We still need a coach!

My son and I attended the Vancouver Robotics Club meeting last month, and we were fortunate enough to meet someone that expressed an interest in helping out with the club. I'm not sure, however, if his level of availability meshes with the amount of commitment that is required for preparing for the November competition. He work Mon - Fri 8:00, to 8:00, so his only day of availability is Saturdays, and we won't even be able to hammer out a time until he gets back into town on September 8th. Judging from what I saw last weekend, he will be fantastic with the children, however, I do not think that we can expect him to act as the primary coach.

I cannot volunteer to coach this team, unfortunately, as I am spread extremely thin right now. However, if someone else is willing to coach, or has a spouse that might be willing to step in, that would be fantastic. The coach doesn't need to be familiar with Mindstorms - all that is required is enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn alongside the kids. So please, please, please, if someone is able to help out, let me know ASAP.

We are now facing a time crunch. The deadline for team submissions is in mid-September, or whenever all the spots are filled, whichever comes first. If possible, we should get our team registration in as soon as possible to make sure we get a spot. Some teams are already formed, and have already received their field setup kits. The challenge will be announced on September 3rd, so as of that date, we can assume the some teams will be up and running and already working on the challenge. Once we have a meeting time, and a coach sorted out, the next order of business will be to find a meeting place. My place is a possibility, but it is small, so depending on the size of the group, we may need a larger space.

There are some costs associated with this, which we will split between the families involved. Although the actual amount for which each of us is responsible will depend on how many families ultimately decide to proceed, I thought I would attach link to a sample budget to give everyone an idea of the kinds of fees involved. I've noticed that one variable item is the NXT set. My son already has a set, so we have the option of using his set to save on costs. I have asked about using his set on the FLL forum, and apparently, the retail set, and the one typically used for the FLL competition are not identical. The one used typically used in the FLL competitions has additional useful pieces not included in the retail set. It will be up to the group as to whether we want to get the FLL set, or do our best with the retail set, and possibly pieces from our personal collections.

Here is a description of last year's challenge and project: http://www.usfirst.org/uploadedFiles/Community/FLL/Challenges/2009/Smart%20Move%20Challenge%20-%20Missions,%20Game%20Q&A,%20Field%20Setup,%20Project.pdf

Let's operate on the assumption that the meetings will be on Saturdays - most likely in the mornings. Based on this assumption, could everyone please let me know if you are still interested in proceeding further, so I can start to get an idea of numbers?