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Michael Koumoullos
Dec 14, 2010, 12:04:38 PM12/14/10
to FLLQueens
Hello everyone,
There are several topics that I would like to talk about. I figured
one long email is the most convenient.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would like to thank everyone at the Forest Hills Robotics League for
hosting a practice tournament completely on their own and doing a
wonderful job at it!
A little history on the Forest Hills Robotics League: (http://
www.foresthillslego.com/) Iffat Mai, a dedicated parent, FLL coach
and Forest Hills Robotics League founder, started a FLL team a few
years back because she could not convince her children's schools to
start a team. That has grown over the past few years into a
formalized non-profit organization running 4 teams with a full 40
youngsters.
It is a wonderful growth story that will hopefully prove to be a
regional stalwart.
I’m very happy to hear that FLL cooperation is going on independently
without us. Truthfully, it is the only way to ensure continuity in an
organization completely run by volunteers.
Hopefully next year there are multiple team-based practice
tournaments. I believe that Queens needs four practice tournaments to
accommodate all interested teams.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The number of teams in Queens has swelled past the capacity of
Aviation High School.
Those of you who were at our tournament these past two years
experienced the crowding issue we had to deal with last year. Last
year was the only year that we could not keep the aisles clear during
the closing ceremony so that excited youngsters could run up and get
their awards. This year we will try to separate student seating from
guest seating to alleviate the problem. If we can’t enforce the
seating arrangement, we will not distribute the trophies during the
ceremony but rather ask coaches to collect their trophies after the
awards ceremony in a judging room.
This year there will be three more teams than last year. Last year I
rented 325 chairs. This year I rented 350 chairs. The only problem
is there isn’t really room for them. For those who were there last
year, you saw how crowded the pits were and just how limited the
outlets are. In addition, you saw just how limited our bathroom
facilities are.
And, unfortunately, this will be the first year that some teams from
Queens will be forced to compete in the Bronx. The only way to
prevent Queens teams from participating in the Bronx is to limit the
number of teams that multi-team organizations can register. This is
not a decision made at the qualifier level. This is a city-wide
decision made by volunteers at the NYC level.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teams that will drop out: Historically, 2 to 4 teams drop out. In
the past, I am only made aware of this just days before the
tournament.
This year, I would greatly appreciate being informed of such a
situation as soon as possible. This is especially true of
organizations with multiple teams that have a sudden decrease in
student participation. If your organization cannot support all of the
teams that you have registered, please downsize and tell me ASAP.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snow Day: There is no snow day! There is no alternate day.
Everything is set for January 15th. The tournament will either run
that day or it will be canceled. So long as the NYC Public Schools
are open that day, the tournament will run. If the schools will be
closed, the tournament will be canceled.
Repercussions of a canceled tournament are handled at the NYC level
and are beyond my control.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks,
Mike Koumoullos
There are several topics that I would like to talk about. I figured
one long email is the most convenient.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would like to thank everyone at the Forest Hills Robotics League for
hosting a practice tournament completely on their own and doing a
wonderful job at it!
A little history on the Forest Hills Robotics League: (http://
www.foresthillslego.com/) Iffat Mai, a dedicated parent, FLL coach
and Forest Hills Robotics League founder, started a FLL team a few
years back because she could not convince her children's schools to
start a team. That has grown over the past few years into a
formalized non-profit organization running 4 teams with a full 40
youngsters.
It is a wonderful growth story that will hopefully prove to be a
regional stalwart.
I’m very happy to hear that FLL cooperation is going on independently
without us. Truthfully, it is the only way to ensure continuity in an
organization completely run by volunteers.
Hopefully next year there are multiple team-based practice
tournaments. I believe that Queens needs four practice tournaments to
accommodate all interested teams.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The number of teams in Queens has swelled past the capacity of
Aviation High School.
Those of you who were at our tournament these past two years
experienced the crowding issue we had to deal with last year. Last
year was the only year that we could not keep the aisles clear during
the closing ceremony so that excited youngsters could run up and get
their awards. This year we will try to separate student seating from
guest seating to alleviate the problem. If we can’t enforce the
seating arrangement, we will not distribute the trophies during the
ceremony but rather ask coaches to collect their trophies after the
awards ceremony in a judging room.
This year there will be three more teams than last year. Last year I
rented 325 chairs. This year I rented 350 chairs. The only problem
is there isn’t really room for them. For those who were there last
year, you saw how crowded the pits were and just how limited the
outlets are. In addition, you saw just how limited our bathroom
facilities are.
And, unfortunately, this will be the first year that some teams from
Queens will be forced to compete in the Bronx. The only way to
prevent Queens teams from participating in the Bronx is to limit the
number of teams that multi-team organizations can register. This is
not a decision made at the qualifier level. This is a city-wide
decision made by volunteers at the NYC level.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Teams that will drop out: Historically, 2 to 4 teams drop out. In
the past, I am only made aware of this just days before the
tournament.
This year, I would greatly appreciate being informed of such a
situation as soon as possible. This is especially true of
organizations with multiple teams that have a sudden decrease in
student participation. If your organization cannot support all of the
teams that you have registered, please downsize and tell me ASAP.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Snow Day: There is no snow day! There is no alternate day.
Everything is set for January 15th. The tournament will either run
that day or it will be canceled. So long as the NYC Public Schools
are open that day, the tournament will run. If the schools will be
closed, the tournament will be canceled.
Repercussions of a canceled tournament are handled at the NYC level
and are beyond my control.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks,
Mike Koumoullos
Michael Koumoullos
Dec 14, 2010, 12:04:37 PM12/14/10
to FLLQueens
ESWSG...@aol.com
Dec 14, 2010, 6:51:42 PM12/14/10
to fllq...@googlegroups.com
Hi Mike,
I didn't see a list of teams for the Queens tournament; did my team, FLL #
11855, I. S. 192 Q, make it into the Queens event @ Aviation on
1-15-11. Please get back to me when you can.
Eric Greene
RMS / I. S. 192 Q
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