Thursday, February 7, 2013

Championship Tournament Info. #3

Received from Robyn Swets 2-7-13


Just a few more days…the countdown begins!  I hope you and your team are having an excellent time preparing for Saturday.  We are too!

Championship Reminders #1 and Championship Reminders #2 have both gone out, and are online at http://southdakotarobotics.com/fllcoach.php

Here are the last few notes you’ll need before Saturday:

1.        You do NOT need to bring new Consent and Release forms, your forms from Regionals have been forwarded on to us.  If you have team members that missed Regionals and did not fill out a form, or mentors/coaches who have since joined the team, please bring forms for those participants.
2.       Parking will be in the Elmen Center (33rd and Grange) and Stadium (33rd and Lake) lots ONLY.  Teams and spectators should not park in any academic or residence hall lots.
3.       When you arrive to load in, please do not use the circle in front of the Elmen Center.  That is reserved for the shuttle bus.  While team check in will be in that front lobby, the closest door to the pits is actually on the far west side of the building (accessible from the south parking lot.)  These doors will be open for teams if they want to pull up near a door to load in.
4.       If you want to pre-order lunch tickets, please do so by Friday at 3 pm.  Remember no outside food on campus.
5.       There will be 41 teams competing on Saturday!
6.       If you still need hotel accommodations, we have a block of rooms reserved at the Quality Inn and Suites in Sioux Falls.  Details are at http://southdakotarobotics.com/hotel.php, remember to indicate you are with FLL to get the discount.
7.       We will be doing a coaches meeting at 8:05 in the main gym.  Please leave your team with a responsible adult in charge before you come to the meeting.  You’ll have a chance to ask any last minute questions, and look over the tables before opening ceremonies.  Remember, if you see an error, your time to say something is during this inspection time.
8.       Our volunteers at the information table will have a list of teams to help spectators find their way, however, they will only have what information you’ve entered in the FLL database.  Please make sure your families know your team name or your name.  Telling the volunteers they are looking for the team from such and such school is not enough information for the volunteers to help.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Championship Tournament Info. #2

Received from Robyn Swets 1-31-13


Just over one week to go!  Exciting, right?  Hopefully the Championship Event will be a blast for everyone involved.

Just in case you missed it, Championship Reminders #1 is posted online, that has info about the RDES, Core Values Poster, and the general schedule for the day.  Today, I wanted to focus on some important reminders for you as coach.

1.       There will be no outside food allowed in the Elmen Center.  They’re really cracking down on that sort of thing this year.  Although there is no all stop for lunch, each team will have about an hour to eat lunch.  There are 3 options for you for lunch:  1. Buy lunch tickets – there will be a $5 meal available at the concession stand.  You can preorder tickets via email and pay for them when you check in.  Simply reply to this email with the number of tickets you’d like to preorder. 2. Have each child bring lunch money and purchase their own food from the concession stand. 3. Go off site to eat, but that food will not be allowed in the Elmen.

2.       Coaches must stay silent during the judging sessions.  I know this one is tough to do, because we all simply want the best for our teams!  However, it actually does them a huge disservice, because coach intervention is noted and reflects poorly on your team when it’s time to discuss awards.  The judging section in your coaches handbook distinctly outlines that coaches are to sit quietly during a judged session; remember that in accepting the coach invitation and/or registering your team, you agreed to follow what’s outlined in that handbook!  Any other adults that attend as spectators are also to follow these guidelines.

3.       Your team need to be prepared for their judge sessions as well as the Robot Game.  Go over the flow of the events.  The team should be prepared to present their RDES and Project without prompting.  They should also be prepared to go into the Core Values room, set up their posters, and then wait to receive their instructions.  The volunteers at the doors will remind the teams of this, but pre-event preparation never hurts!

4.       At the Robot Game table, only 2 team members can be at the table at a time.  The rest of the team and no more than 2 adults, will stationed close enough to tag in and out.  If a parent wishes to take pictures or video close to the table, they can, as long as they are part of the 2 adult limit and stay in the designated area.

5.       Upon completing the robot run, the entire team should gather around to sign off on the score sheet.  Coaches SHOULD NOT approach the table during this time, talk to the ref, or attempt to argue interpretation.  If there is a concern that can’t be fixed through talking with the ref, the KIDS should politely ask the ref to speak to the head ref.  Remember, once they sign off on the score sheet, that is what is recorded.  Problems or questions must be addressed before signing that sheet.

6.       The Robot Design and Project rooms will be open to spectators.  Core Values is off limits to anyone but the team and coaches.  Our volunteers will enforce this, so please tell your parents to not even attempt to come into the Core Values sessions.

7.       Feel free to invite your senior mentors to the event!

8.       Each team will have a 10X10 area as a pit space.  We will not have tables in each pit space, but if teams would like to bring a card table, etc, to display their posters during pit time they may.  Teams may decorate their pits as much as they want as long as they fit within their allotted 10X10 space.  There will be 2 FLL tables there for practice, and teams may also bring their mats and kits to set up on the floor of their pit.

9.       The Robot Runs and pits will be in the Elmen Center (33rd and Grange) and the Judge Events will be in the Humanities/Center for Visual Arts building (30th and Grange).  Teams can walk or take the free shuttle buses between buildings.  Shuttle pickups are at the circles on the east side of each building.

10.   There will be a coach meeting in the main Robot Room at 8:05.  Come prepared with questions.  Coaches also have that time to inspect the Robot Tables.  If you find any errors, that is your chance to speak up.



I never like to make these emails too long, so be on the lookout for Championship Reminders #3 coming next week!

Monday, January 28, 2013

Championship Tournament Info. #1


Received from Robyn Swets on 1/28/2013

I hope all is well with your team and families.  The flu bug is going through the SDRA staff and families right now, so we know first-hand that it can get rough!  Remind your team to wash hands often, cough into elbows, and to stay home if they are sick – I’d hate for some of your team to be sick on tournament day!

As we get closer to the State Championship, keep an eye out for info and reminders.  I trust that the last month has gone well as your team prepared, took judge feedback into account, and worked on the extra elements for state.  In these final weeks, we’ll be sending you info on what to expect when you come to the Championship Event.

First of all, remember that we are incorporating the extra two elements that FIRST is requiring, the Robot Design Executive Summary and the Core Values Poster.  You should have received info on these two elements in your Golden Ticket Packet.  Info sheets are also at http://southdakotarobotics.com/fllcoach.php if you need to check them out again.  The RDES is basically a short presentation for the judges, and the Core Values Poster gives your team and the judges an easy way to discuss the Core Values during your session.  Both of these elements are meant to take a very short time of preparation, a few hours at maximum, so if you haven’t started on them, you still have plenty of time.

Second, the basic schedule for the day will be as follows:

7 am – 8 am Team Check In (Lobby)
8:05 am Coach Meeting (Robot Game Room, Elmen Center)
8:30 am Opening Ceremonies (Robot Game Room, Elmen Center)
9:15 am – 2:45 pm Robot Runs and Judging Sessions (Elmen Center and Humanities Center)
3:00 pm Clean Up Challenge (Elmen Center)
3:30 pm Closing Ceremonies (Robot Game Room, Elmen Center)

More information will be out very soon.


GO FLL!!

Robyn

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Message from Cyber Rays Coach David Kirkaldy


Not Your Dad’s LEGO

January 10, 2013 — 4 Comments and 0 Reactions
This week my son competes in Clearwater, FL, with his Cayman Prep & High School team, the Cyber Rays. They did this last year, going all the way to the Florida State Championships and gaining an invite to the Florida World’s. The journey starts again this week and they are joined by a rookie team from their school, the Techno Turtles. I’m going to share with you what I found out is the biggest myth of First Lego League robotics!
Lego FLL Trophy
Now. How could something founded by Dean Kamen (of Segway fame) and tied to LEGO, the worlds favourite toy (and I use that term loosely), be based on a myth?
I’ll let you in on the secret…
IT IS NOT ABOUT THE ROBOTS!
Sure, the robots are the hook (the myth). But after doing this for a year I can tell you it is so much more than the hook of the robots that initially gets so many kids involved.
It is about important life skills such as teamwork, cooperation, research, discussion, friendships, overcoming challenges, maintaining energy levels, and the list goes on.
For months the kids prepare their robot from mere loose parts to compete in the mission field. It is the same mission list that over 17,000 teams around the world are doing. They work also on a project, this year on issues surrounding an aging population. Talk about 10-14 year old kids getting outside their comfort zone. And they work on Gracious Professionalism.
It is not all about winning.
It is about how you play the game.
Along the way the kids (and parents) meet some pretty awesome people from all over the world and from every walk of life. The stories of how some teams got to just a qualifier tournament are inspiring. The generosity of strangers is overwhelming.
Our team was lucky enough last year to meet the Mustache Motors, a team from Clearwater, FL, in the very first tournament a year ago. These kids and their parents have become great friends, and have helped our team immeasurably and selflessly. Last year after the tournaments were over the entire team and parents visited us in the Cayman Islands and participated in a demo at the Cyber Rays school.
I can think of no better organization for your school or club to be involved in.
You see, its not about the robot!
Have you heard of First Lego League before or are you involved now? I would love to get comments back from you on your view of the programme and its impact on kids to encourage them in the sciences (and life). Take a moment to write.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

FIRST - Coaches email 12-19-2012

-->Last Call! Voting ends Thursday!
Check out this short film on FIRST founder Dean Kamen’s Slingshot water purification device, which was produced and directed by FRC Game Design Committee member Paul Lazarus. The film is currently a semifinalist in the Focus Forward Film Competition, and the FIRST family can help name it an “Audience Favorite” by voting for it online.  Watch the film, then click the “Vote Now” button that appears at the end - http://vimeo.com/focusforwardfilms/semifinalists/51890022 Voting ends Thursday!
-->Inspired by Example
We want to take a moment to refocus the FLL community on one of the core concepts of FIRST LEGO League. Lately, we have noticed some community members, albeit well-intentioned community members, post solutions for the current seasons’ Robot Game and robot design via social media. While sharing is an important part of FLL, we strongly urge all who post this information to take a close look at what they are posting. The goal of sharing is to inspire others and to let them experience and celebrate their own learning process. We encourage all teams to share tips on the FLL Challenge and respectfully request that solutions be discovered on an individual basis. We also encourage teams who find inspiration from the FLL community to use that inspiration to develop their own innovative solutions to solve Robot Game missions. Thank you.
-->Coming Soon - FLL Global Innovation Award, Senior Solutions Season
Have an amazing and innovative FLL Project? Want to help your team win the opportunity to develop their idea further? Beginning January 17, 2013 (12pm ET), FLL teams will be able to submit their inventions on the FLL Global Innovation website, fllinnovation.firstlegoleague.org/, to be considered for the top prize. Voting opens February 11, 2013 (12pm ET), so you will have plenty of time to tell all your family, friends, and extended networks to vote for your team’s invention.
* What is the FLL Global Innovation Award?
The FLL Global Innovation Award is designed to encourage and assist FLL teams to further develop their innovative solutions to real-world problems.
* We would like to enter. How do we prepare?
Details on how to enter and what teams should submit are being finalized. We will release as soon as possible. However, FLL strongly recommends learning the basics about how to protect your idea before posting it online. View past winners at : fllinnovation.firstlegoleague.org

The FLL Global Innovation Award is optional and in no way affects the judging outcome of qualifying events or tournaments.

Friday, December 7, 2012

FIRST - Coaches email 12-7-2012

-->World Festival Invitation List…
…is now posted on http://firstlegoleague.org/worldfestival. The listed regions’ Operational  Partners will be notifying selected teams of their invitations.

-->Dean Kamen’s Slingshot Water Purification Device:
Check out this short film on FIRST founder Dean Kamen’s Slingshot water purification device, which was produced and directed by FRC Game Design Committee member Paul Lazarus. The film is currently a semifinalist in the Focus Forward Film Competition, and the FIRST family can help name it an “Audience Favorite” by voting for it online.  Watch the film, then click the “Vote Now” button that appears at the end - http://vimeo.com/focusforwardfilms/semifinalists/51890022

--> Wonder how your FLL fees are used?
National registration fees are paid to FIRST Headquarters and go to support the development of the annual Challenge. Local registration fees vary by region and support the running of qualifying and Championships events.
-->Speaking to a Crowd?
Contact your local Toastmasters association to develop your team’s public speaking skills. Check out http://toastmasters.org to find a local organization near you.

*THIS EMAIL IS FROM FIRST HEADQUARTERS. BE SURE TO WATCH FOR EMAILS FROM YOUR LOCAL PARTNER.*
With High 5’s and Admiration,
FLL Team Support

Stay Connected with FLL!
Twitter (@firstlegoleague)| YouTube (youtube.com/fllglobal)|FLL Blog (fllblog.wordpress.com)
FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League (http://firstlegoleague.org) | fllteams@usfirst.org | +1 603-666-3906 x0, +1 800-871-8326 x0 | FIRST(R) (http://usfirst.org) - 200 Bedford Street – Manchester NH USA 03101

Friday, November 30, 2012

FIRST - Coaches email 11-29-2012

Coaches:

-->2013 Challenge Announced!
FLL is excited to release the 2013 Challenge teaser and season logo for NATURE’S FURY(SM)! Coming August 2013, Nature’s Fury asks FLL teams to “master natural disasters” through exploration of storms, quakes, waves, and more. Teams will discover what can be done when intense natural events meet the places people live, work, and play. Learn more about the Challenge and view the season logo here: http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/2013naturesfury

-->Calling all Kid Inventors
Launching January 17, 2013, the FLL Global Innovation initiative challenges FLL teams to bring their Project to the next level. Information on the FLL Global Innovation Award will be available on http://fllinnovation.firstlegoleague.org over the next few weeks. Check out the Past Innovators page on the site to see what teams were up to last year.

-->Parent Page
As we enter FLL tournament season, now is a great time to get caught up on all the new information housed within the FLL Parent page. http://firstlegoleague.org/parents . New content includes articles on why FLL a good fit for your family and reasons why parents should attend FLL tournaments. Encourage your team parents to sign up and be notified when new content arrives.

-->Giving Thanks
Don’t forget to invite your sponsors to your upcoming tournaments. These important individuals/companies have given generously of their time and money and may love to see what your team is up to.

*THIS EMAIL IS FROM FIRST LEGO LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS. BE SURE TO WATCH FOR EMAILS FROM YOUR LOCAL PARTNER.*
With High 5’s and Admiration,
FLL Team Support

Stay Connected with FLL!
Twitter (@firstlegoleague)| YouTube (youtube.com/fllglobal)|FLL Blog (fllblog.wordpress.com)
FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League (http://firstlegoleague.org) | fllteams@usfirst.org | +1 603-666-3906 x0, +1 800-871-8326 x0 | FIRST(R) (http://usfirst.org) - 200 Bedford Street – Manchester NH USA 03101