Preparation
To succeed, both the coach and the team members must commit to the entire process. Above all, it’s important to remember that the kids need you to give them guidance and provide structure, encouragement, and most of all, a fun experience.
Teams require at least one adult coach. As the coach you must be 18 or older. Lots of people make good coaches such as parents, teachers, engineers, college students, and scout leaders. It requires no special skill, just patience, dedication, and a willingness to learn alongside the team. You will need to direct the process the team follows to solve the Challenge without providing the solution yourself.
In addition, you must be willing to acquire some basic knowledge of the programming environment and LEGO robot building or have an assistant coach who can. We encourage you to enlist the support of a technology mentor or guest speakers for additional assistance. We also recommend that you invite people with backgrounds in engineering, programming, and the science of the Challenge to share their knowledge and experience with your team.
Talk to your local FLL Partner to get answers to a lot of your questions and to get in touch with experienced coaches in your area. Try building practice robots, both by yourself and with your team. Try completing some of the programming mini-challenges available year-round.
Materials
If the coach is not the purchaser of the FLL registration and associated materials, they should be aware of who is. The coach should follow up with the purchaser to make sure they receive all FLL material for the season.
View FLL material list
Body Forward Coaches' Handbook
Once you register your team for the season, as part of the registration package you will receive the Coaches’ Handbook and DVDs to help you guide your team. To help get you started and answer some of the questions you may have, here are the first few chapters from the Handbook. They will give you a great basis to start with including advice for coaches, tips on team dynamics, what resources are necessary, and a sample budget with suggestions on fundraising! Check out 
grant writing tips!
Chapter 1: Building an FLL Foundation
Chapter 2: Building a Team
Chapter 3: Building a Season
Rubrics for 2010 Season
Teleconference Recordings - 2009 Smart Move Season
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