FIRST LEGO League Challenge

Thank you for your interest in this year's program!  Here is an overview of what you can expect in terms of dates and commitments for the fall season and beyond.

 

Our season officially commences with our Season Kickoff Party on Saturday Aug 17.  This 2 hour morning meeting will be where returning teams can regroup and new teams and rookie team members can get to know their teammates and coaches.  Pizza will be served.

 

School-sponsored workshops and scrimmages will begin the week of Aug 26, consisting of 2-4 hours a week.  These will be held at the Fort Couch LGI, and a schedule will be set up so that 3 or 4 teams are working on any given night.  Please note: at their discretion, team coaches may also run additional off-site practice sessions - the 2-4 hours is just for the school-sponsored events.

 

Scrimmages and competitions for our competitive league, Western PA FLL, start the last Saturday of September and run eight consecutive weekends.  This year we will have each team attend four of the eight scrimmages, most likely alternating weekends.  These events are held around the Pittsburgh area: Cranberry, Aliquippa, Pitt campus, and Sewickley Academy are likely venues.  Bussing will be provided and students and robots *must* ride the bus.  Buses depart around 7:30 am Saturday morning and return around 1pm that afternoon.

 

The league grand championship is generally the first Saturday in December.  This all day event brings all the league teams together for a final showdown!  Mandatory bussing will be provided for this event, departing around 7:30am and returning around 5pm.  Lunch will be available at the venue, and teams can pre-order pizzas.

 

Teams that place in the top 4-8 spots at the grand championship may get an invitation to a post-season event and/or the state championships.  These are OPTIONAL for those teams to accept or decline.  Post-season events are all-day, or even multi-day, and similar in structure to the grand championship.  Transportation will *not* be provided by the district - teams will be on their own to plan transit and accommodations.  This year's state championship will be in Hershey, PA, and so an overnight stay (or two) are recommended.  Other post-season events may be located around the country and require significant travel.

 

Finally - we will host a fall season wrapup party after the grand championship in December and before the school district winter break.  This 2 hour party will be to showcase the highlights from the competition season, celebrate team wins, and cheer on any post-season teams to future victory!

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In order to accommodate the large interest in robotics competitions, teams are now required to have a volunteer parent coach who will need to complete USC School District clearance, FIRST Robotics clearances & training, and be school board approved.  These coaches, and students, will be guided by the middle school competitive robotics coordinator during weekly meetings.  Parent coaches are encouraged to meet with their team additionally, outside the regular meeting time with the coordinator.

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To join a USC middle school competitive robotics team you must sign up on the JOIN page.  It is ideal if your child knows of others they would like to have on their team and if a parent is able to volunteer to coach.  All efforts will be made to have students on teams with friends.  The number of teams created will be based on student interest and availability of parent volunteers.  There will be 6-8 students per team.

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TEAM LOGISTICS

• 6 students per team

• 1-2 parent volunteer coaches per team (coaches must attend practices and competitions)

• 1st semester commitment only

• Attend scrimmages and competitions on weekends based on team's interest per the Western PA FLL schedule (www.pafll.com)

• Cost to participate is $200 per student. Families experiencing financial hardships should reach out to Tracy Smith for possible accommodations.