FLL Team Counting

[Alex2614]

Hi all. I am curious about how most teams count how many FLL teams they start/mentor/work with/etc.

Are they counted as new teams every year (since they technically are, with new team numbers and everything)? Or are they counted as the same team year after year?

For example, if a team has 10 FLL teams one year, and they add 5 more the next year. Do they say that they have started 15 FLL teams, or do they say that they have started 25?

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Alex2614

Hi all. I am curious about how most teams count how many FLL teams they start/mentor/work with/etc.

Are they counted as new teams every year (since they technically are, with new team numbers and everything)? Or are they counted as the same team year after year?

For example, if a team has 10 FLL teams one year, and they add 5 more the next year. Do they say that they have started 15 FLL teams, or do they say that they have started 25?

Follow the usual accounting methods. Make up a number that sounds good. /s

All joking aside, if the team is the same group of people you probably shouldn't double count it. If the team is a different group you probably should count it. Or perhaps say, "Last year we started 10 FLL teams. We started an additional 5 this year."

[Joe G.]

Speaking as a former FLL student, I don't think it would be right to consider FLL teams "new" every year. Granted, my team was home-grown rather than started by an FRC team, but we kept the same coaches, build space, name and theme each year, and became very recognizable at competitions year to year. Membership turnover wasn't that high either, with many members sticking with our team for 4, 5, or even 6 years. We just didn't identify closely with our team number, since it changed year to year. *

I realize many (most?) FLL teams are not like this, but making the generalization that all teams are "new" each year seems a bit hurtful to the more sustained FLL programs.



*Looking back now, I find our team numbers kind of funny. Through various years, we got to play as FLL# 1114, AND FLL# 111

[TPNigl]

We say we started 5 teams in our city (through all the middle schools) and then mentor an additional one (in South Boston).

Also, I just looked up on the FIRST website and apparently there are no FLL teams in MA...that is very odd

[1986titans]

FIRST doesn't list FLL teams on their website. Some regional websites do though.

[Katie_UPS]

If you started x last year and y this year, then you started x+y. As Joe pointed out, they aren't new just because their number changed.

[Alex2614]

I'm just wondering if there are teams out there that do count them in this way.

[treffk]

As a FLL mentor and FRC mentor, with my mom and I starting the home-based FLL teams outside of our public schools gifted program. I count them by how many mindstorm robots we bought. There are currently 3 teams, my mom runs 2 of them and the 3rd has now had 2 different coaches.