This is a wonderful program for young children that really helps to get them excited about science and technology. Below is some information about the tournament and the many volunteer positions available.
The following judging positions still open: One Lead Teamwork Judge (must attend training session Nov. 4th in Dayton), two additional teamwork judges, one additional technical judge, and three additional research project judges. All referee positions are still available.
Below is more specific information about the tournament and volunteer opportunities:
Canton Country Day School will be hosting the First Lego League Northeast Ohio Regional Tournament on Saturday, December 16th.
The general sequence and schedule for the day is as follows:
7:30 – 8:00am Volunteers for the morning shift arrive and receive final instructions and assignments.
8:30am Doors open for teams and team registration begins.
9:30am to 11:30am – Research Project, Technical and Teamwork Judging takes place.
11:30am – 12:00pm Volunteers for the afternoon shift arrive and receive final instructions and assignments.
11:45am – Opening Ceremonies for the Robot Competition – Introduction of teams, coaches, referees and judges. Reminder of rules, etc..
12:30pm – Morning shift volunteers dismissed.
12:30pm – 1:10 – Robot Competition Round 1
1:20pm – 2:00pm – Robot Competition Round 2
2:10pm – 2:50pm – Robot Competition Round 3
3:00pm – Awards/Closing Ceremony
4:00 or 4:30 pm – End of competition day. Afternoon volunteers dismissed.
There are a number of jobs that people can volunteer for:
Judges
Judges work in teams of two and are assigned to specific category (Teamwork, Technical or Research). Four judges are needed for each category (two teams of two). Each category has a lead judge who will attend a training session with me in Dayton, Ohio on Saturday, November 4th from 10:00am to 2:00pm. The lead judges then train the other three judges in their category on a date that is convenient for them.
The judges will work most of the tournament day. During the morning hours, they will be in the judging rooms for the “formal” presentations. Each presentation is only 10 to 15 minutes. The teams prepare a short 5 minute presentation and the judges ask questions for about 5 minutes. During the afternoon, the judges will circulate through the Pit area (the Pit is where teams work on their robots during competition) and talk to the teams informally, asking additional questions to help them make their decisions on the top teams. Judges will meet sometime in the afternoon to make their final award decisions.
The goal is to match technical experts with educators for the judging teams if at all possible. Each team should have one teacher/educator and one technical expert.
Referees
Referees manage the robot competition and score the table at the end of each round. Referees need to learn the rules, scoring and missions of the table competition. All of this information is posted to the FLL web site on September 15th when the actual challenge details are released to the public. I will know some of these details after my training in August.
We need 5 referees. A lead referee who will also attend training with me in Dayton on Nov. 4th, and four additional referees who will be trained by the lead referee. Warning: Referees must were zebra shirts! J
Other Volunteers – I’m listing these by morning and afternoon shift but a volunteer, who is willing, can work all day if they choose to do so.
In addition to judges and referees we need people to assist with many other jobs during the day. Below is a list with a count of home many people I would like to have for each job.
Registration Table Workers – Volunteer positions are currently filled for this category.
Pit Guards – The Pit is a team and volunteer only area. Pit Guards act as security to make sure only team members, coaches and volunteer staff is permitted into the pit. We will also post a guard at the entrance to the wing of the building where the judging rooms. I would like 6 pit guards. 3 for the morning shift and 3 for the afternoon shift.
Practice Table Managers – There are two practice competition tables in the pit area where teams can practice. Each team signs up for 5 minute time slots at the table. The practice table manager keeps track of this schedule and monitors the teams as they practice. I would like 4 practice table managers. 2 for the morning shift and 2 for the afternoon shift.
Team Escorts – Team escorts make sure that teams are where they need to be for their judging and table rounds. Escorts will be provided with a schedule and teams that they are responsible for. The escort gets the team from their pit table and takes them to where they need to be at least 5 minutes prior to their scheduled session or table round. We hope to have 16 teams. I would like at least 4 escorts for the morning shift and 4 for the afternoon shift.
Bull Pen Boss – This person guides teams as they enter the gym for competition. The teams will wait in the bull pen until it is time for their round. The Bull Pen Boss will then direct the teams to proper competition table. They must also check the materials that the team brings to the competition table to make sure they only have the permitted objects and number of sensors. We really only need one Bull Pen Boss but two people can work together on this so they can take a break if needed. Only works during the afternoon shift.
Referee Assistance – These people reset the table objects after each round. They also assist with directing the teams where to stand and how to enter and exit the competition area. I would like to have 4 referee assistances. Only works during the afternoon shift.
Scorekeeper – This person or persons work at the scoring table. They take the score sheet from the teams at the conclusion of each round and enter the scores into the computer. It is nice to have 2 people for this job; one to read the scores and one to enter them into the computer. Only works during the afternoon shift.
Judge Assistant – Assist the judges in the judging rooms by keeping track of the time and keeping things on schedule. They will also get drinks for the judges when needed. I need 6 judge assistants. They only work during the morning shift.
Camera Operators – I need three or more individuals to run the video cameras that are used to show the spectators the tables during competition. These individuals need to know how to operate video camera’s smoothly! J
Technical Directors
Seeking two, college age or older, individuals who are willing to take on the responsibility of assisting me by managing the technical requirements of this competition. The competition setup requires projectors, screens, cameras, lighting, sound and computers. I would normally handle this myself but since I will be managing the tournament I really need a couple of people who are willing to take charge of this. They will need to be available to meet with me to look over what needs done, help me make decisions about equipment needed and be there for setup, competition day, and tear down. We will be setting up for the competition on Friday after school is out, around 4:00pm. We will tear down on Sunday.
These should be VERY responsible people who are good with AV. The projectors and screens are being provided by Vision Pro. We still need to locate three video cameras.
If you are interested in volunteering please download the volunteer sign up form for here. Please fill out the form and return to Bill Donovan at bdonovan@cantoncountryday.org
We are also looking for some additional financial support should your organization be interested in helping out in that way. Our current projected budget for the tournament is just over $7,000. We have donations for a little less than half of that amount in at this time. Donations for the tournament can be made to Canton Country Day School. Please attach a note that directs the donated funds to be used for the North East Ohio Regional FLL Tournament expenses. Contributors, who do not wish to remain anonymous, will be acknowledged at the tournament and in our tournament day program.
Contact:
Bill Donovan
Technology Director / FLL NEO Coordinator
Canton Country Day School
330-453-8279 ext 138