How to Start a LEGO Robotics Team in Your School
First Lego League began in 1998 as a worldwide robotics team competition for school-aged children of about 9 to 16 years of age. Thousands of teams from more than three dozen countries participate in the two parts of this competition, a robot game and a real-life problem-solving project. School teams meet regularly to work on the robotics and conduct research on the annual topic of the project. Teams compete in local events and tournaments some of which are set up officially by FLL and others which are organized within the community.
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Instructions
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Find a coach to head the robotics team at your school. The coach provides guidance to the team members as they work throughout the year, but technical savvy is not required. New coaches can also seek support from experienced coaches by contacting the local Operational Partner, a volunteer who has agreed to oversee the program on a regional level.
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Recruit at least two children to join the robotics team, though three members may be better.Each child can be on only one team, but the coach can guide many teams, so large numbers of children can join if the interest exists.
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Agree on a team meeting place. This should be somewhere at the school where the 4-by-8-foot playing field can be set up. There should also be access to a computer with Internet access. A classroom might work depending on the number of team members, but larger rooms such as the gym, library or cafeteria provide plenty of room for large or multiple teams.
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Register your team on the FLL website as soon as possible. There are a limited number of openings, which usually fill up in mid to late September. Purchase the Field Setup Kit and Robot Set at this time as well since these also are in limited supply.
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Meet with the team regularly, perhaps once a week. If your team meetings begin before the annual Lego Challenge is released at the beginning of September, spend your first few meetings getting acquainted and organized. Create a team name, order T-shirts and consider organizing a fundraiser to pay for the team's fees to register and compete at events.
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Read through the Challenge as soon as it is released. There is a lot of information that is important for all team members to know and understand. Consider spending one meeting simply reading and discussing the Challenge. Missions and rules give team members information needed to plan for the Robot Game. Game Rulings continue to change and update in response to questions from teams around the world and should be checked on a regular basis.
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Tips & Warnings
The specific Challenge is not released until September, but the general Challenge theme is released before this time, so try to get a head start by beginning research on the current year's theme.
Registration fees do not cover a team's participation fees for any events. These must be paid for separately.
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Resources
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