FIRST® LEGO® League
Thank you for volunteering your time and talent to coach. With your guidance, the children on your team are going to inspire you, and those around you, in surprising ways. If you have no technical background, don’t be nervous. Let your team do the work. You only need to ask the questions and watch them…GO!
If you’re a new coach, we know this can seem overwhelming. But don’t worry. One of the amazing things about participating in FLL is that you’re now a part of our community. Your team is one of over 15,000 teams in over 50 countries! If you need some advice, feel free to contact Becca at rparks@jedc.org or 907-523-2334 to get connected to a veteran coach in your area.
FLL is more of a celebration than a “competition”. Coaches help other coaches. Teams help other teams. We want everyone who participates – team member, coach, or event volunteer – to have a fulfilling experience. That’s the reason we built FLL upon a set of Core Values.
STARTING A NEW TEAM – What do I do FIRST?
You need to recruit at least two team members, although we recommend at least three for a true team experience, who are between ages 9 and 14 prior to the opening of registration. Once registration is open, go here to register your team. Keep in mind that children can only be on one team, but a coach is allowed to coach multiple teams. You will need a meeting space that has room to set up the 4×8 playing field, and a computer with internet access.
What do I do after I register my team?
You will receive a registration packet that includes the Coaches’ Handbook for the Body Forward Challenge. Read this Handbook carefully. If you have not already done so, go back to the registration system and purchase one Field Setup Kit ($65 US + tax + shipping) and, if your team does not already have one, order one MINDSTORMS® Robot Set ($395 US + tax + shipping). If you have multiple teams, they can share one Field Setup Kit or they can each have their own. It’s up to you!
TIP: The MINDSTORMS Robot Set can be reused each year, so you only have to buy that once. The Coaches’ Handbook and Field Setup Kit change every year with the Challenge theme.
- Join us on Facebook! or Twitter!
- Volunteer @ the Tournament!
- Help Mentor a Team!
- Donate!
- To volunteer, mentor, or donate, please contact Rebecca Parks at 907.523.2334 or rparks@jedc.org
Great Links
In Addition to all the resources and links provided at www.usfirst.org, check out these sites:
- http://www.nxtprograms.com/index1.html – examples of different robots/projects (including one that looks like a cat!)
- http://www.ortop.org/NXT_Tutorial/index.html – video tutorials
- http://www.techbrick.com/Lego/Lego2009/Resources/index.html – great handouts and resources for teams and coaches
- http://www.teamhassenplug.org/NXT/ – great for programming tips and technical info
- http://thenxtstep.blogspot.com/ – fun youtube clips and great info related to the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT system
Resources for FLL Coaches
- Info Session Flyer (Blank space for date/time/location)
- FIRST Lego League Presentation
- FLL Coaching Course Syllabus [1 credit]
- http://www.hightechkids.org/coach-library – Best site for coach resources — building, programming and MORE!
- Student Questionnaire – Useful at the beginning of the season when forming teams. (Thanks to Dawn Momblow)
- NXT Storage Trays – Print these pages on sticky paper to help keep your kits in order. (Thanks to Paul Keeney)
Contacts
For more information, please contact Rebecca Parks at 907.523.2334 or rparks@jedc.org