This page is responding to some of the most common questions we have gathered from parents regarding competitions that we participate.  If you have more details, please write me with your suggestion and feedback.   -- Elizabeth Mabrey

 

Most basic Criteria:

• The child himself/herself must be interested, not only parents.
• The child should have the right temperament, willingness to work with others. Such as dealing with disagreement, handling mistakes, etc. If the child tends to be very argumentational and be over-bossy, he/she will not be a good candidate.
• Given a goal and means to resolve a problem, the child needs to have the maturity to stay on task without adult supervision for minimum 2 hours.
• Passion to learn and challenge.
• Demonstrate the maturity of applying himself/herself.
• Love robotic programming and/or building.
• Minimum technical aptitude (depending on the game and group makeup).
• For FLL, the child must be proficient in grade 4+ math and reading level.
• For RCJ - Rescue/Primary level - the child must be proficient in grade 6+ math and reading level.
• For RCJ - Rescue or Soccer/Secondary level - the child must be proficient in grade 9+ math and reading level.

 

Competition meetings vs. regular club meetings?

Competition team meetings

(during competition season):

• All meetings will focus on the requirement of the game.   
• During the project planning stage, all must contribute. 
• Equality of work does not mean equal weight of work, it means the level of work one can endure and understand.
• Work is split into smaller tasks among team members based on their past experience.   However, once the development phase kicks in.  It will really be based on the progress of the team.  For example,  if one has great difficulty his/own assigned task, another team member will help out or may even take over. Over time, the one(s) who has(have) the stronger skills set may end up completing most of the codes.   Although we try to minimize this from happening, it sometimes is inevitable.
• The goal is to get the work done to the best that they can for the team, not individual.  the final result will reflect the work from the team as a whole.

Regular club meetings:

Everyone is expected to work on the similar tasks, although the more advanced student will be given more complex work.

Meetings are run in a more instructional format.   Children must work in a team of two (except the very advanced individual).

So the ultimate question will be..."Which one my child will learn more from?" This is really depending each individual, such as the aptitude to learn in a short time and under stress, as well as propensity to take on new challenge and succeed. 

 

Is it ok for my child to join only during competition season?

If your child wishes to play a major role in the team,  it will not be a good idea.  Remember that they only meet a couple of hours per week.  It does take long term commitment in order to compile more advanced skills.

 

Forming a First LEGO League Team?  

Details you need to know to be part of FLL team led by Storming Robots

Team Makeup:

1. An adult home coach (coordinator) is required.
2. Team size should be from 4 to 6. Although FLL allows up to 10, I do not recommend this size.
3. If parents are selecting their own team members, Storming Robots will assert recommendation only if we see any team member not a good fit.  A team member must register as Storming Robots roboclub member in order to receive lessons.
4. All members should live within a reasonable nearby proximity as frequent meetings are easier to coordinate.

Time Commitment:

1. Students should expect to put in about two hours per week in research projects at home, while  4-6 hours on technical robotics project. This includes the two hours spent at Storming Robots, with extra hours spent at one of the team members' home, most likely the home coach's.   More practise may be necessary as it approaches the competition date.
2. In additional to the two hours meeting at Storming Robots, more practice and research time is a must.  This adult home coach will coordinate all the additional meeting hours closer to your home.
3. Parent's support is an important element to make this experience successful. The adult home coach must be willing to hold additional meetings at home (or closer to home) to:
   • do research and presentation work
   • more technical work from Storming Robots.
   Research and presentation work will also be discussed at the center as well.

Registration cost and meeting logistic:

1. Registration cost of $200 (approximation) will be split among the team members. Storming Robots will pay for the Field-setup Kit, unless one parent wants to keep it after the game.   (Please note that since only a single Mat is allowed for one team registration, Storming Robots will be responsible for registering another "empty-team" just so that we can place a field setup at the center as well.)
2. Storming Robots will be the primary technical coach.
3. Each team will have a field-kit at one team member's home.
4. Team should start meeting at Storming Robots in August.
5. You don't have to own a robotics kit at home, but highly recommended.
6. Software we use is Robolab, not the retail version software NXT-G.
7. Once the team has been formed and confirmed with Storming Robots, Storming Robots will take care of the logistics of registration and acquiring the Field Kit.  

Please also note:

In the past, we have encountered parents wrote code for their children and had them memorized them. Please do note that if this is the case, these codes will be removed and members will be required to be rewrite them. Then, this particular member will not be accepted back in the Storming Robots team in the future.

Our ultimate goal is to make this a great learning and fun experience for the students.   

**** If you have already had a team in mind and interested in having Storming Robots to lead your team, please write to Elizabeth Mabrey with before July.   

 

Forming a RobocupJunior Team?  

Details you need to know to be part of RCJ team led by Storming Robots

Time Commitment:

1. In additonal to meeting time at Storming robots, additional  3+ hours a week is recommended for returning team members, more for new members.

Team Makeup:

1. Team size will be from 2 to 4.
2. Members are solely selected by Storming Robots. All experienced roboclub members will be given an evaluation at a random schedule during roboclub meetings.
3. The team should demonstrate:
   • strong analytical and trouble shooting skill;
   • minimum building skill;
   • algorithmic reasoning;
   • high perseverence of staying on task for 3+ hours without adult supervision.
   • maturity to work with others
4. It is not as important to have members living right by.
5. Does not need a home coach.  

Registration cost and meeting logistic:

1. Registration cost of $100 (approximation) will be split among the team members.
2. Once the team has been formed and confirmed with Storming Robots, Storming Robots will take care of logistics of registration.
3. You don't have to own a robotics kit at home, but highly recommended.
4. Software we use is Robolab or RobotC, not the retail version software NXT-G.  

**** Notification of acquiring participation to the RCJ will be emailed out to parents in October.

"Learning is like breathing" is a culture at our roboclub.  For those who stay in our roboclub for a few terms and make satisfactory progress,  he/she will usually (not guaranteed) meet the requirement to participate in the RCJ.