We are starting over this year with our youngest. Our older two aged out of FLL robotics a few years ago. – Like 6 years ago! Our family had went through everything from teams in Illinois and Kentucky, having coaches, coordinating regionals, state championships, and running workshops for teachers. Our first year was Mission Mars and our oldest started as an eight year old… that really seems like forever ago!
It took a little bit to get registered this time since the registration had actually changed a lot. I’m still not completely sure I have everything completely done, but I have finished the background check portion. In previous years it was a simple register your team… all in one place and the kit would show up. This year there were so many more steps. As a simple home team, coordinated by parents on the team it definitely didn’t seem to be organized for the parent who just wants to get a neighborhood group together. Even being very familiar with FIRST I was quickly lost.
I registered our team, and shortly after realized I hadn’t completed a step to get our mat. I had to re-sign in and go to LEGO Education to order our mat. Luckily I figured that out and got the mat ordered. A few days later I received notice that a background check wasn’t finished. No matter how many times I signed in and tried to complete it, the system just gave me errors. FIRST was great helping with getting that completed! I finally have that part completed. I wasn’t sure where to list the other parents, so for now I have them listed in the system as mentors. We shall see how that goes.
Our kids first couple meetings, we had the kids work on building the models – which our eight and nine year old kids were not happy about. The kids left that up to the parents every chance they got and ran off to play with the robot. I do think when the kids get to the robot programming we aren’t going to have any problems.
We are at the point where we plan to pick a team name and start making an agenda each week. This year we only have one robot so that kids will have to work on more than one thing…. but it looks like they will make a great team!
I am a SAHM/WAHM of three boys ranging in age from 13 to 29. We are working on saving enough for college at the same time as dealing with school and our older independent kids. I author a few blogs, including http://teched4kids.com. I have in the past taught computer information technology classes for the local university and taught workshops for kid's in technology education besides being the Kentucky State FIRST LEGO League Championship Coordinator from 2005 to 2008. I now work as a computer consultant, run a handmade home business, and am available for workshops. Life here is always an adventure!
