Welcome to the beginning of our Spring Tournaments!
Who May Participate in a spring tournament?
Michigan FIRST LEGO League teams that meet the following criteria:
- Team is registered through FIRST and has paid the team registration fee for the 2017-2018 HYDRODYNAMICS season AND
- Team did NOT compete in a Fall 2017 Qualifier tournament.
Why should I participate in a Michigan FIRST LEGO League tournament?
- Tournaments are FUN!
- Tournaments are a critical and important part of the FIRST and the FIRST LEGO League experience.
- A tournament is an opportunity for teams to learn, showcase their accomplishments, and celebrate their hard work throughout the season. Even if your team does not feel ready, we encourage and expect all teams to participate in a tournament.
- A tournament is an opportunity for you to engage and invite parents, siblings, sponsors, and friends to attend the tournament and cheer on your team!
- Your participation in a Michigan FIRST LEGO League spring tournament will meet the tournament participation criteria for FIRST LEGO League grants for the kits in the state of Michigan, including the MDE grant and the Rookie Team grant.
How do I sign up for Michigan Spring Tournament?
- Check the Michigan Spring tournament schedule, which may be found HERE.
- Submit for the tournament through your team’s FIRST Dashboard, by logging in with your FIRST Account.
Please note that additional tournaments will be added to the list as we move through the spring. We are looking for teams and groups willing to host tournaments, so we will have enough events to accommodate all the teams who will participate in spring tournaments! Please let us know if you are interested in hosting an event in your area! It’s a great way to secure a spot for your teams and others in your area!
When may I sign up for a Michigan Spring Tournament?
- Registration for tournaments will be opened on a rolling basis, with registration for earlier tournaments opening sooner.
- An email blast will be sent out to teams when registration opens for a specific tournament.
- Tournament applications will be accepted for a limited period, usually a week.
- It is recommended that teams sign up as soon as the registration period opens, as tournaments have a limited capacity, and will fill up quickly.
How do I know if my application for a Michigan Spring Tournament has been accepted and I have been placed in the tournament?
- Tournament placement will show up in the team’s FIRST Dashboard.
- The team will receive an email indicating they have been assigned to the tournament.
- Once the tournament has reached capacity and/or registration has been closed, the team list will be updated and tournament assignments will be posted on the official Michigan FIRST LEGO League team list.
Frequently asked questions, and answers:
- May I participate in more than one spring tournament?
- No, each spring tournament team (see “Who may participate” above) may participate in only one spring tournament.
- We held a scrimmage at our school for parents, school board, etc. Isn’t that considered a tournament?
- We encourage all teams to reach out to their local communities to demonstrate and spread the word about FIRST, FIRST LEGO League, and their team’s accomplishments. This does not, however, replace the requirement for competing in a Michigan FIRST LEGO League tournament, which is the criteria for FIRST LEGO League team grants in the state of Michigan.
- We had SO MUCH FUN participating in our Qualifier tournament in the fall, we would LOVE to do another tournament in the spring. Where can we sign up?
- Unfortunately, teams that have already participated in a Michigan FIRST LEGO League tournament in the HYDRODYNAMICS season are ineligible for Spring Tournaments. We want to make sure we have sufficient space to accommodate all the teams who have not had the opportunity yet to compete!
This Michigan FLL email blast, and all past email blasts, may be found on the FIRST in Michigan website, in the FLL section, under Announcements: http://michiganfll.blogspot.com/
If you have questions on any of the above, please email me at the address below. Please remember to always include your FIRST LEGO League team number in your correspondence.
Best of Luck to all the teams! Have fun!
Pamela Williamson
Michigan FIRST LEGO League Partner
michiganfll@gmail.com