1 of 25

Coaching: Season Planning�

2025

Coach Series

Disclaimer: This private training is provided by the North Texas Region and is not affiliated or operated by the LEGO® Group or by FIRST ®. The LEGO Group® and FIRST® are not responsible for any of its activities.

IN DEVELOPMENT

1

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

2 of 25

Learning Objective

Become acquainted with the materials and resources available for coaches.

2

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

3 of 25

All the info you need – All in one place (well, two places)

  • Coach Padlet – Updated each season, after season launch:

https://firstintexas.padlet.org/FiTAdmin/fit-first-lego-league-north-jbmmm73l8too1ec9

Site maintained by Sara Brown, FLL-C North Texas Program Delivery Coordinator for FIRST in Texas

3

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

4 of 25

The Guides

Mailed to teams after team registration fee is paid to FIRST ®

4

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

5 of 25

Team Meeting Guide

  • Great for new and returning coaches.
  • Twelve 120-minute sessions (can be divided into 24 1-hour�sessions).

Only a Guide - Do what is best for you and your implementation, but it is a great overview�of what to work on to make sure your team is ready to compete.

5

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

6 of 25

Engineering Notebook

  • Student Workbook: Use to document student work, iterations (Engineering Design Process) throughout the season.
  • Great for use on talking points during the Robot Design portion of the competition's Robot Design portion.
  • Aligned with the Team Meeting Guide.
  • Interactive version available on www.firstinspires.org.

Document your work

6

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

7 of 25

Engineering Notebook – Core Values

We explore new

skills and ideas.

We respect

each other and

embrace our

differences.

We use creativity

and persistence to

solve problems.

We are stronger

when we work

together.

We apply what we

learn to improve

our world.

We enjoy and

celebrate what we

do!

7

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

8 of 25

Gracious Professionalism & Coopertition

Gracious Professionalism is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.

​

Coopertition is showing that learning is more important than winning. Teams can help others even as they compete.

8

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

9 of 25

Engineering Notebook – Program Structure

    • Apply teamwork and discovery to explore the challenge.
    • Innovate with new ideas about your robot and project.
    • Show how your team and your solutions will have an impact and be inclusive.
    • Celebrate by having fun in everything you do!

Core Values

    • Identify your mission strategy.
    • Design your robot and programs and create an effective plan.
    • Create your robot and coding solution.
    • Iterate, test, and improve your robot and program.
    • Communicate your robot design process and everyone’s contributions.

Robot Design

    • Build the mission models and follow the field setup to put the models on the mat.
    • Review the missions and rules.
    • Design and build a robot.
    • Explore building and coding skills while practicing with your robot on the mat.
    • Compete at an event!

Robot Game

    • Identify and research a problem to solve.
    • Design a new solution or improve an existing one based on your selected idea, brainstorming, and plan.
    • Create a model, drawing, or prototype.
    • Iterate on your solution by sharing it with others and collecting feedback.
    • Communicate your solution’s impact.

Innovation Project

9

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

10 of 25

Robot Game Rulebook

  • Read It.
  • Evaluate It.
  • Read It Again.
  • Team members, Coaches and Mentors MUST know the robot game rules. Missions that are completed but did not following the rules, will not be scored.
  • If you or the team has questions about the robot game, this is the first place you should go.
  • If still unclear, check the FIRST® Update and consult the NorthTexasFLL Google Group. There are many seasoned volunteers and coaches there to help you.

10

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

11 of 25

Robot Game Rulebook

Excellent Robot Game Overview video recorded by the IET for the RePlay season (2020-2021) https://youtu.be/O3YPZiOCZls

11

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

12 of 25

Getting started with the SPIKE™ Prime App

  • Six short, guided lessons on getting started with the SPIKE™ Prime Robot and its inputs and outputs.
  • Basic training for students.

​

12

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

13 of 25

Suggested Season Preparation

  • Innovation Project (Project “Sparks” in Team Meeting Guide to help along the way).
    • Research a current problem that addresses the prompt.
    • Research current solutions and improve on a solution or create a new solution (keep it simple).
    • Document iterations, and justifications for them.
      • It is important to communicate what you learned.
      • Illustrate what worked, but also what didn’t work (that’s real life).
    • Create a prototype/model – can be a drawing, or physical model.
    • Consult industry experts (very important, and a valuable experience for students).
      • Coach should facilitate these discussions; students should not reach out to unknown adults on their own.

13

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

14 of 25

Suggested Season Preparation

  • Team Identity – Be memorable – Have Fun!
    • Suggestions:
      • Team T-Shirt/Costume, Team Sign, Cheer/Chant for Robot Game Rounds, etc.

​

14

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

15 of 25

Suggested Season Preparation

  • Tournament Prep
    • Create a check-list for your team to ensure they are staying on task and covering required elements.
      • Do as much as you can, attend the event even if all “boxes” are not checked.
    • Discuss Rubrics to ensure your team knows the judging criteria.
    • Collaborate with other teams if available (make connections through NorthTexasFLL Google Group).

15

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

16 of 25

Suggested Season Preparation

  • Robot Game
    • Practice full 2.5 minutes rounds prior to the event.
    • Review the Robot Game Rulebook during practice, know the rules.
    • Programs must be stored/downloaded on the robot, no devices allowed at the Robot Game Table.
    • Minimize time spent in home, consider solving multiple missions in one robot run.
    • Create Jigs (alignment tools) from LEGO® pieces for more consistent starting positions.

​

16

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

17 of 25

Tournament Registration

  • Registration Dates: TBD (mid-October)
  • Registration Fee: $225 (includes championship if team qualifies)
  • Teams must have secured a team number for the SubmergedSM season through FIRSTInspires.org.
  • Registration is first come, first served. Once a site fills, no more registrations will be accepted for that site.
  • Dallas ISD teams will register through Shendolyn Anderson, DO NOT use the released registration link.
  • Updates will be posted to the Padlet and Website as well as emailed to coaches from Sara.Brown@firstintexas.org (make sure address is flagged as “not SPAM”, you don’t want to miss anything).

17

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

18 of 25

North Texas Masterpiece Event Schedule

  • Get Ready Events: (previously called “Scrimmages”)
    • During the month of November as hosts are available.
  • North Texas Round Qualifiers: (each team competes at one event) see next slide.
  • North Texas Regional Championship:
  • State Championship:
  • FIRST Championship: advancement from State Championship Required. April 16 - 19, 2025, Houston
  • Other Invitational Events (Arkansas, Southern California) – advancement from State Championship Required, dates TBD

18

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

19 of 25

North Texas FLL-C Tournament Schedule

December 7

Qualifiers:

​

December 14

Qualifiers:

​

January 11

Qualifiers:

​

January 18

​

January 25

Rookie only Qualifier at UME Prep

February 8

Regional at UME Prep

February 15

Regional at DSID

March 1

State Championship

19

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

20 of 25

Tournament Experience – Judging Rooms

  • Teams will spend 30 minutes with the judges (see judging flow document).
  • Arrive at the check-in area 5 minutes before scheduled judging time.
  • Punctuality is key to helping the tournament stay on time.
  • Judges will use the released rubrics to score teams in each category.
  • Only team members are allowed in the judging room. This includes for setup.
  • Teams can present their Innovation Project and Robot Design using posters, trifold boards and/or presentation software on laptops.
  • Time starts as soon as teams walk in the door. Complicated setups are not recommended as they will take away from the time teams are able to spend with Judges.

20

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

21 of 25

Tournament Experience – Judging Rooms

  • Projectors will not be provided, and take time for teams to set up, therefore are not recommended.
  • All team members must be present at and participate in the Judging Session.
  • Wi-Fi is not guaranteed at any tournament site.
  • Tip: Plan before hand for possible technical difficulties if using digital presentations.

21

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

22 of 25

Tournament Experience – Core Values & Robot Game

  • Core Values will be observed throughout the tournament, in the Judging Room and at the Robot Game table.
  • Encourage team members to consider Coopertition® and Gracious Professionalism® for their behavior and interactions with others.
  • Each team will have three 2.5-minute robot game rounds.
  • Top score will determine robot game ranking.
  • Robot Game is ¼ of the competition, but the most visible.
  • Arrive at the game area 5 minutes before your scheduled game time.

22

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

23 of 25

Tournament Experience – Event Day

  • Prepare your team for possible “down-time” after the last robot game round, but before the awards ceremony.
  • Judges will meet to deliberate on the awards for the tournament during this time.
  • This is a great time to clean your pit area, play a game with another team, or get to know those around you and share experiences.

23

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

24 of 25

Tournament Experience – Qualifier Awards�

  • Champion 1st Place
  • Champion 2nd Place
  • Core Values
  • Innovation Project
  • Robot Design
  • Robot Game 1st Place
  • Robot Game 2nd Place
  • Breakthrough Award*
  • Rising Star Award*
  • Motivate Award*
  • Coach/Mentor Award*

​

  • Dependent on the number of teams competing at the tournament these awards may not be awarded.

​

Note: Teams can receive only one core award, with the exception of a Robot Game Performance award and another core award.

A percentage of teams at each Qualifier will advance to one of the North Texas Championships

24

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series

25 of 25

Everything is awesome!

-Emmet Joseph Brickowski

25

Coaching Season Planning - Coach Series