Elvina,
Thank you for volunteering as a coach this year. I remember my first year coaching and I know exactly what is going through your mind right now. Trust me, you and your team will be fine! :)
Definitely, definitely get other adults (parents) to help out during the day. It is crazy fast and super easy to lose track of time. You can go with your team to each of the scheduled events, although you may or may not be able to be "with them" for the judged events. This varies from region to region. You may have to wait in the hall while your team goes in. You can absolutely be with your team during the robot games though.
Remember, there are three judged events:
1. Hydrodaynamics Project
2. Robot design
3. Core Values
1. Hopefully you have a good feel for the project. The team goes in, they present for five minutes, the judges ask questions for five minutes, and you are done.
2. The Robot design judging is a little different. For this one the team goes into a room where they have the same hydrodynamics table set up. The team will run one or two missions of their choice while talking to the judges about their robot design. They need to be ready to talk about design decisions, strategy, team roles, etc.
3. Core values judging is also a little different. For this one the team will go into a room where the judges will ask the team to perform some fun task as a team. The judges will be observing how well the team works together. After the time is up for the task, the judges will ask questions about core values.
In between all of these judged events, your team will have its turn at the robot game. You will probably get one practice round and three official rounds.
If you have a chance, I would STRONGLY recommend that you volunteer at a nearby regional event before your regional tournament. No experience necessary and you will learn a lot about the judged events.
Your team will want to make changes to the robot and programs during the day. That is OK. Every team makes changes during competition day. It can be quite stressful to some of the kids because they will sense the time urgency before the next round. Remember, the score for the robot game is not the most important thing. Having fun is the most important thing. I think for most teams and coaches, the score is more important to the coaches than it is for the team. Just keep that in mind.
Have fun. Best of luck to you and your team. Ask here if you have any other questions.
Skip Morrow
Coach, Norfolk Collegiate