Middle School Teams

CHALLENGE

For grades 4-8, Elementary and middle school-aged students research a real-world engineering challenge, develop a solution, and compete with LEGO-based robots of their own design.

Imaginative thinking and teamwork build tomorrow’s innovators

With adult Coaches to guide them, FIRST® LEGO® League teams (up to 10 members) apply science, engineering, and math concepts, plus a big dose of imagination, to develop solutions to real-world challenges. They also design, build, and program LEGO MINDSTORMS®-based robots to perform autonomous “missions” on a playing field. Along the way, they develop critical thinking, team-building, and presentation skills.

Grades 4-8; ages 9-14

Team Commitment

Practice is typically two to three times a week for the duration of the season. This will vary depending on your coach and your other teammates. This year we will have some flexibility as our season is longer than usual. As it gets closer to qualifiers, teams start meeting three times a week and sometimes on Saturdays. The end of the season typically culminates in an event where we get to show off all the cool things we learned and what our robot can do!

2022 Season Timeline

  • August 15 - Registrations OPEN

  • September 23 - Registration Deadline

  • End of September - Team assignements sent out.

  • October 1 - Season Begins

  • February - End of Season Tournament

Registration for the 2022 - 2023 Season is now closed.

Sign up for our mailing list to get information about next year's registration when it comes out!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much does it cost?

This year's fees are $100 per team member. This fee covers the cost of registering the team, purchasing that year's challenge kit and getting t-shirts for each team. Payment is not required until your child is assigned to a team. However, if you submit a check with your registration, we will not deposit it until assignments have been made. Once team assignments have been made, registration fees are required and non-refundable.

  • What if I cannot afford the registration fee?

Trumansburg Robotics is pleased to offer a limited number of scholarships to those for whom the registration is a financial burden. Please email Jill Farnham for more information.

  • If I submit a registration form is my child guaranteed a spot on a team?

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee spot availability. Because team sizes are limited, and FIRST requires a minimum of two coaches per team, we can only field as many students as we have coaches for teams. In the 2022-2023 school year, we currently have room for two teams and possibly a third. Team slots are given to alumni first and then in the order that the registrations are received, so if your child is interested in robotics, we encourage registering as soon as possible. Payment for registration is not required until your child is assigned to a team.

  • How much parent involvement is required?

This will depend on the coaches and the team size. Each team is different. A team can be as small as 2 members or as large as 10. Often, with more children on a team, the two team coaches need assistance at practice keeping everyone focused. Parents have also gotten together to cover practices and plan snacks, etc.

  • Can I request a specific coach or for my child to be on the same team as their friend?

Yes. There is a spot on the registration form where you can make these kinds of requests. We do our best to honor these requests, but they are not guaranteed.