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