.  But, don't let your adult stress and motivations get in the way.  Let their primary goal be having fun!

My thoughts:

  1. Focus on having fun!
  2. Focus on the FLL Core Values!
  3. Start and end every meeting with a Core Value exercise.  Keep them brief and fun (5 minutes) and revel in their successes.  Try one of Frank's or one that this team has put on the web (three of them my teams have actually done in a tournament):
  4. Follow through on bringing the kids together as a team with a cohesive robot game strategy.  Your kids' story will be compelling and understood in the Robot Design judging.

Jeff Beima
Coach, Terra-Techno Tigers
FLL #6960 & #21373

On Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 2:54 PM, Frank Levine <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Also, set expectations properly.  Last year, I was very upfront about the fact that advancing out of the regional round is hard.  My team knew it, and so did the parents.  Remember that "what we learn is more important than what we accomplish".  If your kids are learning, you're doing it right.  We didn't advance, and everyone left happy.

Regarding core values, just start doing teamwork exercises with the team.  Some that we have done:

* For all of these, observe the team and fill out the core-values ruberick that is available from FLL - that's exactly what the judges will be doing.  After they finish, ask them a few questions about how the team worked together, etc.

* Take a pile of Lego's (maybe 100) and have the team sort them into 4 catagories.  
* Give them a box of toothpicks and mini-marshmallows and have them build the tallest structure they can
* Do the "lost at sea" challenge (http://insight.typepad.co.uk/insight/2009/02/lost-at-sea-a-team-building-game.html)
* Do the "lost on the moon" challenge (http://insight.typepad.co.uk/insight/2009/02/moon-landing-a-team-building-game.html)

The tournament challenge won't be known until the day of the tournament, so there's only so much you can do to practice.

Hope this helps,
Frank 

On Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 2:39 PM, Stuart F. Rawlings <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Sarah,

First and foremost- there is no cause for embarrassment. The whole experience is about the kid's learning. Any embarrassment is usually on the part of the adults who have misplaced perceptions of the meaning of the competition(s).

The judging rooms are closed to all except the team members and their mentors. So, no need to worry there.

As to logistics, give them a simple problem to solve and evaluate their experience using the rubric. This takes between 10-20 minutes to practice. Since you already have the challenge under control, you will be prepared! Remind your team that they are judged throughout the competition as to core values. There are judges watching throughout, not just in a little room. Ask them to treat each other according to the ethos expressed in the core values and gracious professionalism and, again, all will be well. Most of all, stress that they are there to learn and have fun.

Hope this helps.

Stuart Rawlings

Technology Education CSMS

Adult Education- GED BCAT

Yearbook Advisor CSMS

Robot Team Coordinator CSMS

Track Coach CSMS

Cave Spring Middle School

4880 Brambleton Ave.

Roanoke, VA. 24018

540- 772-7560

________________________________________
From: First Lego League in Virginia and DC [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Sarah Oden [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2015 2:01 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VADCFLL-L] New Team- HELP prep for tournament

Our team has only been together for 2 months (none of the children knew each other before the team was formed) and has met a total of 10 times (between 1-2 hours each time).  We started from scratch with no materials and struggled to raise funds to purchase our robot, field kit and table supplies.  Our robot equipment arrived 2 weeks ago.  None of the kids had any prior mindstorm experience nor coding knowledge, so they built the base robot according to instructions last week.  We have limited availabilty to meet, so each child has taken a turn bringing the robot home and experimenting with the program to learn it.  Then they come back and share what they discovered with the team.  They are still learning how the program works and have not been able to successfully complete a mission yet.

While waiting for the robot equipment we spent our time working on the project, so we feel confident there.

We haven't done a whole lot with the core values.  Our meeting times have been very few and short and I'm concerned bc our "team" hasn't really connected yet.  I know that will be blaringly obvious in the core values judging session.

My question- How do we best prepare for the tournament judging sessions?

We have 2 weeks until our tournament and can only meet twice, each time for 2 hours max.  (Our library meeting space is very limited and parent schedules have been hard to work with)

HELP!  I don't want these kids to be embarrassed or upset when they are on display in front of the judges.  How do we communicate our story without giving a lot of excuses but highlighting our struggles in a positive way?

Thanks,
Sarah

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