FLL Coach Information
2023-2024 Timeline of Events
The only required event for any team is attending a regional competition in November, either November 11 or 18, 2023. Everything else is optional.
September 6 - Optional Glastonbury coaches meeting, 7:15-8:15 PM at Welles Turner Memorial Library in the Friends Room
The goal is to provide opportunities for the Glastonbury coaches to collaborate and learn from each other. You will meet some of the other 42 FLLC coaches from Glastonbury. Coach Sarah Johnson will also go over coaching and coding tips that she's learned in her past two years as a FLLC coach.
September 9 - FLL Challenge Coach Training in Wolcott
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fll-kickoff-ftc-reveal-2023-tickets-406280404627?aff=oddtdtcreator
Questions contact Mike Gentry: [email protected]
September 21 - FLL Challenge Expert Fair, 7:00-8:00pm, Smith Middle School cafeteria
Questions contact Eva Saftler-Wong: [email protected]
October 14 & 15 - Robotics at the Glastonbury Apple Harvest Festival
If your team would like to visit the high school booth and demo their robot on a table (provided), email Wendy at [email protected]
October ? - Registration for Regional Events on Eventbrite
Every team attends one regional. Only one coach does the signing up. Questions contact Mike Gentry: [email protected]
October 28 - Scrimmage for Glastonbury teams at Pratt and Whitney
The goal is to give the Glastonbury robotics teams an opportunity to test their robot game and identify improvements. Teams will get a chance to play the robot game at least 3 times (like a real competition), go on a guided tour of the museum will an engineer from Pratt, and get help and feedback from Glastonbury high school robotics students. We'll send out sign-up and more info later this month. Questions contact Eva Saftler-Wong: [email protected]
November 11 OR November 18 - "Regional" aka "Qualifying" FLL Challenge Event
Locations TBD, Questions contact Mike Gentry: [email protected] Once you know which event you plan to attend, you can also contact the organizer of that specific event. The coach that did the registration should get an email with event information at some point, usually alarmingly close to the competition date. Tell your parents to plan on getting there at 8:00am and that it will last alllllll dayyyyy. Like until 5pm.
If you don't make it to states, don't disassemble your robot yet!
There are more opportunities to do fun things.
December 9 - State Championship
Invited teams only, which are automatically registered after the regional. If you were invited but are not planning to attend, you need to cancel with Mike. Questions contact Mike Gentry: [email protected]
Teams that didn't make it are welcome to come and watch - the event is open to the public. Competed in States but didn't make it to Worlds? Apparently there are other competitions you can travel to in other countries. Ask Mike.
December 17 - Wolf Pack Hockey
FLL teams can demo their robot in the lobby before the game. We plan to have high school teams demo their robots on the ice during half time. We will need two FLL tables and the mats and mission models to do this. If you are interested in having your team participate, email Wendy at [email protected]
Elementary School STEAM Nights
Each elementary school has their own STEAM night in 2024. Your students could check with their library media specialist or the PACE teacher to ask when it will be held and whether or not you could have a display to show other parents and students what FIRST LEGO League is all about.
March 17, 2024 - FLL Explore Expo
I hope to have a few FLL Challenge teams set up in the GHS cafeteria during the Expo and demonstrate your robots for the younger kids. You could also bring your project if you would like to show them what to expect.
April 17-20, 2024 - FIRST World Competition
One lucky FLL C team from CT will be invited to Houston, TX to participate. Sometimes the invited team cannot attend, so they take a back up.
Other Unofficial Off-Season Events
Sometimes other schools have off-season events you might want to attend.
The goal is to provide opportunities for the Glastonbury coaches to collaborate and learn from each other. You will meet some of the other 42 FLLC coaches from Glastonbury. Coach Sarah Johnson will also go over coaching and coding tips that she's learned in her past two years as a FLLC coach.
September 9 - FLL Challenge Coach Training in Wolcott
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fll-kickoff-ftc-reveal-2023-tickets-406280404627?aff=oddtdtcreator
Questions contact Mike Gentry: [email protected]
September 21 - FLL Challenge Expert Fair, 7:00-8:00pm, Smith Middle School cafeteria
Questions contact Eva Saftler-Wong: [email protected]
October 14 & 15 - Robotics at the Glastonbury Apple Harvest Festival
If your team would like to visit the high school booth and demo their robot on a table (provided), email Wendy at [email protected]
October ? - Registration for Regional Events on Eventbrite
Every team attends one regional. Only one coach does the signing up. Questions contact Mike Gentry: [email protected]
October 28 - Scrimmage for Glastonbury teams at Pratt and Whitney
The goal is to give the Glastonbury robotics teams an opportunity to test their robot game and identify improvements. Teams will get a chance to play the robot game at least 3 times (like a real competition), go on a guided tour of the museum will an engineer from Pratt, and get help and feedback from Glastonbury high school robotics students. We'll send out sign-up and more info later this month. Questions contact Eva Saftler-Wong: [email protected]
November 11 OR November 18 - "Regional" aka "Qualifying" FLL Challenge Event
Locations TBD, Questions contact Mike Gentry: [email protected] Once you know which event you plan to attend, you can also contact the organizer of that specific event. The coach that did the registration should get an email with event information at some point, usually alarmingly close to the competition date. Tell your parents to plan on getting there at 8:00am and that it will last alllllll dayyyyy. Like until 5pm.
If you don't make it to states, don't disassemble your robot yet!
There are more opportunities to do fun things.
December 9 - State Championship
Invited teams only, which are automatically registered after the regional. If you were invited but are not planning to attend, you need to cancel with Mike. Questions contact Mike Gentry: [email protected]
Teams that didn't make it are welcome to come and watch - the event is open to the public. Competed in States but didn't make it to Worlds? Apparently there are other competitions you can travel to in other countries. Ask Mike.
December 17 - Wolf Pack Hockey
FLL teams can demo their robot in the lobby before the game. We plan to have high school teams demo their robots on the ice during half time. We will need two FLL tables and the mats and mission models to do this. If you are interested in having your team participate, email Wendy at [email protected]
Elementary School STEAM Nights
Each elementary school has their own STEAM night in 2024. Your students could check with their library media specialist or the PACE teacher to ask when it will be held and whether or not you could have a display to show other parents and students what FIRST LEGO League is all about.
March 17, 2024 - FLL Explore Expo
I hope to have a few FLL Challenge teams set up in the GHS cafeteria during the Expo and demonstrate your robots for the younger kids. You could also bring your project if you would like to show them what to expect.
April 17-20, 2024 - FIRST World Competition
One lucky FLL C team from CT will be invited to Houston, TX to participate. Sometimes the invited team cannot attend, so they take a back up.
Other Unofficial Off-Season Events
Sometimes other schools have off-season events you might want to attend.
Resources
Previous Seasons
There are three parts of FIRST LEGO League Challenge, worth equal amounts at competition:
1. Robot - game and design
2. Project
3. Core Values
At competitions, each team will have a table in "the pit" where they set up their project tri-fold and other supporting materials. You can store your coats, etc. under the table. Judges and other teams will informally come by and learn from your display about the team's project - the problem the team chose and the solution the students designed. The team will compete in robot games, meaning that your team will go "onto the field" and execute their pre-programmed missions. The highest score of all their runs will be used to decide who wins. (For example, if the team gets three runs and your scores are 97, 120, and 143, your final score will be 143, NOT an average.) In a small room with judges, students will do a five minute presentation about their project, answer questions about the project, present and answer questions about their robot design and programming, and finally judges will ask the team questions on how they worked over the season to assess their core values score. Coaches usually do not go into the judging room with the students.
1. Robot - game and design
2. Project
3. Core Values
At competitions, each team will have a table in "the pit" where they set up their project tri-fold and other supporting materials. You can store your coats, etc. under the table. Judges and other teams will informally come by and learn from your display about the team's project - the problem the team chose and the solution the students designed. The team will compete in robot games, meaning that your team will go "onto the field" and execute their pre-programmed missions. The highest score of all their runs will be used to decide who wins. (For example, if the team gets three runs and your scores are 97, 120, and 143, your final score will be 143, NOT an average.) In a small room with judges, students will do a five minute presentation about their project, answer questions about the project, present and answer questions about their robot design and programming, and finally judges will ask the team questions on how they worked over the season to assess their core values score. Coaches usually do not go into the judging room with the students.
Glastonbury Team Preparation
1) Youth Protection Program: Coaches must register and complete the FIRST Youth Protection Program. You can choose the no-cost option. FIRST will not accept the BOE's background check, and they will not register any team nor mail a field kit until both coaches pass their check.
Click this link for step by step instructions for starting the FIRST background check. You can always call FIRST for help with their website. The number is (603) 666-3906 or (800) 871-8326 and they are open Monday - Friday, 8:30 - 5:00 EST
2) Fingerprinting: FIRST's background check is not a rigorous enough background check for our school system to allow you access to other peoples' children. All coaches must also have a current background check on file with Glastonbury Public Schools, which involves visiting the Board of Education office, where you will be fingerprinted. If you have been fingerprinted by the school system in the past, you don't have to go back again unless you took a year off from coaching. (If you coached last season and already had the school background check, you should be all set.) If you are a new coach, or had fingerprinting done in the past but did not coach students from Glastonbury Public Schools last year, please contact Laurie Grenus [email protected] at the BOE to schedule a time. There is no cost to the coach; the program will cover the cost of over $70.
3) Robot Game Table:
Glastonbury Friends of Robotics will try to provide you with a table (and sawhorses). If we run out of tables, a parent from your team could build one using the guidelines from the FIRST website: https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/fll/table-build.pdf
All the original coaches built the tables and donated them to GHS. I may be able to reimburse you for materials if you donate the tables to GPS when you are finished coaching and if you clear it with me first (need to check the budget and wood pricing).
4) Robot Pick-up: Every team is provided with a LEGO SPIKE PRIME robot by Glastonbury Friends of Robotics.
5) Meetings: Most teams meet in a coach's home, 1-2 times a week.
6) Field Kit: FIRST will send the team's field kit (mat and LEGO pieces) directly to a coach's home after A) you successfully register your team, B) both coaches pass the FIRST background check, C) FIRST has accepted the tax exemption form that I will upload, and D) and I have paid your registration fee on the FIRST website. In order for me to pay, I need to be your "team administrator" - [email protected].
7) T-shirts: You can arrange your shirts or I can facilitate it. I will get you more information on this in late September.
1) Youth Protection Program: Coaches must register and complete the FIRST Youth Protection Program. You can choose the no-cost option. FIRST will not accept the BOE's background check, and they will not register any team nor mail a field kit until both coaches pass their check.
Click this link for step by step instructions for starting the FIRST background check. You can always call FIRST for help with their website. The number is (603) 666-3906 or (800) 871-8326 and they are open Monday - Friday, 8:30 - 5:00 EST
2) Fingerprinting: FIRST's background check is not a rigorous enough background check for our school system to allow you access to other peoples' children. All coaches must also have a current background check on file with Glastonbury Public Schools, which involves visiting the Board of Education office, where you will be fingerprinted. If you have been fingerprinted by the school system in the past, you don't have to go back again unless you took a year off from coaching. (If you coached last season and already had the school background check, you should be all set.) If you are a new coach, or had fingerprinting done in the past but did not coach students from Glastonbury Public Schools last year, please contact Laurie Grenus [email protected] at the BOE to schedule a time. There is no cost to the coach; the program will cover the cost of over $70.
3) Robot Game Table:
Glastonbury Friends of Robotics will try to provide you with a table (and sawhorses). If we run out of tables, a parent from your team could build one using the guidelines from the FIRST website: https://www.firstinspires.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resource_library/fll/table-build.pdf
All the original coaches built the tables and donated them to GHS. I may be able to reimburse you for materials if you donate the tables to GPS when you are finished coaching and if you clear it with me first (need to check the budget and wood pricing).
4) Robot Pick-up: Every team is provided with a LEGO SPIKE PRIME robot by Glastonbury Friends of Robotics.
5) Meetings: Most teams meet in a coach's home, 1-2 times a week.
6) Field Kit: FIRST will send the team's field kit (mat and LEGO pieces) directly to a coach's home after A) you successfully register your team, B) both coaches pass the FIRST background check, C) FIRST has accepted the tax exemption form that I will upload, and D) and I have paid your registration fee on the FIRST website. In order for me to pay, I need to be your "team administrator" - [email protected].
7) T-shirts: You can arrange your shirts or I can facilitate it. I will get you more information on this in late September.
Help Grow our Program
Some companies will donate money to the 501c3 if you are a volunteer for that organization (coach).
Please consider submitting your hours. Your company's donation helps keeps costs down for participants and replace equipment. The info you need is below; DO NOT choose G-REC (Glastonbury Robotics and Engineering Club) if you want to support Glastonbury's FLL Explore or Challenge programs, as that organization has been officially dissolved. Email Wendy if you need a copy of the IRS letter.
You can find Glastonbury Friends of Robotics in Benevity (Travelers) and Front Door (Eversourve)
Glastonbury Friends of Robotics Inc
c/o Wendy Smith
73 Dogwood Lane
Glastonbury, CT 06033-1737
Email Address: [email protected]
Website Address: http://glastonburyrobotics.weebly.com
U.S. Tax ID/EIN: 87-4775354
Some companies will donate money to the 501c3 if you are a volunteer for that organization (coach).
Please consider submitting your hours. Your company's donation helps keeps costs down for participants and replace equipment. The info you need is below; DO NOT choose G-REC (Glastonbury Robotics and Engineering Club) if you want to support Glastonbury's FLL Explore or Challenge programs, as that organization has been officially dissolved. Email Wendy if you need a copy of the IRS letter.
You can find Glastonbury Friends of Robotics in Benevity (Travelers) and Front Door (Eversourve)
Glastonbury Friends of Robotics Inc
c/o Wendy Smith
73 Dogwood Lane
Glastonbury, CT 06033-1737
Email Address: [email protected]
Website Address: http://glastonburyrobotics.weebly.com
U.S. Tax ID/EIN: 87-4775354