FIRST LEGO League Challenge is a Competition Class
At the Middle School, we do the FLL Challenge. Learn more at this link.
What is the FIRST LEGO League?
2024 – FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge Division Program
To participate in the fall program, you must have participated in previous FLL Challenge experience, are currently taking or completed the MS Robotics class, have other robotic competition experience, or are willing to write a paragraph on why you want to participate. (prior approval from Mr. Schaefer is required.)
Joining the FIRST LEGO League requires a large commitment in time and energy, and each member is expected to contribute to all facets of the season. This includes the Robot Game, Project, and building and displaying the FLL Core Values.
If you do not have this level of commitment, we suggest you take the Afterschool Enrichment called MS Robotics. This Enrichment will develop the skills needed to join the FIRST LEGO League competition teams in the future. This class will do some of the activities done by FIRST LEGO League teams but will not be a competition team.
FLL Challenge Teams Overview and Philosophy
We strive to include all interested students on FLL teams and usually have competitive teams that have fun and learn to work together. We had four teams in past years, which stretched our ability to meet and field competitive teams. In addition, a growing number of students were not fully committed to all of the elements of FLL, which impacted their team’s ability to be competitive while also having fun. Therefore, We are restructuring how we develop and manage FLL teams to ensure that the highly motivated teams reach their potential with support from staff and parents. We believe the FLL Challenge Teams will fulfill that goal, as students and parents should only sign up for that team if they are fully committed to FLL.
We also acknowledge that some students want to learn to build and program autonomous robots but are not interested in the other parts of the FLL season. Those students should enroll in the MS Robotics Afterschool Enrichment class. This class will use different types of robots and offer different coding opportunities. Melissa Mack, who teaches STEAM by Design and Computer Science at the Middle School, will teach the class, which will be required for all new FLL students next year.
Our ability to support the FLL Challenge teams depends on parent volunteers. All teams require a primary and a secondary coach who can attend weekly practices. Teams can also benefit from a research coach to help manage student research, interviews, and other aspects of the innovation project.
Durham Academy staff Karl Schaefer, Donovan Polk, and Michelle Preslik will assist Mr. Schaefer this year in supporting and guiding teams. We expect a few Youth Adult Mentors (YAMs) from the Upper School to join us again as part of their outreach work on the FRC team, DARC SIDE.
Participation Costs:
Registration for participating on a team or group in the DA Middle School FLL Robotics fall program is $500.00. This fee covers FIRST registration, t-shirts, buttons, and pay for our DA staff. Durham Academy supplies all equipment.
Practice Sessions:
Weekly practice will occur on Wednesdays from 3:15 to 5:00 and, when coaches and teams decide, on Sundays from 12:00 to 3:00. There will be work between practices for the research project and preparing for competitions. A Durham Academy faculty member must be present when teams practice.
Mr. Schaefer reserves the right not to invite or dismiss any student or parent who does not meet these expectations. Dismissal does not result in an automatic refund after the normal Afterschool Enrichment refund window closes.
In FLL, the children do the work — like programming an autonomous robot using a LEGO® SPIKE ™ Prime robot set to score points on a thematic playing surface and create innovative solutions to a problem while guided by the FLL Core Values. These three elements — the Robot Game, Project, and FLL Core Values — make up the yearly “Challenge.” Teams will also talk to experts in the fields of study related to the yearly challenge.
The FLL Challenge Team competes at a high level in all aspects of the FLL season. All members fully participate in the robot design/game innovation project research, including outreach to experts in the field of your team’s innovation project for interviews.
These teams attempt to qualify for the state tournament and typically score as DEVELOPING or ACCOMPLISHED on the Innovation Project and Robot Design FLL scoring rubric matrix (PDF).
To be on the team, students and parents must pledge to meet the significant time commitment and effort required to become a high-functioning and competitive team. Team members will be invited to participate based on last year’s effort and core values demonstrated. Participation requires previous years of FLL participation or successful completion of MS Robotics. The FLL Challenge team is often appropriate for committed students in the 6th grade and higher.
Team members are expected to participate and contribute to all aspects of the season. In addition to meeting during the week, students will have assignments between meetings and additional weekly and weekend meetings as the competition dates approach. Parents must support the team beyond transporting their students to weekly practices and weekend meetings. Additional parental support roles include assisting with field trips and volunteering at regional and state events.
Attendance Expectations: Team members are expected to attend every practice session and fully engage in all aspects of the season, such as the robot design, robot game, innovation project interviews, and research while building the core values (Teamwork, Inclusion, Impact, Discovery, Innovation, and Fun) that are at the heart of FLL.
Attendance at Events: All team members and parents should block out the days below. Members will be expected to attend the scrimmage and one qualifier based on the tournament’s location and team choice. Although it is encouraged, not all teams must attend the same qualifier.
- The Bull City Scrimmage 3rd Saturday in October. Teams are encouraged to attend.
- Local FLL Challenge qualifying tournament(s) are typically held on the 2nd and 3rd Saturdays in November and the 1st Saturday in December.
- Teams may qualify for a regional tournament, usually held on the second Saturday in December.
- Teams may qualify for the state tournament, usually on the 2nd Saturday in January.
This significant time commitment may be too much for many students and parents.
Multiple FLL Challenge teams will be formed if the enrollment demands it. DA strives to limit the number of team members to no more than 5 when possible.
We need at least two parents to serve as coaches (one coach supervises robots, and one coach supervises projects) and two parents to serve as team supporters per team to have teams. Without parental support, this enrichment is not possible.
Coaches – An FLL team must have at least two (2) screened Lead Coaches. 1 coach supervises robots, and the other coach supervises projects.
Team Supporter – Teams can benefit from having adults present to help them but not be the actual team coaches. If you agree to be a team supporter, you will be matched with your child’s team. This role requires the least time commitment, as the supporters can coordinate the days they will be available with the team’s coaches.
Learn more about these roles at the new FIRST training site to learn what those roles require. https://www.firstinspires.org/mentoring-and-coaching/story.html