This special edition of the FIRST LEGO League Oregon Update is for current coaches. Please use this email as a tournament week checklist to determine what you need for their tournament either this weekend or next! This list is a supplement to be included with the official Qualifying Tournament Checklist you have already received.
Oregon Update: 13
Welcome to the official FIRST LEGO League Oregon Update. All Oregon FIRST LEGO League Coaches are automatically added to this list weekly! In each update, which you can read in an email or on our blog (cross-posted on both G+ and Facebook), you will find out what is happening in Oregon, the important things from Headquarters in NH, and tips to keep your team on track. This blog will be posted nearly weekly and all posts are archived. All official updates this season will be numbered HD# If you've missed an update, please read the archive to catch up!
Whether your tournament is this week or next many teams are starting to panic about the upcoming deadline. This is a great time to set your goals for the tournament DO NOT INCLUDE AN AWARD IN YOUR TEAM GOALS - this sets a negative mindset that the team will fail if they are not the best at something at the event, and is ultimately beyond their individual control. Awards have as much to do with who else is at the tournament as with what your team accomplishes. There are so many good teams in Oregon not all of them will receive adequate recognition at their events. Many coaches have contacted me worried about the readiness of their team. In every case, the team is more prepared than the coach thinks.
Please Remember:
- The Challenge table is designed to last the best of teams 8 months before mastering, your team has had 8 weeks.
- The Project Challenge is something adults struggle to accomplish so fast.
- Even if your robot is nothing but a pile of bricks there are many teams who will be at the tournament that can help your team make changes throughout the day - this is Coopertition!
- Your team will finally apply all the things you've been wanting them to do when they see how it works at the event, even the best teams do this!
- HAVE FUN!!!
Each Item you check off more than 5 days before your tournament is worth 5 Coach Points*, for every item you check off by team check-in you receive 3 Coach Points.
- Your Official FIRST Team Number! This should be easy points! Just like in every communication with ORTOP, your official team number is how your team will be tracked at your tournament. Make sure you and your team members know their correct team number! Not sure what it is? Check it by logging into your FIRST account!
- Know YOUR Tournament LOCATION and DATE! Many tournaments are hosting more than 1 day. While most teams are competing in their first choice tournament, not all are! If you show up on the wrong day there will not be a space for your team to compete - or there might not even be an event! Three events was canceled for lack of interest this year. Please check your tournament assignment on the Oregon Team Status page - you will need your team number! Want to know who else will be at your tournament, select your tournament tab!
- Print Your Completed Team Roster. Many of you have had parent nights or otherwise have done an excellent job of helping the parents on your team register their students online. You've even gone back in and accepted the team members to your team! Excellent work! Make sure every student shows up on your team Roster either by accepting them to your team online, or printing your online roster and adding them by hand and collecting a paper Youth Team Member Form (obtainable on your FIRST Dashboard) filled out and signed by a parent or legal guardian. Remember younger team members may be blocked from registering for FIRST LEGO League. In those cases they need to have a paper form and can not use the online system.
-Your TEEN MENTORS need to be on the roster! They MUST be over 14 years of age, otherwise they are considered a TEAM MEMBER! - Paper forms may be your best option
-Use this blog post to help you navigate completing your team roster
-Make sure both coaches and your chaperone/mentor appear on the Team Roster - your team may have up to 3 adults accompanying it at the tournament. All of these adults need to appear on the Team Roster. If an adult needs to use a paper form, please use the Youth Team Member form from your Dashboard. For adults who use the paper form, write their names as Mentors on the Team ROSTER! - Have the TEAM Complete and Print Their Team Introduction Pages (3 Total!) You team should bring the appropriate introduction page to each of the judging sessions! Team Introduction Pages are available on the Tournament Website and below. Including a current team photo will help the judges remember details about your team!
-Team Introduction Pages as a Doc File
-Team Introduction Pages as a PDF - The Team Shares Their Project Idea BEFORE the Tournament Starts! Every team must share their project idea, preferably with an expert or organization that can use their ideas PRIOR to the Qualifying Tournament. Not only is this a required part of the FIRST LEGO League Project, this is a wonderful opportunity to for the team and the community to benefit one another. Teams are welcome to continue sharing their ideas after the tournament and can tell the judges if they already plan to do so, but their project is not complete unless they have already shared PRIOR to the tournament.
- Print the Robot Program - Do this at the last meeting before your tournament! No matter which robot system you are using, your team will have the ability to print their code. The robot design judges need to see the team's code to properly evaluate the team's programming ability. The team should be prepared to talk about a sample of their code and demonstrate the knowledge of how their robot uses it's programs to complete the challenges. Your code should only be a couple pages of paper. The judges will not have time to look at pseudocode, code updates, or notebooks. Please leave these items in your pit to share with other teams!
ENGINEERING NOTEBOOKS: If your team has an engineering notebook, they may bring it to show, but should still print a copy of their code for the judges. The Engineering Notebook MAY NOT be left with the judges and the judges will not have time to look at it during the judging session. The team may share a page as part of their Executive Summary, but the Engineering Notebook should primarily remain in the pit area to share with other teams. - Know the FIRST LEGO League HYDRO DYNAMICS Challenge! Make sure your team is up to date with the HYDRO DYNAMICS Challenge and the Updates! If it's been a month since your team last looked over the challenge documents and updates, it is a good idea to review both of these documents before the tournament. I'm still getting many emails that are easily answered by the Challenge Guide, your team will be expected to know and understand all of the rules in it at the tournament.
- Know the Tournament Specifics for Your Venue! Make sure you have read and understand all of the documentation from your tournament director AND on the tournament website (find your tournament website from the list on this page). This documentation changes for each venue and each year, please make sure you have read THIS year's information!
- Invite Friends, Family, Sponsors, Teachers and More to See the Event! This is your team's time to shine! Make sure you share it with everyone they are close to and your sponsors. Make sure everyone knows they can watch the robot game throughout the day, and can especially attend the award ceremony! This is a great opportunity to share with teachers, principals, and neighbors. Make sure you celebrate all that your team has accomplished this season.
- Set Your Team Goals for Tournament Day! Teams that set individual goals have a better time at the qualifying tournament and leave with an immediate sense of sanctification and success, regardless of what happens in the awards ceremony. Team goals will be very specific to your team and their strengths. Some example goals for a rookie team might be:
-Have a successful table mission just as it ran in practice (one single launch from base, not the whole 2.5 minutes)
-Don't have to grab the robot off the table more than 4 times in a match
-Remember to shake the judges hands after at least 2 judging sessions
-Have each team member answer a question from the judges fully and confidently (over all the judging sessions!)
-No one drops the robot and even if they do, it doesn't break into a dozen or more pieces (yes this does happen!)
-Make it on time to each judging session and robot game match
-Make friends with someone on a different team
-High five 3 teams when they leave the competition tables and congratulate them on their run
-Thank at least 4 volunteers
-Spot one outstanding example of Gracious Professionalism - bonus if it's from a team member - Don't Forget Lunch! Some tournament venues will have a food option, some will not. Make sure your team knows what you are doing for lunch! Double check your coach letter to know for sure where food is allowed at the tournament.
- Think Power! Make sure your team has a plan to keep their robot fully charged and have access to a working laptop for last minute programming changes. Power will be available at your event, but recharging a dead laptop, or robot may prevent your team from operating at their best! Your schedule will be very busy, so it's best to plan ahead and start with a full charge.
- Practice the Tournament Environment! Running the robot with 5 minutes is a lot different than running one 2.5 minute competition match. Adding in penalties and not allowing "do-overs" can drastically affect the team's score and strategy. It is best to practice using the standards of the competition so the team knows what decisions they want to make if the worst happens during a robot run. If you are changing drivers during the match, practice tagging in and out. Keep the clock running when team members struggle to change attachments. Don't forget to practice judging as well! Parents make excellent stand-in judges and can use the same rubrics the judges will use at the event to help the team notice if they missed anything. Being practiced and prepared can help the day go smoother for everyone!
- Have FUN! FIRST LEGO League wouldn't be the same without you. Take a moment to recognize all the wonderful things you have helped your team to accomplish this season. They really aren't the same kids that were at the first meeting, are they? Now they are a team, and you deserve some credit for facilitating that transition. Great job coach!
*Coach Points are redeemable at your Qualifying tournament in the form of smiles from your team and a general sense of well-being throughout the event, they will not directly impact your team's robot score or judging sessions, however; I feel, their indirect value will be obvious!
Take a few moments to help your team see all they have accomplished in this short time. It really is amazing! They've created something innovative for their project, they've built and programmed a robot made of plastic bricks to move and manipulate a game table. It may not be perfect, and there is definitely a lot more that could be done, but that is where EVERYONE is right now! Your team should be very happy with all they have accomplished. The Qualifying Tournament is to celebrate that!
Great Job Coaches!
Good luck with your upcoming tournaments!
Best Wishes,
Loridee
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