Getting Started

 

What is a Team 

JFLL, FLL and FTC Teams come in all shapes and sizes. They form at schools as part of classes, afterschool clubs, during lunch or even early in the morning. They also form as groups of friends, scout troops, community ed groups, homeschoolers, etc. Teams are defined as having 3 – 10 participants and teams can be a mix of grades & ages.
 
General Age/Grade Guidelines:
JFLL – Ages 6-8, Grades 2-4
FLL – Ages 9-14, Grades 4-8
FTC – Ages 14-18, Grades 9-12

 

Forming a Team 

Finding Participants and Coaches
• Hold an informational meeting for your school or group in spring or very early in September – explain the program, timeframe, costs, and the need for volunteer coaches!
• Talk to parents, your PTO/PTA, your principal, your school district, or an interested teacher. Most teams are coached by parents.
• Recruit other coaches or a co-coach. At least 2 coaches per team are recommended.
• There are always interested kids, they just need a coach. No experience is necessary to coach. You do not need to be an engineer!

 

Season Overview 

• The FLL Annual Research and Robot Challenge is released the first week of September.
• Training for coaches and teams: September - October
• Regional tournaments: November - December
• State Championship: January 

 

Registering your Team

Registration has 2 steps.
 
1. NATIONAL REGISTRATION
Registration opens in May and will close the last week of September. You must register by this date, or you will not have the equipment necessary to participate. You will receive your team number, Coaches’ Handbook, FIRST DVD, and Research Project Training DVD. You should also purchase your robot and mat/kit from FIRST on this website. Robots are reused after the first season, but you will need a new mat and kit each season.
 
2. TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION
Registration opens in September and continues through November. In 2010, all tournaments are open and teams are invited to participate in as many tournaments as they wish. Teams will only be eligible for awards at one regional tournament and one championship tournament. Starting in 2011, there will be a qualifier system for teams to advance to the state championship.

 

Coach/Team Training

• Kids do the work and teams are student lead, however, the coaches need to provide guidance. Team members may need to be taught basic skills such as programming, robot building techniques, the research process, brainstorming, and presentation skills.
• JEDC offers Coach & Mission Training Classes in September and October. This 2 hour overview is highly recommended, even for veteran coaches. There are multiple sessions offered by volunteers around the state, and one phone-in option. You need only attend one. This training covers the season, the research topic, robotic missions, rules, and resources for the season. There is no charge to attend.
• JEDC can help set up special Rookie Team Training Workshops for new teams and coaches in late September and early October: hands-on activities cover robot building, and programming. Mentor coaches and FLL alumni can answer questions about the research project and speak from experience about what to expect. This is a great way to get started!

 

Resources 

• Training materials are available on our website and www.usfirst.org.
• Your Coaches Manual is an essential resource; this will be shipped to you after you register with FIRST, along with the Research DVD.
• Look for the many books, videos and other how-to resources on the web, library, You Tube, etc.