Holding your first FIRST Lego League tournament

[Madison]

So, let's pretend that your team just agreed, sight unseen, to host an FLL tournament in early December.

What do I need to know to make this event run smoothly, professionally and, most importantly, make it seem as if we're not all bumbling idiots?

Help! I know almost nothing about FLL.

[KelliV]

I went all the way through the FIRST program (FLL thru FRC) and my main suggestion is get your local FRC teams to help out. I remember back in the day when I was younger seeing the WildStang robot and being frozen in awe.
Kids love robots, it is pretty much a fact. Robots + Kids = Awesome FLL Competition! While on WildStang I remember that did field reset, cueing, showed off the robot,and sold t-shirts at the regionals and State Championship back in the day. It was a great experience. Every FRC student should volunteer at a FLL tournament at some point in their careers on their teams.

[Rich Wong]

So, let's pretend that your team just agreed, sight unseen, to host an FLL tournament in early December.

What do I need to know to make this event run smoothly, professionally and, most importantly, make it seem as if we're not all bumbling idiots?

Help! I know almost nothing about FLL.
Can you elaborate on “sight unseen,” it’ll help me understand your situation.

(I have a little experience at running FLL events in the NJ, NYC, and LI area)
:]

[prettycolors91]

I was an FLL kid and now I'm mentoring my old team. This past year, i also volunteered at the regional and state competitions. As an FLLer I remember wishing they would get things under control and stay on schedule (things seemed to always run an hour behind) but then I finally helped out with the thing...and I understand why. Here's some tips
1. FRC demonstrations are great. Keeps 'em entertained if they're on a break
2. Put signs EVERYWHERE! pointing to the bathrooms, competition areas, research presentation areas, etc. Have everything labelled to the point where it gets redundant; it makes things SO much easier
3. The night before, make sure to have a volunteer meeting to make sure everybody knows what they'll be doing the next day. Leave NO details to chance, because something will probably go wrong if you do.
4. The more space for pits, the better. I know there's not always a big area set aside for this, but if its too small it makes it hard for judges to get around and causes mass chaos, and also doesn't help the staying on time issue.
5. Make sure that in the pits, who goes where is also obvious. numbers on a slightly elevated sign (so it doesnt get lost in the clutter) with big bold prints make things easier for the teams.
6. Try to have all of the volunteers in brightly colored, matching shirts with name tags, so that the kids and mentors know who to ask for help.
7. Make checklists
8. Get good music to play. Listening to "Eye of the Tiger" fifty times was not a pleasant experience.
9. Have fun with it! When everybody is happy and excited, it gets the kids pumped at it makes for a better day all around.

[Madison]

Can you elaborate on “sight unseen,” it’ll help me understand your situation.

(I have a little experience at running FLL events in the NJ, NYC, and LI area)
:]

I've glimpsed at the Lego League challenges briefly in the past, but that's about it. I've never been to an event, mentored a team or even seen a team compete.

We've got the school gym reserved and know vaguely that we'll need some amount of volunteers, judges and referees, but nothing more. The more information and help we can get, especially because we have no experience doing this whatsoever, the better off things will be for everyone.

[anna~marie]

HOT helps with a "regional", if you would, and the MI Tourney... and I too have been an FLLer
It's arranged like an FRC tournament... You have the pits, an out of the way area for judging rooms, and the main arena area. Have a few tables running at once, if you can, pending the amount of teams there. Make sure you get a flow chart out to everyone and have pit announcements. Teams getting ready, on deck if you will, should meet in what we call the Bull Pen - an area right on the side of the main fields. Volunteers are needed there. At each table have a referee and a scorekeeper.
Also make sure you have ideas about lunch, whether you will sell it or provide it or just tell people where to get it. Hungry kids = bad day. Don't forget about the volunteers either! (By the way, volunteer shirts are a good thing)
I'm sure you probably knew some of this already, but I guess it didn't hurt to post. Yay logistics! If you have any more questions, or ones in specific, don't be afraid to ask. If you want I could also get you in contact with our team mentor/FLL extraordinaire if you wish.
Good luck!!

[Andrew Blair]

Haha, sounds like somebody got roped...

Well, there is a small competition near us that started recently, in a gym, so I should be able to fill you in on some of the details.

First of all, how many teams are you talking? 5 teams and 60 teams is a big difference.

Secondly, it might be obvious, but the three most important and necessary things to aquire will be the game tables (Build them or loan them- probably the teams will be able to loan you theirs temporarily) and pieces, tables as little "mini-pits" for the teams, and power strips to the tables. Those are the important things.

Each table being run will require a ref, to count scores and reset the table. You'll need an announcer/organizer to keep teams on time. 1 or 2 practice tables are a good idea as well. As far as the judges go, most regionals have about 10 in total. There are about 3 big presentations teams give:

1. Main, problem solving presentaion. Teams address a problem in a presentation (Often a Powerpoint-projector/Destination needed)), basically marketing their robot to solve the problem. As I remember however, they don't judge marketing skills as much as the overall depth of understanding and creativity. 3-5 judges needed, no real technical knowlege needed.

2. Programming . Typically, judges visit teams pit's to view their programming approach. Simplicity, effectiveness, functions used, sensors, etc. are judged. 1-2 judges needed. The better technical knowledge the better, but our's never seemed to know anything.

3. Robot construction. Again, judges typically walk around and visit pits, looking at overall robot design and construction. Creativity, robustness, effectiveness, aesthetics are judged I believe. 1-2 judges, and the same deal as the programming judges.

Hope someone else with a little more organizational know-how can step in and help you out.

[Jeff 801]

I am a member of a FLL team right now one thing that would be nice to see is a FRC team doing a presentation during the time where they add up all the scores for the awards
also i also wont to point out that there is technical jugging where they show programs ext.

[FLL-Freak]

You should contact FIRST for their tournament planning guide. After you have read it, then you should come back with further questions. As in all things up front planing is the key. Talking to veteran coaches in your area is key as well. It would be best to get a few on your steering commitee to make sure that the tournament is geared towards the kids and not the management side.

-Skye

[GaryVoshol]

HOT helps with a "regional", if you would, and the MI Tourney... and I too have been an FLLer
It's arranged like an FRC tournament... You have the pits, an out of the way area for judging rooms, and the main arena area. Have a few tables running at once, if you can, pending the amount of teams there. Make sure you get a flow chart out to everyone and have pit announcements. Teams getting ready, on deck if you will, should meet in what we call the Bull Pen - an area right on the side of the main fields. Volunteers are needed there. At each table have a referee and a scorekeeper.
Also make sure you have ideas about lunch, whether you will sell it or provide it or just tell people where to get it. Hungry kids = bad day. Don't forget about the volunteers either! (By the way, volunteer shirts are a good thing)
I'm sure you probably knew some of this already, but I guess it didn't hurt to post. Yay logistics! If you have any more questions, or ones in specific, don't be afraid to ask. If you want I could also get you in contact with our team mentor/FLL extraordinaire if you wish.
Good luck!!

Anna Marie, please get Walt or Marlee or Joyce to contact Madison asap. You guys run a good program at White Lake.

Madison, you need to get your judges lined up NOW. You need one set of judges for every 12 teams - it would really be better if you could get a set for every 10 teams. A "set" of judges is 6 - 2 technical, 2 presentation, 2 teamwork. Don't forget to find some spares who would be assigned some other volunteer duty, but could step in if needed. Technical judges will need some familiarity with FLL as they will be looking at the teams' programming as well as how the robot was designed and built. It would be good if presentation judges knew a little bit about nanotechnology so they can ask relevant questions, but having a good rapport with kids is most important.

You will probably need 4 table setups (2 pairs). 8 pairs would be needed for a larger number of teams. Each pair of tables needs 2 refs and at least one helper/runner.

You will need a scorekeeper and a timekeeper.

You will need at least 2 queuers for each part of the venue - game tables, presentation judging, technical judging. If teamwork judging is done in a formal setting, you will need queuers for that as well.

You need someone to set up a schedule ahead of time so teams will know where they have to be and when. Teams can't be at the judging booth and at the tables on the floor at the same time.

The most important skill you will need will be organizing and finding your small army of volunteers. That and focusing on making sure the kids have a good time. Best of luck.

[WEHickok]

Madison,

I have been holding FLL tournaments (both a qualifying and the Championship) since our team ran the pilot for FIRST in 1998. I can help you make this happen, but you must start working full speed right now.

I am assuming that you are running a qualifying tournament since I have not heard you on any of the FIRST FLL planning calls. You should have a state partner that has asked you or your team to host the event. That is the first place for you to start. That person should have been attending the FIRST phone calls. In Michigan we have 14 qualifying events this year and we are holding regular phone calls to make sure that all qualifying event leaders are kept up to date and have all their questions answered.

Send me an email (walter.hickok@eds.com) and we can schedule a meeting to help you. At this time it must be done via phone...this method will take too long.

I look forward to hearing from you and with all the help of FIRST, you will have a wonderful event.

Thanks,
Walt

[wheeler]

How many teams? This is the most important part to figure out.
For the basics you will need the at least the following:
1 tournament table setup
2 practice tables in pit area
2 classroom spaces for presentations
3 judges per room
2 judges for floating in the pit and competiton area
concession stand $$$$$

We ran one last year for 30 teams and set up the schedule like this

Round 1 Competition #1 10 min per match we had 3 tournament tables so it took 1hr

Round 2 Presentations #1 15 min per time slot we had 3 rooms for each Research and technical presentation each team did one presentation during this time

Round 3 Competition #2 same as #1

Lunch break

Round 4 Presentation #2 same as above

Round 5 Competition #3 same as before

30 min clean up and judges meeting

Awards
hope this helps

[DanDon]

An important thing to keep in mind, is not too let the parents and coach's talk to the ref's. Have all appeals and complaints forwarded to the Head Ref.

Also try to get an interesting MC, and as was said before a varied playlist.

And if possible, when making up the match schedule, try not to let the same 2 teams "face" each other more than once. (Play together on the same table pair.)

[RoboMom]

So, let's pretend that your team just agreed, sight unseen, to host an FLL tournament in early December.

What do I need to know to make this event run smoothly, professionally and, most importantly, make it seem as if we're not all bumbling idiots?

Help! I know almost nothing about FLL.
FLL has documented most procedures for running tournaments.
If this is an "official" tournament, such as a qualifier, you need to follow these. If this is a local scrimmage (which are great experience for the teams) you need still need to see these procedures, but have a little more flexibility. (for example, some scrimmages don't have research presentations).

As has been mentioned, capacity decisions drives many of the other FLL gears. Running a tournament is a lot of work, but also so much fun. At the minimum, you will need dozens of volunteers. Just setting up the tournament tables takes hours.

I would suggest that you contact your FLL partner asap.

[Zoheb N]

If no one has mentioned this then..

1) you need a big area
2) you need many volunteers

those are like the two really important criteria