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.

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

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

FIRST - Thanksgiving Message from SDRA

Received from Robyn Swets 11-20-2012

Happy pre-Thanksgiving!  This year I’m very thankful for all our great coaches, and how hard you’re working!  We really appreciate all the support and understanding as we go through some growing pains this year.

As we get closer to the tournaments, keep an eye out for messages from your local tournament directors.  They will contact you with information about team check-in, schedules, parking, food, etc. for your event.

I know you’re probably worried about getting ready in time.  However, the most important thing to do to get ready is NOT TO PANIC!!!  Seriously.  As one of our tournament directors is fond of saying, even if your robot does nothing but cut cookies for 2.5 minutes, you will still get some points, still learn a lot, and still have a blast with your kids.  Even if you think you aren’t ready, please come to your event, and please participate.  It will get you ready for next year at the very least, but honestly, I have never heard of a team (knock on wood) that wished afterward that they had forfeited, but I’ve heard of several that later regretted not coming.  Everyone has a great time, regardless of any disappointments.  We try very hard to create a positive, uplifting atmosphere for the whole team – it truly is a celebration of how hard they worked all season.

Enjoy your holiday break!  Take some time this weekend to rest and not think about FLL for a little bit! J

GO FLL!!!

Love always,

Robyn

FIRST - Team profile sheets

Coaches and students

You will need to have a team profile sheet (4 copies) for the day of the regional tournament.  One will be turned in a registration and one for each of the three judged rooms.   The link to the profile sheet is:

http://southdakotarobotics.com/team_profile.pdf\

or

http://www.firstlegoleague.org/sites/default/files/Official_Event_Info/TeamInfoSheet-fixed-12-2-11.pdf

Copy and paste the link to your browser.

The other option is to find the link at the page:

http://www.firstlegoleague.org/event/eventinfo

FIRST - FLL Update and things to prep

Received from Robyn Swets on 11-11-12

Happy Veterans Day!  On this long weekend, I wanted to send out a few more reminders as you all prepare for the upcoming tournaments in the next 2-3 weeks!

In this email:  1. In case you missed it…2. Forms, 3. How Qualifiers work, 4. Things to work on

1.  In case you  missed it, here’s the link to the invite from the Robot Geeks coaches to a party next Sunday!  http:// http://southdakotarobotics.com/coach_updates/2012_11_06.pdf

2.  Don’t forget your forms!  Make sure to bring your forms to check in on the morning of your registration, along with your payment of $25 for your team.  Forms are at http://southdakotarobotics.com/fllcoach.php.  You’ll need a consent and release form for each participant, including coaches and mentors.  Please bring 4 copies of your Team Profile sheet, one for each set of judges and 1 to show the MC when you do your robot runs.

3. I’ve had a few questions on how it all works as far as Qualifying Events.  Here’s a quick recap:  All teams must compete on the Qualifying level.  Teams cannot compete in more than one event unless there is room at a later date, then the tournament director has the discretion to let you attend “for fun” but your scores will not count and you cannot win any trophies.  The first event you attend is your official event.  At each event, there will be awards (Champion’s Award, and 1^st place in Robot Performance, Robot Design, Project, and Core Values) and in addition to those awards, the top 54% of the attending teams will receive a “Golden Ticket” that allows them to register for the state tournament.  A team can win an award and not move on, and they can move on without winning an award.  The teams who get to move on must be well-rounded and show excellence in all the areas of FLL.  The awards will simply go to the team that is the best at each of those areas.

Some of your co-coaches are working to put together a secondary, just for fun event for teams that don’t qualify for state so that everyone has a chance to compete again if they want to.  More details about that will be coming soon.

For the teams that move on to state, you will have all of January to take the judge feedback into account and work on the 2 extra pieces required for state, the Robot Design Executive Summary and the Core Values Poster.  Neither of those will be used at the Qualifiers, but they will be at state.  Directions for those will be in your Golden Ticket Packets.

4.  Things to work on – others of you have asked “What should we be working on right now??”  Just remember, the prime thing is to have fun!!  As long as the kids are having a good time and learning about science along the way, you’re doing a great job.  Here are some ideas for what to cover in these last few weeks:

1.       Missions – you will be doing 3 rounds on the robot game table.  Make sure you have a few missions that work!

2.       Project – make sure you’ve completed all the aspects of the project (identify a specific senior mentor, identify your problem, create an innovative solution, and share that solution with someone outside your team before you attend a tournament) in time for your Qualifier.  If that means you haven’t had your kids share the solution with anyone outside your team yet, make sure to schedule someone to come in or a time for your team to go somewhere talk about it.

3.       Project – make a presentation.  After you have all your aspects ready, you need a fun way to tell the judges about it.  It can be a skit, a Power Point, a song, anything!  Remember teams have only 5 minutes from when they enter the room to do their presentation.  That includes set up time!  Coaches are also not allowed to help with the set up, so make sure if you have tech, like a Power Point or video, that the kids can get it running on their own.

4.       Core Values – practice some teamwork activities.  When you come to the  events, you team will go to a room with the judges and complete a teamwork activity, an instant challenge with a only brief directions but plenty of room for the kids to show how they really work together (will they fight, get along, will a leader emerge, will it be chaos, will they respect each other, will they argue?).  The judges will then ask them a series of questions about how their season went.  You don’t have to bring anything specific to this event, but it never hurts to have the kids familiar with the question and answer session they will have to face.

5.       Robot Design – this is where the teams will meet with a set of judges and do questions and answers about their robot.  The judges will ask questions like how did you decide to build this, and what your design process was.  They are looking for a clear plan.  Although cool robots and attachments are always nice, the judges are most interested in the teams having planned and tested their ideas throughout the season.  The best way to prepare for this is to have the teams make some lists of things they tried and that didn’t work, and what the ultimately decided upon and why.  They should be able to talk about their robot and their entire season from a design stand point.

As always I’m here to help!  Don’t hesitate to ask questions of me anytime!

GO FLL!!!

Love Always,

Robyn

FIRST - Tshirt color selection

Link to full size pdf's at Nobe T-shirts

http://nobet-shirts.com/ffl.htm


"FRUIT OF THE LOOM" COLORS

"GILDAN" COLORS

FIRST - Senior Solutions Consent Forms

All student participants will need to have a signed consent and release form.  Teams can not be registered on the day of the competition unless all of the forms are present for every member of the team.

The link to the consent form on the FIRST website is:

http://www.usfirst.org/sites/default/files/uploadedFiles/Robotics_Programs/2012-2013_Consent_and_Release_Form.pdf

FIRST - New coach email from FIRST HQ

-->Gracious Professionalism(R) (GP) In Action
Has your team seen GP in action? Or, have you extended GP towards another team? If so, we want to hear from you!
FLL is looking for team acts of GP to use in an upcoming marketing piece. Please submit 2-3 sentences (max) of your team’s best examples of Gracious Professionalism to fllteams@usfirst.org.
-->Core Values Poster & Robot Design Executive Summary
The Core Values Poster and the Robot Design Executive Summary are additional tools that may be used to help facilitate discussion in the Core Values and Robot Design Judging sessions at official FLL events.  Your Operational Partner will distribute the instructions to teams outlining the information to be included if your Region plans to require the Core Values Poster and/or the Robot Design Executive Summary at its events. Please contact your Operational Partner for further information, http://www.usfirst.org/regional-contacts

-->For FLL Parents… coaches, pass it on!
Our latest article features a coach/parent describing their team’s first FIRST(R) year. Additionally, we have added two (2) new SENIOR SOLUTIONS(SM) related activities for parents to do with their child(ren) on “off team hours”.
The Parent Page provides creative ideas, fun tips, and support throughout the season so parents are able to keep up with their FLL kid. Visit: http://firstlegoleague.org/parents

-->Forums Reminder
The forums are an incredible useful tool in the FLL community. Discussions range from Robot Game strategy to how to present the Project. Join today! http://forums.usfirst.org/forumdisplay.php?f=24 
-The forum is not a source for OFFICIAL answers.-

-->Robot Game Updates & Project FAQs – Reminder
It is EXTREMELY important that teams check the Robot Game Updates page and the Project FAQ page frequently.
*Robot Game Updates - http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/robotgameupdates
*Project FAQ - http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/projectfaq


*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

BEST - Game day information

received from Kim Prohaska on 10-17-2012

Jackrabbit BEST teams:

I hope things are going well for you these last few days as you are finishing up on the last details and getting everything ready for Saturday.

I have a lot of information to share about our upcoming Game Day. Please read over all of the details below and share with the team as necessary…

• Your Project Engineering Notebook is due on Thursday, October 18th by 5:00 PM. Submitting a Notebook is NOT optional! If we do not have a Notebook from the team, the robot does not compete!  Along with the Project Engineering Notebook, remember to include the completed TEAM DEMOGRAPHICS form. This is worth 15 points toward the notebook score just for turning it in. The form is online at: http://best.eng.auburn.edu/stored_procedures/folder-manager/create-folder.php?folder=724&parent_id=714.
  • If you haven’t shipped the Notebook yet, you may still be able to get it printed in time at the Brookings UPS Store [(605)-692-5441] for me to pick up before 5:00.
  • For those of you who are close to Brookings and plan to deliver it in person: If I am not in my office, you may take it upstairs to the Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Department office on the 2^nd floor (Room 214). Someone will be available there until 5:00 p.m. Please ask them to put it into my ‘box’.
• This year, two 4-inch eyebolts were included in the Consumable Kit. It is REQUIRED that these eyebolts be installed on the robot for attachment of the safety cable. The eyebolts should be on opposite sides of the body, so the safety cable can run from eyebolt to eyebolt around the pole. Each robot will be checked at the compliance station by suspending it from a safety cable attached to these eyebolts. No robot will be allowed to compete without the eyebolts installed.
• Marketing Presentation schedule:There has been an adjustment in the location of the Marketing Presentations. They will now be held in the same building as the robot competition in Room #104. This room is in the northwest corner of Frost Arena. The presentation schedule will be:
  7:30 AM – Brookings
  8:00 AM – FOCHES
  8:30 AM – Watertown
  9:00 AM – Mitchell Christian

·         The Game Day schedule is available at: http://www4.sdstate.edu/engr/camps/best-robotics/upload/Game-Day-Schedule-2012-2.pdf. The schedule for the competition matches is still being finalized and will be available on Game Day.

• There is a drivers meeting at 9:30AM on Saturday morning in Frost Arena. All teams must have a representative present at the meeting. Please have the team checked in by 9:30 AM.
• Safety glasses will be required when working on the robot in the pit area. Please plan accordingly and BRING your own SAFETY GLASSES to Game Day.
• Food: The team members and coaches will be given a box lunch on Saturday in the arena and also a few snacks. Starting at 9:30 AM or 10:00 AM, there will be concessions for spectators and those team members who would like more than provided. The dining options in the Student Union will also be open.

·         Location: As a reminder, Game Day activities will take place in Frost Arena (HPER Building) here on the SDSU campus. If you are not familiar with the building, it is directly to the east of the Union where we have been the last few times we’ve met. I would suggest coming to campus via a different route and parking closer to the arena.

·         From the corner of 6th Street and 22nd Ave (by Wal-mart): Go north on 22nd Avenue to 11th Street. Turn left onto 11th Street and drive west until you run into the HPER (Frost Arena) building. (Please don’t leave a dent when you run into it. J)

OR

·         If driving through Brookings on 6th St, turn onto 16th Ave (at McDonalds) and go straight north four blocks.

• Parking: You may park in any of the lots around the HPER/Frost Arena building (East, North, or South). There is not parking enforcement in those lots on the weekend.

·         Five teams advance to regions: Good News –FIVE (5!) teams will advance to the Northern Plains Regional in the Fargo Civic Center on December 6 – 8. The number of teams that advance is based on a combination of resources available at the regional and the team counts at each hub. There was a slight revision last week that changed the Jackrabbit BEST number from four to five.

The official order of advancing teams from each hub is:

1.       BEST Award 1^st Place

2.       Robotics Game 1^st Place

3.       BEST Award 2^nd Place

4.       Robotics Game 2^nd Place

5.       BEST Award 3^rd Place

6.       Robotics Game 3^rd Place

7.       BEST Award 4^th Place

8.       BEST Award 5^th Place

9.       BEST Award 6^th Place

10.     Etc…

Note that after the 6^th spot, the order is now determined based on the BEST award rather than the robotics game.  If any teams place in both the BEST and Robotics category in the list of the top five shown above, we will follow the list down until there is a total of five teams to advance.

·         Returning Kits: Those not advancing to Northern Plains Regional may turn in their Returnable Kits on Saturday after the Awards Ceremony. You will NOT have to dis-assemble the robot to turn it in. We will take it as it is. Also, we would gladly accept the return of any un-opened (un-used) items from the Consumables Kit to save a little for next year’s event. Don’t bring the big stuff (plywood & 5’ PVC).  We do need the big plastic tubs back since those will be used again for next season.

Whew… That’s all I have for now… though you’ll likely be hearing from me again!

BEST - Schedule for Jackrabbit BEST Tournament

This will be our schedule for the Jackrabbit BEST Tournament.  It will be held at Frost Arena and the Student Union

7:00 AM till 9:30 AM

Compliance check in for robot
Table Display setup
Marketing Presentation  (in Union) Kim warned me we are right away at 8:15 AM

9:30 AM till 10:00 AM

Driver Meeting

10:00 AM till 10:30 AM

Opening Ceremony

10:30 AM till 2:00 PM

Seeding Rounds
Table Display Judging

2:00 PM till 4:00 PM

Semi Final and Final Rounds

4:30 PM till 5:00 PM

Award Ceremony

5:00 PM

Team Photos, Return Kits, Meeting for teams advancing to Regionals

FIRST - Update from South Dakota Robotics

Received from Robyn Swets on 10-13-12.  I will take care of registering the teams for the regional tournament in Brookings on October 21rst.

We’re off and running.  Although it may seem like a short time until December, your teams will make great strides in the next few weeks, I promise!

In this email:  1. Mentoring help  2. Qualifier registration  3. Administrative duties

1. If your team is looking for some mentoring help for this season, we have a variety of sessions available.  SDRA has our team mentoring sessions every Saturday from 3-4:30 on many of the issues the team might face.  Check the website, http://southdakotarobotics.com for a list of what topics we are addressing each day.  Please DO NOT REGISTER ONLINE.  That system is designed for individual students, and this is a team activity.  It is listed online so people can find it but if your team would like to attend, please either email me directly, or call the studio, 371-1005 and let us know what sessions you would like.  We can only handle 3 teams at time to give you the one on one time with an instructor or judge.

Also, a veteran team is offering an open house next week and wants to invite everyone to drop by:

Feeling overwhelmed by all the aspects of the Challenge?

If so, team Y.O.D.A. would be more than happy to help you with coaching, programming, building, and more!
Come to our open house on Saturday, October 20th, 2:00- 4:00 PM at the Ronning Library.

Because... what we discover is more important than what we win! :)

If you have any questions, you can email us at yodafll@midco.net

Also, Detrian Hallem, a former FIRST Lego Leaguer and now assistant coach, wrote two books based on the online game Lego Universe.

You should be able to buy them at the following links:

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/aftermath-secrets-of-the-wastelands/18868516

http://www.lulu.com/shop/detrian-hallem/aftermath-icy-conflict/paperback/product-20207377.html

2. As was discussed at the coaches meeting, we want to give everyone plenty of notice before we open registration for the qualifiers.  This is a new process for us in SD, and we are trying to ease into the process!  We will open registration for all 5 SD Qualifiers on Sunday, October 21 in the afternoon.  I’ll remind you several times before then, and after registration opens, teams will be notified that it’s time to register!  There are 5 Qualifiers on the first 3 weeks of December, balance geographically based on team concentration:

                Dec 1: Brookings, First Lutheran Church

                Dec 8: Rapid City, SDSM&T, 2-7pm

                Dec 8: Pierre, Riggs High School

                Dec 8: Brandon, BV Middle School

                Dec 15: Sioux Falls, Lincoln High School

Your chosen date might fill up rapidly, so be sure to register as soon as possible on the 21^st, and have a backup plan for if the date fills up.

3. Finally, a couple of administrative duties that need to be taken care of:  Please head to http://gofll.usfirst.org to update your team info.  This is where you can change your team’s name (particularly important if you had a “filler” name listed while your team decided), update your email address, or add a co-coach so they can receive info as well.  Please also make sure that if you are a school team that did not receive a rookie grant, and you have yet to reimburse your school for registration costs, do so asap.  Many of our coordinators fronted the bill on their own personal credit cards, and that’s a hefty burden!  Also, if you’re looking for info from our coach meetings, it is online at our coaches corner, http://southdakotarobotics.com/fllcoach.php along with archived coach letters.

As always, let me know if you need help or extra info!  We’re glad to do what we can for our fabulous coaches!

GO FLL!!!

Love always,

Robyn

FIRST - Coach meeting, State Tournament, more

Received from Robyn Swets on 9-16-12

As the registration deadline approaches, the number of SD teams is jumping daily!  Right now we are at 72 teams – thanks for all your support in outreach, trying to get these other teams.  While we are still hoping to break 100 this year, it might be something we’ll have to save for our big 5 year anniversary next season.  Either way, we are so proud to have this many teams in such a lightly populated state!

Here’s what we have for this week:  1. Classes and mentoring, 2. Coach meetings, 3. Timeline

Programming Classes and mentoring session are in the works in your area!  Right now the details haven't been release, but as soon as I find out when the session are, I'll update you.

2. SDRA will be hosting Coach Meetings in Sioux Falls on Tuesday, Sept 18 or Tuesday, Oct 9 at 7 pm.  We're working hard to have coach sessions in the regional hubs.  Because distance is such a huge factor in SD, we'll have our coach training powerpoint online after the meeting.  If you're interested in a video conference option, please let me know!  We will be talking about the Qualifying system in more detail, and discussing the minor changes to rubrics and the robot game rules that happened for this year.

3. Finally, there has been some question over the season timeline for this year.  Yes, we will be instituting Qualifyers this year.  That means that no, not every team will make it to the state competition on February 9^th.  However, the Qualifyers should not be looked on as elimination events; they are actually another competition opportunity to strengthen teams.  As of now approximately 70% (based on the recommendations of the national organization, the number of teams in SD, and the number we can comfortably host at our state event) of the teams will go on to state.  These events will actually foster growth and learning, as the teams will get feedback from judges earlier in the process, so they know where they went wrong or went right in their preparations and be better for it.

I’ve also heard complaints that December Qualifyers are too early, and that it ends the learning process for the kids too soon.  We are going to stand firm on this: that is completely misunderstanding the nature of the program - FLL is designed to be a compact season - 8 weeks to design, engineer, and program their robots and do their research project is supposed to stretch them.  Engineers never have enough time, resources, or help to get the job done perfectly.  This program mimics that sense of urgency and the need for improved problem solving.

In South Dakota, our competitions are among the latest in the nation.  The official season is only 8 weeks long, September through the end of October.  Most regions have their Qualifying events in early November and their state events before Christmas.  Please see the extra few weeks we do have here in SD as a gift, rather than view it as a liability because you will compete earlier than in previous years.

In each program there will be growing pains – hopefully this is just a small one for us!  We are off to big things, and I know you are all as devoted as we are to making this one of the best FLL programs in the country.

As always, let me know if you have questions or concerns, my inbox is always open!

GO FLL!!

Love always,

Robyn

FIRST - Coaches Meetings

Received the following email from Robyn Swets on Sunday 9-2

September 2, 2012

Dear Tony,

Welcome to the 2012 Senior Solutions℠ Season! I’m so excited to start this new season with you.  As the FIRST® LEGO® League Operational Partner for SD, I’ll be contacting you throughout the season with information and upcoming event opportunities.  Information will also be posted on our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/SouthDakotaRobotics, or our website, http://southdakotarobotics.com.

With less than a month to go before registration closes, here in SD we are making our final push for more teams.  Our big goal for 2012 is to break into triple digits for teams – 101 by October 1!  Please help us reach this goal by inviting interested families to email me or check out the website for information on starting or joining a team.

Coach Meetings:  More information will be forthcoming about events and the competitions, right now please be aware that we have a series of coach meetings for the Sioux Falls Area teams and some NXT classes, including FREE programming classes for beginners on your team.  For rookie coaches, we have new coach training (a quick 2 hour introduction to FLL, how to manage the team during the season, and the robot) on September 4^th or 11^th.  We also have FLL All-Coach Meetings on either on September 18^th or October 9^th.  If you are in the Sioux Falls area, please choose one of those meetings to attend – we will be discussing our new Qualifying Tournament System.  Rookie coaches, please choose one new coach and one all coach session.

For your team members:  their parents can sign them up for any of our NXT robotics classes, including a FREE programming session this Saturday, September 8.  Those classes, along with the coach meetings are on the website, please register for them to ensure a spot.

As we get started this year, please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions!  I’m here to help!

GO FLL!!

Love always,

Robyn

The only day the I (Tony) can personally attend the All-Coach meeting is October 9th due to other conflicts.  Information from the South Dakota Robotics Assoc. website   http://www.southdakotarobotics.com

FLL New Coaches Class - Pick one

This class is for new First Lego League (FLL) coaches. We give an overview of FLL, a segment on managing the season and team meetings, and a short segment on the robot. This free class is intended for all the new FLL coaches, assistant coaches, and team mentors.

Dates & times offered	Location	Cost	Seats left
9/4/12 6:30 PM-8:30 PM	SDRA Studio 4103 S Southeastern Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104	$0.00	23
9/11/12 6:30 PM-8:30 PM	SDRA Studio 4103 S Southeastern Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104	$0.00	29
10/2/12 6:30 PM-8:30 PM	SDRA Studio 4103 S Southeastern Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104	$0.00	30

FLL All-Coach Meeting - Pick one

This short meeting will cover important FLL season information, our new open practice structure, basic logistical information for the season, and new judging rubrics being implemented this year. All coaches, new and veterans, need to attend one of the sessions.

Dates & times offered	Location	Cost	Seats left
9/18/12 7:00 PM-8:00 PM	SDRA Studio 4103 S Southeastern Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104	$0.00	22
10/9/12 7:00 PM-8:00 PM	SDRA Studio 4103 S Southeastern Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104	$0.00	29

FIRST - Robot Game Updates 1-9

1 - ROBOT TOUCHING PLATFORM "ONLY"
This doesn't mean "all the robot has to do is touch the platform."  It means "the only thing the robot can be touching is the platform." 

2 - STRAY BALL REMOVAL
Since so many people are asking for it, this Update is providing an exception to Rule 21, Bullet 1:  The referee WILL remove any ball from the field (balls fallen from the rack, and/or the used bowling ball), if you ask, or you may do it yourself, but it will be permanent.  This does not affect your one allowable re-use of your first yellow ball for bowling.

3 - PINWHEEL CLICKING
The robot has to click the pinwheel directly.  It's not allowed to move the dial directly, or defeat the clicker, or do anything else that would stop this mission from being a huge time drain. The robot's not even allowed to stay in Base and reach out and spin the pinwheel.  If this stuff wasn't clear in the original text, you're being told here.  I do love when you guys find loopholes and I love honoring them.  Heck I plant them on purpose all the time.  But please - every year there's one mission that's supposed to make the challenge impossible to finish. This is for a serious reason.  Leave Base, click once, with or without doing other stuff, go back to Base, come back out, click once more, with or without doing other stuff, and so on.  The dial must move by pinwheel clicks only and only one per outing.  Thank you.

4 - BRINGING EXTRA BALLS
You can't bring balls to the field as scoring objects or as bowling balls.  However, they are commonly used as caster wheels for the robot and that's okay.  This is a custom-boost to Rule 10, Bullet 2.

5 - VIDEO MIS-SPEAK REGARDING BONUSD'Oh!  I said in the video that you start out with bonus points on the cardio dial to lose.  Not true.  Yes, the dial has room to go backwards, but that pre-set isn't charted as a bonus. 

6 - DUAL LOCK
Two things:  First, remember to follow the Field Setup section when applying Dual Lock.  Changes to the Dual Lock specs were made after the mat went into production.  Also, in the Field Setup page, there's conflicting info about how many places to put Dual Lock under the similarity model...  Put 4 - one pair at each corner.

7 - TOUCH PENALTY, REF ACTION
The mission text is wrong/confusing about what the referee will do with the cardio model when you get a touch penalty...  So here it is:  The ref will move the pinwheel one click counterclockwise as viewed from the north.

8 - FIELD BORDER WALL HEIGHT (See Field Setup section for metric dimensions)
People are seeing that the sample table instructions call for "2x3" lumber for the table border walls and thinking they have to make new tables.  Not true.  Notice that the construction diagram has a ± symbol!  The allowable RANGE is 3 inches, plus-or-minus a half inch.  So if you live in a country where standard wood size differs from a United staes "2-by-3, that's okay.  If you're not ready to rebuild your table or tables, that's okay.  If you have or can get wood taller than 2.5 inches for free or a discount, then do it.  I would just like to slowly move the community toward the shorter border walls because overall they are cheaper, lighter, take up less storage space, and allow a better view of the field.

9 - CARDIO CHART TYPO?
Some people have noticed a 13-point jump between 6-0 and 6-1 on the cardio mission, where it sure looks like it was supposed to be a 3-point jump...  And they want to know...  Is that a typo?  Uhm, er, uh...  No! - I MEANT to do that!  Yeah, that's it!  And it's gonna stay that way.

BEST Kick-Off Day Schedule

Hello BEST Teams:

Here is the schedule and details for the Jackrabbit BEST Kick-Off on Saturday, Sept 8^th. I am also including an e-mail forward with some information for an online training webinar coming up on Tuesday. I am sending this to the team contacts that I have. Please forward this information as necessary.

Kick-Off Schedule:  (Location: SDSU University Student Union – Volstorff Ballroom)

9:30 AM               Doors Open and Team Check-In Begins

10:00 AM             Kick-Off (Unveiling of Field, Explanation of Rules, Demonstration, Q&A, Field Inspection)

12:00 Noon         Lunch (on your own) & Kit Check-Out Begins

1:00 - 3:00 PM    Training Sessions & More Program Details (Optional)

Additional Kick-Off Details:

Getting on campus & parking:  

As many of you know, there is a LOT of construction on campus and some of the streets and parking lots are blocked. (The lot east of the Union is closed. You will need to park west of the Union.) Here is some information to help you navigate around the SDSU campus…

If you are not familiar with the SDSU campus, this is a link to the SDSU map… http://www.sdstate.edu/index/maps/upload/CampusMap2011.pdf.

This second link shows where the construction and street blockings are on campus… http://www.sdstate.edu/campus/expansion/upload/ResHallConstMap.pdf.

The best way to enter campus would be from the south end via 13^th Avenue and then take Rotunda Lane to the parking lot west of the Student Union. Parking restrictions are NOT enforced in this lot on the weekends. You may park here for free without a pass and will NOT get a ticket.

The Volstorff Ballroom is on the east side of the building, but you will have to enter on the west side because of construction. As you enter the main door on the west side of the Union, walk as far east as you can, and you will find the Volstorff Ballroom.

Lunch:  

At noon we will break an hour for lunch. Lunch will be on your own, so if the students would like to save some money, they may wish to pack a lunch. For those that bring money, the Market cafeteria and Einstein’s Bagels in the Student Union will be open for students to purchase a meal there, or the other restaurants in town are also an option.

Kit Check-Out:  Teams may check-out their kits any time after 12:00.

Afternoon Training:

After lunch from 1:00-3:00 we will have some training presentations and share additional program details. Attendance in the afternoon is optional for the teams, but since it is the first BEST season for most students, it would be very beneficial if you are able to stay. However, we realize that some of you have other events to get to and others have hours of travel ahead of them. You may stay for all or part of the afternoon as it works for your team.

MathWorks/Simulink Training:  

The forwarded message below contains information about an on-line webinar that you and/or your students may attend (Sept 4). Please be aware that it is a tool that the team may use if they wish. It is not required. There are so many resources available! [It’s kind of like my cell phone. It has so many bells and whistles! I only need it to make phone calls, but there is so much more available. I don’t want any teams to get overwhelmed with all of the tools available. Like the phone, one can start with the basics of just making a basic phone call and can add pictures, texting, and web ‘stuff’ later.]

Also, related to software, you will be getting your software options (easy C, Robot C, MathWorks) and any related access key information in your packets on September 8^th.

MathWorks will be hosting a training webinar for their Simulink programming software for BEST Robotics on Tuesday, September 4, from 5pm-6pm Central time.  Please notify your teams that this training will be available.  Anyone can register for the webinar through the link on the BRI website, www.bestinc.org, under the Announcements section.

FIRST - Senior Solutions Robot Game Updates Twitter Feed

FLL Updates

@fllupdates

This twitter account automatically posts FLL robot game and project updates as soon as they are posted. 

This account will tweet FLL Robot Game and Project Updates for your convenience. No guarantees though, always check the website too!

FIRST - Senior Solutions Challenge

FLL has released the Senior Solution Challenge

It can be found at:

http://firstlegoleague.org/sites/default/files/Challenge/SeniorSolutions/FLL2012SENIORSOLUTIONSChallengeAnchors.pdf

All of the official supplement materials are found at:

http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/2012seniorsolutions

There is a tremendous amount of great information to help teams and coaches get started.

I also get many of my team resources from TechBrick at:

http://www.techbrick.com/Lego/Lego2012/Resources/index.html

FIRST Lego Training Day 8-16-12

This is the general agenda for the training day at Camelot.  We will begin at 8:00 for those who can make it.

Morning Session - Geared more for beginning programming.  Designed to help the technology teachers come up to speed with the robots as fast as possible

Building the Basic Bot
Learning the NXT-G Environment
Get moving forward
Two types of turns
Completing a series of programming steps
The RESET MOTORS block
Making a My Block
Loops and Switches
Touch Sensor
Light Sensor
Ultrasonic Sensor

Break for lunch

Afternoon Session (approx 1:00) - This will be topics specific to FIRST Lego League

Building a better robot from the basic bot
Wheel slip
Calibrating Light Sensors
Two ways to stop on line (Wait for and Loop)
My Block for Distance
Advance line following

FIRST - Invitation from Robot Geeks

Take it to the Next Level

Coaches – Help develop your team’s technical leaders, by sending

Your one or two most experienced programmers and builders to a

Meeting of the Minds.

We’ll talk about:

Robot Design

Programming Light Sensors

Programming Touch Sensors

Using MyBlocks

Developing Strategy

We hope this can be a brainstorming session where

Kids will share ideas of what has worked for them,

Learn about things they’d like to get better at,

Talk about how to plan strategy to score points,

And Bring These Ideas Back To Your Team!

Your team members can help make connections with other motivated LegoLeaguers and work with others to help everyone learn.

It’s SCIENCE IN ACTION!

Where?                                The Lauers

                                5205 S. Jasmine Cir.

                                Sioux Falls

When?                 Tuesday, August 14

                                7 to 8:30pm

Who?                    Most experienced/motivated LegoLeaguers

                                Parents are welcome to stay

RSVP                     Michelle Lauer/Thomas Lauer

                                Coach/Team Member  of the Robot Geeks

                                michellelauer@gmail.com

FIRST Coach Email 8-8-12

Coaches:

-->Coach Orientation – Where Do I Start?
Join the FIRST Senior Mentors and experts in the field for the first FLL coach call of the SENIOR SOLUTIONS(SM) season. On Wednesday, August 15, 2012 at 7pm ET, log in to our conference line to learn about the materials teams receive, important dates you to know, when to sign up for tournaments, and to get a general overview of what to expect for the season. Each call can hold 1000 participants, so make sure to join on time. There will be a Q&A after the speakers are done, so come prepared with questions.

Want more information? Call in information and the general outline are posted here: http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/teamresources#coach-calls
FLL will be having additional calls throughout the season – from an overview of the Robot Game and Project to Judging and Preparing for an Event. So check the schedule (see link above) and make sure to pencil us in!

--> Jr.FLL is Looking for a Few Good Coaches
Registration for Jr.FLL (ages 6-9, think younger siblings) is in full swing! One of the cool things about this program is that Jr.FLL teams receive the Challenge immediately after they register. Many teams are already knee deep in their SUPER SENIORS(SM) Challenge.

Consider “adopting” a team and getting them “immersed in FIRST” through Jr.FLL. We have had many, many Jr.FLL teams mentored by FLL kids and coaches. It’s a fun, low-cost way to ignite the curiosity of the younger generation. Register today: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/jr.fll/registration

-->Get ready for SENIOR SOLUTIONS
Start by having your team research people who work with seniors in your area.  Are there professionals in your town, county, or state who help seniors stay independent, engaged, and connected?  How do they help?  What qualifications do you need to enter these professions?  Could these professionals be good resources when your team starts researching for the SENIOR SOLUTIONS Project?

-->Thank Your Sponsors
Make sure to keep your sponsor in the loop throughout the season. Let them know when the Challenge is released (AUGUST 28th!), what strategies your teams will use to tackle the Robot Game, where you are doing your Project research, and when your tournaments are. Keeping them informed may lead to future funding for your team and perhaps funding for many other teams!

*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

Jackrabbit B.E.S.T. Robotics Season Dates

The important dates for the Jackrabbit BEST robotics competition are as follows:

September 8th
Kick-Off Day.  This will be held in the Vollstorf Ballroom on the SDSU campus and will be scheduled to run from 10 AM until 3 PM.  This is where the teams receive all of the information about the robot game for the season.  They also receive all of the components for the robot.  This is the one and only look the teams will have at the official playing field.  If possible all team members should plan to be in attendance.

October 13th
Mall Day.  This is the teams one chance to try their robot on the actual playing field.  The location for the Jackrabbit BEST Mall Day is yet to be determined.

October 20th
Game Day.  The competition will be held at Frost Arena on the SDSU Campus.

The next level of competition should the team advance from the Jackrabbit Tournament

December 6th - 8th
Northern Plain BEST Regional - This will be held at the Civic Center in Fargo, ND

FIRST LEGO Senior Solutions

“Independent. Engaged. Connected.”

Coming August 28, 2012, 12 PM ET


Can FIRST® LEGO® League teams improve the quality of life for seniors by helping them continue to be independent, engaged, and connected in their communities? In the 2012 SENIOR SOLUTIONS^SM Challenge, over 200,000 children ages 9 to16* from more than 60 countries will explore the topic of aging and how it may affect a person’s ability to maintain his or her lifestyle – solving issues like getting around, keeping in touch, or staying fit. Teams will research obstacles and then suggest ways to improve the quality of life for the seniors affected. Teams will also build, test, and program an autonomous robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® robot to solve a set of missions on an obstacle course.  Throughout their experience, teams will operate under FLL’s signature set of Core Values.

Important Twitter feeds to follow for FIRST Lego

If you are interested in keeping up to date with the latest information about FLL follow:

South Dakota Robotics at:

https://twitter.com/SDRobotics

and

FIRST Lego League at:

https://twitter.com/firstlegoleague

FIRST LEGO NE South Dakota Regional Qualifying Tournament

I have been contacted by Robyn Swets to coordinate a qualifier tournament to be held in Brookings this year.  This will require some effort by several volunteers in order to be successful.  Please contact me if you are interested in becoming involved.

Schedule for FLL coaches calls for this season

Coach Calls - SENIOR SOLUTIONS 
Call-In Information:
866-951-1151
Conference Room # - 9533018#
1000 lines per call are available

Topic/Outline	Date/Time	Recording
Where Do I Start? Coach Orientation	August 15, 2012 - 7pm ET	N/A
Coaching a Team	August 20, 2012 - 7pm ET	N/A
Basic Programming: Tips, Skills, & Resources	September 5, 2012 - 7pm ET	N/A
The Robot Game	September 11, 2012 - 7pm ET	N/A
The Project	September 17, 2012 - 7pm ET	N/A
Core Values/Teamwork	September 20, 2012 - 7pm ET	N/A
Judging: A Perspective for the Coach	October 11, 2012 - 7pm ET	N/A
Preparing for an FLL Event	October 25, 2012 - 7pm ET	N/A

And So FIRST LEGO Senior Solutions Begins .. .. .. ..

The Field Setup Kits arrived today (8-7).  Unfortunately this is only one of four kits to be assembled.  Guess I know what I am doing the next several nights.

Five teams are registered from the Brookings Robotics Club to participate in the 2013 FIRST Lego League season.  Teams are:

The NXT Generation of Knights  - Camelot - Team #3232

Cyber Ninjas - MMS - Team #3230

Mickelson's Legocats - MMS - Team #3229

B.L.T. (Brookings Lego Team) - MMS - Team #3228

Mickelson's AllStars - MMS - Team #3227

FIRST LEGO League Parent Sign Up

FLL is creating an online place just for parents. Sign up to receive news about what's
new on the FLL Parent's Page, launching Fall of 2012.

http://firstlegoleague.org/parents