NEW THIS SEASON: Need help locating an FLL team in your area? Try FIRST's new team-matching system, TeamUp. Click here to be directed to the FIRST website.
Museum of Nature & Science

FAQs

Below are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about FLL. Please check to see if your question is answered below before contacting the Museum.

  1. What region am I in?
  2. How do I get a FLL team started?
  3. How do I register a team for a North Texas FLL Qualifier Event?
  4. What costs are associated with participating in FLL each year?
  5. How do I raise money for my FLL team?
  6. Is there a Jr. FLL program in North Texas?
  7. Can I (a member of the general public) attend a tournament as a spectator?
  8. How do I sign up to volunteer at the tournament?

 


View Texas FLL Regions in a larger map

What Region Am I In?

The state of Texas is divided in to six distinct FLL regions. The Museum of Nature & Science is the operational partner for the North Texas region. Teams may only compete in their own region.


Click here to see a larger map of FLL regions in Texas.

 

How do I get a FLL team started?

Starting an FLL team is quite simple. If you have 3 to 10 students ages 9 through 14, you already have the basis for a team. Additionally, each team will need a coach as well as one or more mentors to help students with the many tasks the team will need to do during the year. The coach for the team should be a highly organized person who can keep track of the many aspects of FLL that need attention: team management, scheduling of robot design and trial competitions, fundraising, and participating in FLL Coaches conference calls arranged by FIRST. Coaches do not need to have engineering or robotics experience and are not expected to be technical experts. Their focus is on organizing the team. It’s up to the team members to do the technical work.

The Museum of Nature & Science is the Operational Partner for FLL in North Texas. We oversee official FLL events in the region and work to spread the word of FLL. We cannot, however, assist with team creation or management. We recommend the following course of action for anyone interested in getting involved with an FLL team:

  1. Contact the child’s school and see if they already have an FLL team that has an available spot.
  2. If the child’s school does not have a team, encourage them to start one.
  3. Offer to become a team coach.  There are great resources for coaches at www.usfirst.org.
  4. NEW THIS SEASON: Need help locating an FLL team in your area? Try FIRST's new team-matching system, TeamUp. Click here to be directed to the FIRST website.

Once you have a group of students and a coach, you’re ready to begin the season – all you need to do is register!

How do I register a team for a North Texas FLL Qualifier Event?

You must first register with FLL and pay your team registration fee. You may register your team from May through September OR UNTIL ALL SLOTS HAVE BEEN FILLED. FLL Registration for the 2011 FOOD FACTOR season opened in May 2011 and usually closes in mid-September or when all slots of filled.

You will receive instructions about purchasing your Field Setup Kit from FLL after you have paid your team registration fee. Note: the shipping delay for robot kits and field setup kits is usually about 1 week during the months of May through August. During the month of September, because of the sheer volume of last-minute registrations, this will almost guarantee an increase to 3-5 WEEKS. It is recommended that you sign up as early as possible to ensure your Field Setup Kits arrive in time for practices prior to the championship tournament.

Registration for the North Texas Regional Qualifier Tournaments will take place October 3-21, 2011 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. CST.  No late reservations will be accepted. To register, contact the Museum of Nature & Science's Reservations desk at 214-428-5555, extension 8. In order to register for this competition, each team must already be registered with FIRST. Teams who have not done this already are not eligible to sign up for the regional competition.

The fee for participating in the North Texas Regional FLL Qualifiers is $50. An additional registration fee of $75 per team will be required for teams that move on to the North Texas Regional Championship Tournament. Please factor these fees in to your budget.

What costs are associated with participating in FLL each year?

If you choose to start an FLL team, please be aware that there are certain costs attributed to starting, registering and maintaining a team. Below is a chart to help you identify the items necessary for each team:

Budget Item 2011 Cost

FLL International Team Registration

$225/team

North Texas FLL Qualifier Tournament Registration

$50

North Texas FLL Championship Tournament Registration
(eligible teams only)

$75/team

FLL Challenge Kit (playing surface and special parts)

$65/kit

FLL Robot Set (LEGO® Mindstorms NXT Kit)**

$420

Miscellaneous Batteries & Practice Table

$100

Shipping and Handling

$20

Total

$955/team

**FLL Robot Sets do not need to be purchased each year unless there is a major change in the kit parts. Also, please note that these costs are approximate and serve as a minimum for each team. Other factors may include expenses related to the Regional Championship Tournament (travel, meals and accommodations).

How do I raise money for my FLL team?

The most common sources for funds are usually a combination of the following:

  1. Costs are split equally among team members.
  2. A school, school district, PTA, or booster organization subsidizes the team.
  3. Donations from parents or local businesses.
  4. Fundraisers such as candy and bake sales.

It is up to the team members, coaches, and mentors to secure funding. The Museum is unable to provide financial assistance to teams.

Is there is a Jr. FLL program in North Texas?

There is currently no Jr. FLL program in the North Texas area.  We hope to be able to offer this program in the future.  If you’d like to be notified of the latest developments, please send an email to the North Texas FLL Coordinator.  Be sure to include "Jr. FLL" in the subject line.

Can I (a member of the general public) attend a tournament as a spectator?

Yes! Spectators are welcome to attend the tournament free of charge. We invite you to observe the robot challenge portion of the competition (the judging rooms for other competition categories are off-limits to all spectators).

See the full tournament schedule here.

How do I sign up to volunteer at the tournament?

It would be impossible to run a FLL tournament without a legion of dedicated volunteers. Volunteer positions are available in the following categories:

Technical Judge (engineering background preferred)
Project Judge (engineering background preferred)
Teamwork Judge
Referee
Judging Assistants
Competition Assistants
Event Set-up
Event Strike

If you are interested in volunteering during a tournament,
please check out our volunteer page.


Sponsors, supporters and exhibitors:


Produced by the Museum of Nature & Science and hosted by The Hockaday School, the North Texas FLL Championship Robotics Tournament was presented by Lockheed Martin. Supporting sponsors were ExxonMobil, Raytheon, Rockwell Collins, and Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds initiative. Qualifier hosts are University of Texas Arlington (College of Engineering); UT Dallas (Science and Engineering Education Center); Parish Episcopal School; Billy Ryan High School; and St. Philips School and Community Center. FLL exhibitors included SMU Innovation Gymnasium, Dallas Personal Robotics Group, and Dallas Makerspace.

Challenge 2011