Qualifiers Explained
FLL is catching on in North Texas! The number of teams that registered for the North Texas Regional Championship Tournament increased 6-fold from 2008 to 2010! One hundred and twenty five teams participated in the 2010 North Texas Championship Tournament. In anticipation of an even greater response this year, the Museum has decided to add more qualifiers to the schedule to determine which teams will advance to the regional championship.
When Will Qualifiers Be Held?
Five qualifying events will be held throughout the Metroplex on the first and second weekends of December (12/3 and 12/10). Qualifiers will be limited to 24-32 teams. The top ten (10) teams from each qualifier will be invited to compete at the North Texas Regional Championship Tournament on January 21, 2012. Teams must have scored highly in all four scored categories (robot game, project, robot design and core values) to advance. This means that teams that win awards may not advance to the Regional Championship and vice versa. Please make your teams aware of this change before the qualifiers. Teams are only eligible for one qualifying event per season.
Where Will Qualifiers Be Held?
Three qualifiers will occur simultaneously on both December 3 and two will occur on December 10. Start and end times are TBD.
December 3, 2011: Billy Ryan High School (Denton)
University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington)
St. Philip’s School and Community Center (Dallas)
December 10, 2011: Parish Episcopal School (Dallas)
University of Texas at Dallas (Richardson)
How Do I Register My Team?
Qualifiers follow the same judging guidelines and format as Championship tournaments, although on a smaller scale. Registration will be handled through the Museum of Nature & Science. To register, call the reservations line at 214-428-5555 x8. Remember, your team must already be registered with FLL. Registration for Regional Qualifiers occurs October 3 -21, 2011, Monday thru Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
When you call to make your reservation, please have the following information readily available:
- Team # and Team Name
- Coach name, email and phone # (we will communicate with you via email)
- A list of the five qualifier locations in order of preference. We cannot guarantee a specific location or date.
- $50 payment – checks must be received by October 21, 2011 at 4:00 p.m.
Due to the number of teams competing in the North Texas region, we cannot guarantee a specific qualifier location or date. You will be notified of your assigned qualifier on November 1. We appreciate your understanding and assure you that all teams that register on time will be given a spot in a qualifying tournament. No late reservations will be accepted!
What If My Team Isn't Ready In December?
With the addition of qualifiers to the North Texas FLL season schedule, students will have a few less weeks to prepare their robot before competing. Every year a few weeks before the competition, emails and phone calls start appearing that teams are behind and probably won't make it to the tournament. Please read the following important observations we have made over the years before deciding not to attend:
1) Odds are your team is no less prepared than any of the other teams.
A few teams are probably done with their robot by now, but the overwhelming majority of teams still have a pile of LEGOs and a bunch of disorganized children who are having a hard time making decisions. Sound like you? Congrats, you are right on schedule!
2) Completing the season is far more important than scoring well.
FLL was designed to challenge students of all abilities and stimulate their problem solving skills. The learning process is just as important as the destination. Remember, this is a game of golf, not football. You are playing the course, not the other teams. It may be the case that your score isn't the highest, and indeed someone will have the lowest score. Part of the learning process is finishing the project presentation, making last minute tradeoffs on the robot design, and coming together as a team to complete the task. From our perspective, letting the students off the hook because they didn't manage their time effectively is the wrong approach and the wrong message.
3) The deadline provides them an opportunity to learn that at some point they must make decisions, finalize plans, and act. It is a chance for them to realize that this is THEIR team, and THEY need to finish up in a timely way. We, as the FLL Regional Partner, really don't care that much about the robot. We do care about the process. We care that your students have had to come together as a team, work on a problem, and come up with a result. The process is a learning experience, especially for students who have not done this before. It is quite natural for the students to get behind schedule near the end. To help motivate your team, take an opportunity at your next meeting to point out the amount of time left, and work with your students to come up with a concrete plan on how to finish. This is a great opportunity for the students to learn about compromise. They will need to simplify and prioritize. They CAN do this. They just need your guidance to get it done.
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.
