In general, the vast majority of FLL teams get started because a parent or teacher wants this program available for their child or class. We have information below about starting a FIRST LEGO League team and there is alot of information available online including at www.usfirst.org

Steps to get started:

• Teams form in as many ways as you can imagine.  Teams do NOT have to be affiliated with an organization or school but can be.  Similarly, an organization or school can sponsor more than one team
• Register the team with FIRST starting in May. Team registration closes in September- there is a maximum number of teams that can register, so register early.
• You will not be asked who is on the team when you register with FIRST
• The vast majority of teams form among kids and/or  parents that have an existing relationship of some sort
• Order LEGO Mindstorms robotics kit  (as early as possible) to start learning about the programming and building a few basic 'bot designs
• Order the Challenge field setup kit unless you already have coordinated among several teams to share one
• Participate in local Kickoff Event in September to learn about the game - Registration TBD
• Register for coach workshops in August or September  -  Next one : TBD

Organizing A Team

Anyone can form a team. Teams can be formed around a school classroom, after-school program, extracurricular group, home school, a group of friends, neighborhood kids, a club, or civic organization  - basically any way that a small group of young people get together. The definition of a team is that it consists of three to 10 kids that are age eligible, and at least one adult coach.

• A child can only be a team member on only one team. A child is not allowed to be a member on multiple teams.
• A coach can be the coach for multiple teams. For example, a teacher could be the coach for multiple teams in their classroom.
• For a number of reasons, it is difficult for us to match an individual with a team. Typically, we encourage interested individuals to consider forming their own team.
• Typically, teams have 4 to 6 members but up to 10 members per team is allowed
  
• Every team must have at least one Adult coach  - additional coaches and mentors are encouraged
• Team members are between the ages of 9 to 14.  
• The lower age limit of 9 years old is not strictly enforced.  Generally, the lower limit is based on factors such as attention span, ability to work in a team, ability to keep "on task", and student interest.  Experience has shown that students below 5th grade have a significantly harder time keeping on task and have issues with participating within a team-based environment. Your experience may vary.
• The upper age limit of 14 years old is strictly enforced.  All team members must be 14 or younger on January 1 of the competition year.  For the 2010 "Body Forward" season, this means that every team member must be 14 or younger on January 1, 2010 or your birthday must be after January 1, 1995.
• It is fine to seek sponsors but not necessary
  

• The yearly challenge has 2 primary parts related to an annual theme:  Project and Game.  The exact details are published at the Challenge Kickoff in September.
• Teams use the LEGO Mindstorms robotics kit to design/build an autonomous robot to compete in a FIRST-designed game
• Teams will program their robot in one of 2 programming environments:  NXT-G, or RoboLab.  
  
• The project puts the annual theme (bio-medical engineering for the 2010 Body Forward season) into a real-world context and typically has 3 components.
  
  • Look at a problem  (also called research);
  • Propose a solution;
  • Share results with others
• Rookie coach workshops will be scheduled for August with informal scrimmages starting in October.
• FLL is about the kids efforts and kids work in a team. It is good for rookie teams to start before the challenge kickoff to start learning and understanding how to work together as a team and also to learn about the equipment.
• Tournaments are like Sporting events with judges and awards and are typically all day, high energy events
• Teams are evaluated in 4 areas at a tournament:  Teamwork, Project, Robot Design and Robot Performance.  Each aspect is equally weighted.

Defining Goals and Expectations

One of the first things the coach needs to do with the team members is help them understand the various roles and responsibilities of the team - what has to be done - FLL is not about the robot game only.   The different team roles are described in the FLL Coaches Manual.  It is also very important to have the team members set their own goals and agree on the expectations for the team.  These goals need to also be communicated to the other people affiliated with the team - parents, mentors and co-coaches, so that everyone is working towards the common goals.  Meeting these goals will define success for the team - FLL is not about winning awards, it is about discovery and inspiring young people. 

The coach can help remove confusion by helping the team to create a timeline.  Meeting on a regular basis to review the status of these action items will relay the importance of teamwork, as well as reinforce time management and prioritizing. It is not uncommon for a team’s timeline, roles & responsibilities, action list, and expectations to change through the season.

Try to keep in mind that the FLL experience extends beyond the deadlines, the competition and robot performance. The FLL program is designed as a team-building and problem-solving learning experience for children. Once these goals are achieved, your team has already won!

How much does FLL cost per team

• Most teams divide the costs up equally.  We don't recommend using "personal" LEGO robot kits for the team due to potential for conflict around missing or broken pieces
• It is fine to seek sponsors and many teams create a team tshirt listing any sponsor(s)
• Teams need at least one LEGO Mindstorms robotics kit.   Any model and any version of the LEGO kit is acceptable.   If you are buying a new one, the FLL LEGO robot kit bundle is the cheapest for the number and type of LEGO elements that you get. 
  
• In general, a new team will spend approximately $850, of which, close to $400 is the robot kit.   The robot kit will be reused each year and only needs to purchased once.  More information about the costs and schedule

HOLD THE DATE:   Challenge Kickoff Event on EITHER Friday, September 3th between 6-8pm at Google, Mountain View OR Saturday, September 4th.   Details coming soon....

 
FIRST: What We Do -> FLL:  How to Start A Team  
General information about FLL and starting a team 
FLL Measures of Effectiveness

2010 Nor Cal FLL Costs and Season Overview

2009 Coaches Training Presentation  &   Common Questions

Nor Cal FLL Policies