MA FLL Championship
Welcome to the MA FLL Championship Event at WPI
DECEMBER 16, 2023
AGENDA
Teams are expected to stay for the entire day through the end of awards.
0715: Doors open for teams.
0800: Mandatory coaches meeting with Head Referee
0830: Opening Ceremonies
0900-1315: Judging Sessions
0900-1115: Qualification Matches
1115 (approximate): Lunch break
1150: Matches Resume
1430: Alliance Matches Begin
1600: Awards Ceremony
1700: Event Ends
WHAT TO EXPECT
Each team will get 5 qualification matches to earn their highest score. Only the high score matters.
Each team will get a 30-minute session with a set of judges. This will during the day while matches are on-going, but schedule will be set so your team has no overlap.
At the end of the day, Alliance competition for fun while the judges deliberate. Details will be provided prior to the event.
At the conclusion of the event, we will have an awards ceremony, which will include announcing teams for advancement to the FLL World Festival and Open Tournaments
WHERE TO GO
The event takes place at WPI's Harrington Auditorium.
For drop-off
Those dropping off robots, equipment, or harder to move items may proceed to the Robot Drop-off area located at approximately 97 Institute Rd Worcester, MA.
Those parking and/or just dropping off people can proceed to the Park Ave Garage, located at approximately 151 Salisbury St Worcester MA.
Teams are free to park in the Park Ave Garage or any WPI lot without a permit, just please avoid specifically labeled spaces (handicap, zipcar, etc). In the event of inclement weather, please only park in the Park Ave Garage
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
Coach Information Document (contains all the info on this page and more in a single document)
Documents updated 12/13/23
Individual Team Schedule (download and print your teams prior to event)
ABOUT THE VENUE
The Mass Academy Robotics Team will be selling concessions (drinks/snacks) in the building and accept cash or credit/tap to pay. All items $1.
Food is for sale on campus. Hours listed are typical and may be subject to change
Campus Center - Dunkin opens 8AM
Campus Center - Food Court opens 7:30AM
Coffee, pastries, pizza, sandwiches, and drinks will be available for sale in the Smoothie Lab starting at 9AM
Limited event t-shirts will be for sale for $15 at concessions after matches are underway.
Self-service wireless is available by connecting to the WPI-Open network.
Teams are not allowed to setup practice fields any where in the venue. Practice fields are available (1 per every 9-12 teams) for use.
WHAT TO BRING
Your robot and its necessary accessories like extra pieces and battery charger.
A laptop or other device in case code needs to be updated. The judges will also expect to see copies of your code (digitally or printed out)
All necessary items to present to the judges, this might include props, handouts, or technology to display some of your presentation.
A cart to move items to/from the field can be a big help to many teams!
A positive attitude and fun spirit!
ABOUT JUDGING OBSERVATION PILOT
*PILOT FOR 2023* One adult is allowed to be present at their team's judging session as a SILENT OBSERVER. This is NOT a requirement, and teams are not obligated to send an adult in.
This person is NOT allowed to carry in any team items or aid in setup/teardown of team items in any way; this must be solely done by the students.
This person CANNOT speak, signal, prompt, etc any of the students on the team.
This person CAN record their students, but CANNOT record the judges or any other team's judging session.
If the silent observer violates any of the above directions, the team will be subject to disqualification at the discretion of the judge advisor.
NOTE: MA's typical policy is no one besides team students in the judging area. While we understand the desire of coaches and parents to see the work of their team, it also can present undue stress on the team during the presentation. Also, if students are constantly looking at the adult, it could be perceived by the judges as the adult prompting or signaling the student. Please consider all the pros and cons before deciding if you should send a silent observer with your team, and who it should be.
ABOUT JUDGING SESSIONS
Teams will need to walk upstairs for their judging session. A freight elevator is available from the pit area but may be slow/busy.
Each judging session will follow the judging session flowchart.
There will be one power outlet available for team use at their judging table. Teams may place items on the table in front of the judges or a table provided in their judge space.
Judging takes place in a large, open room
Kids should speak loud enough for the judges to hear, but avoid blasting sound or yelling.
Kids should be prepared that there might be some sound distractions in the room as other teams present to the judges at the same time.
MAFLL GIVING DRIVE
To help support our local community we are collecting needed goods to donate if your team would like to participate. Donations of any quantity are accepted, but every team that brings at least 20 items will be entered into a raffle to win a Spike Prime kit!
Please bring your donation to the event by 9AM. All donations must be contained in boxes or bags (which you do not need back) and sorted by type of donation (see below). Bring your donation to the concession stand and make sure the staff mark it down for the raffle!
After the event, the items will be brought to local charities and non-profits listed below.
Food Donations -
must be new, unexpired, and non-perishable. No glass please.
Peanut Butter
Healthy snacks (nuts, granola bars, canned and dried fruits)
Low-sodium canned vegetables
Rice, pasta, and pasta sauce.
Canned beans of any variety
Low-sodium broths, soups, stews, chilis
Cereal
Gluten-free foods
Necessities
Shampoo, soap, and other hygiene products
Hand warmers and feet warmers
Clean, new socks
New or gently used backpacks
Bottled water, reusable water bottles, travel mugs
Plastic cutlery, paper plates, paper towels, kitchen trash bags
Hand sanitizer
Laundry Detergent (preferable free of perfumes and dyes)
Animal Rescue
Dog and cat food (canned and dry), Purina brand preferred
Soft dog treats (like Pup-Peroni)
Pet toys
Copy paper, red & blue post-it notes
Latex gloves, gauze, anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, dixie cups
33-gallon trash bags, sponges, bleach, dish soap, HE laundry detergent
Who will your donation support?
Accepting FOOD and NECESSITIES TYPE items:
Abby’s House – Provides shelter and affordable housing, as well as advocacy and support services, to homeless, battered, and low-income women
Veteran’s Inc – Helps veterans re-gain control of their lives so we can eliminate homelessness among veteran’s
Central Mass Shelter-Homeless – Provide shelter and services for those in need, including transition services and first aid.
Why Me & Sherry's House – non-profit organization created to help Central New England families cope with childhood cancer.
Accepting ANIMAL RESCUE type items:
Worcester Animal Rescue League – Provide shelter and care for animals as well as respect and resources for people.
Accepting FOOD type items:
Worcester County Food Bank – Provide donated food to our neighbors in need, and advocate to support policies and programs to decrease hunger and increase access to healthy food.
Celebrate Your Coach/Mentor!
We encourage teams to nominate their Coach or Mentor for the Coach/Mentor of the Year award. This award celebrates someone who is an outstanding role model and inspiration for their team!
Students are encouraged to write a letter (max 500 words) about why their coach deserves to be awarded, and submit that nomination through email by 11AM on the day of the competition. Email nominations to mafll@wpi.edu.
HOW TO GET MORE INVOLVED
Teams earn their way to compete at the event through participation in a MA FLL Qualifying Event which take place in November-December.
If you know kids ages 9-14 that would like to participate in FLL Challenge, visit https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/fll. FIRST has programs for students from PreK-12!
We are always seeking volunteers with a variety of skills for our events. To see what kind of roles are available through all FIRST programs and to sign up, visit https://www.firstinspires.org/ways-to-help/volunteer
The event is always free for spectators and open to the public with no registration required to just come watch the event and cheer on some amazing kids and their creations!
What's Next?
Teams competing in the MA FLL Championships will have the opportunity to advance to higher levels of competition with top performing teams from all over the world. The top finishers in Champion's Award from the WPI and Newton Championships will have the opportunity to advance to one of the following competitions:
FLL World Festival - Houston, TX (2 teams)
Southern California FLL Open (2 teams)
Florida FLL Open (1 team)
WPI FLL Open Invitational (1 team)