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LegoDogs Overview


FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge is a hands on competition for students in 4th-8th grades. The competition itself is composed of four parts: Core Values, Robot Design, the Challenge Project, and Robot Performance.


The LegoDogs division runs from September through December. Teams may continue into January, February, or April based on the level of competition the team achieves. Every LegoDogs team attends a qualifying event in Illinois in December. The qualifiers are on Saturdays or Sundays over the weekends preceding Christmas. If a team scores in the top percentage (TBD) of the teams in attendance at their qualifier, they proceed to an Illlinois Sectional in January. The top teams at sectionals (TBD) continue to the State Championship in February. At the State Championship, the overall top team earns the Champion’s Award and potentially a spot to the World Festival in April.

Current Season


Registration for the 2024-2025 season opened August 1st, 2024


Member fee for this division is $350.00

The division is capped at 88 students. The cap has been reached so registration for the LegoDogs closed August 16th. Registration and payment are required to attend sessions.


The Saturday weekly meeting location is at a facility on the east side of St. Charles on Main Street.


For more information on the current FIRST LEGO League Challenge season, click here to visit the international FIRST LEGO League webpage. For more information on the program in Illinois, click here to visit FIRST Illinois Robotics FLL Challenge webpage.

LegoDogs Structure


The LegoDogs program is designed for 4th-8th grade students in the Fox Valley Area. LegoDogs teams build a LEGO robot with LEGO SPIKE Prime kits and program it to complete tasks on the current season's field table. Teams also complete the Challenge Project.

Participation
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Fees and Payments
Fees and Payments
To join an FVR team, a student must be signed up and paid (or a payment plan in place) prior to the close of registration.

Registration fees can be made online by credit card or by mailing a check to the PO Box.

The registration cost includes national team registration, Illinois team and qualifier registration, meeting room fees, season t-shirt, a team challenge budget, parts and materials replenishment, and the robotics general funds. Misuse or abuse resulting in damaged pieces will be charged for appropriately.

The registration cost does not cover possible field trip costs. We don’t know what the challenge is going to require and we leave field trip decisions until the end of September.

A limited amount of scholarships are available for those who are in financial need. If a student wants to do robotics, we will make it happen. Begin a discussion with an email to info@foxvalleyrobitcs.com.

All payments are not refundable.

FVR reserves the right to refuse a person from participating in a division. Registrants will be offered a full refund if this occurs.
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Team Formation
Team Formation
FVR teams are typically between 5 and 7 students. Teams are formed based on the following priorities:
1.    Participant Requests (friends, siblings, previous teammates)
2.    Grade
3.    School
4.    Town
Additional factors taken into consideration are previous experience in robotics programs and gender.

FVR tends to put rookie members on teams with other rookies members to both preserve the team's Rising All-Star status for competitions and to allow the team members to grow in knowledge and skill together.

A wait list will be created of interested families after the close of registration.
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Season Schedule
Season Schedule
The FVR LegoDogs FIRST LEGO League Challenge season kicks-off typically in early September after the international challenge release. The season ends in December, January, or February based on the level of competition the team advances to.

4th-5th grade teams meet during the group LegoDogs PM meeting on Saturdays from 12:30pm-3:00pm. Typically, rookie PM teams start the season meeting only during the Saturday meetings. Later in the season, late October or early November, teams may want to meet one additional time per week to practice the Challenge Project or other judged areas. Experienced 4th/5th grade teams are expected to have additional weekly meetings by the end of September or beginning of October to focus on the Challenge Project. Additional meetings or sessions are encouraged closer to qualifying tournaments to practice the judged categories.

6th-8th grade teams meeting during the group LegoDogs AM meeting session on Saturdays from 8:30am-12pm. Rookie teams in the AM session are encouraged to meet one additional time per week by the middle of October. Additional meetings are encouraged towards the end of November to prepare for upcoming tournaments. Experienced AM teams are expected to set their own schedule while still meeting the expectations placed on an experienced team. Typically, these teams meet 1-2 additional times per week throughout the season as a full team or as sub-teams.

The Saturday weekly meeting location is at a facility on the east side of St. Charles on Main Street.  

The Saturday meetings are required for all teams. Rookie teams are expected to be in attendance at each meeting while experienced teams are required to be in attendance at least 80% of the time.

Teams typically use Saturday meetings to work on their robot, make decisions as a whole team, practice presentations and talk to other teams. The meeting facilitators use Saturday meetings to teach new concepts, discuss competition rules and guidelines, answer team questions, coordinate presentations from experienced teams, and encourage mentorship between teams.

A detailed division schedule is discussed during the second and third meetings. An overview schedule is handed out to participating members during the first month.
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Parent Involvement
Parent Involvement
FVR parents are expected to be involved in some way. They are expected to work together to coach the team unless a parent or two decides to step-up and be a coach. Teams cannot be in attendance on Saturday meetings without at least one parent in attendance in addition to a coach. Below are a few of the possible parent involvement scenarios:
1.    One coach with additional involved parents who offer support whether it be helping the team troubleshoot, time management, coordination, planning, or as assistant coaches.
2.    Two coaches where one coach may be a "robot" coach and guide the team in the robot game and technical presentation while the other coordinates the Challenge Project.
3.    Two coaches who share the work equally
4.    More than two coaches who share the work
Typically, FVR's more successful teams have multiple coaches who share the work. It provides a better dynamic for the team to grow and learn from.

FVR coaches are expected to follow these guidelines:
1.    Kids do the work.
2.    Coaches are meant to be guides: help lead students to the answers while never giving them the answer.
3.    Be fair and consistent while mediating team discussions.
4.    Help the team divide work and make sure every voice and contribution is heard.
5.    Push the team to learn new topics, grow as individuals, and grow as a team.
6.    Kids do the work.
Coaches of experienced or older teams are expected to step back and let their students manage themselves within the capabilities of the team.

A great coach is one who can help students learn in a fun and engaging way while encouraging them to try new things and push the boundaries of their knowledge base. Great coaches do not have to know how to build a LEGO robot or program it to do a mission; great coaches can analyze a robot task or action and help their students break it down into manageable pieces. Great coaches help guide their students in effective time management and communication.
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Team Responsibilities
Team Responsibilities
FVR teams are expected to:
1.    Do the work.
2.    Take mistakes in-stride: they are learning tools, learn from them.
3.    Share the work with your fellow teammates.
4.    Encourage yourself, your teammates, and fellow students.
5.    Help guide your teammates or other teams to answers if they need help.
6.    Push yourselves to learn new ideas and concepts.
7.    Live the FLL Core Values both in robotics and in your everyday life.

Rookie teams use the experience of their parents/coaches to help guide them and instruct them. Experienced teams are expected to show leadership skills and take some of the responsibilities of their coaches onto their own shoulders.

FVR teams are also expected to:
•    Help fellow FVR teams.
•    Be respectful and mindful of our Saturday meetings including discussions, speakers, other teams and your own team.
•    Be responsible: take initiative to clean up your own messes but help others as well, help set-up/clean-up/tear-down the meeting room, and behave well.
•    Be respectful of the equipment and facility including robots and field kits.

The Competition
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Parts of the Competition
Parts of the Competition
Teams are tasked with designing a custom robot to compete on the competition table designed around the current season's theme. In Illinois, teams have between August and December to build and program their robot before a qualifying tournament. Teams also have to perform in three additional areas: Core Values, Robot Design and the Challenge Project. The judged presentation is put together by the team in advance for evaluation at the qualifier event.

Core Value aspects portray how the team functioned during the season including, but not limited to:
•    Team spirit
•    Integration of FLL values into daily life
•    Efficiency
•    Respect
•    Inclusion of all team members

The Robot Design portion is a technical discussion describing and outlining the important aspects of the robot such as:
•    Durability
•    Efficiency
•    Programming Quality
•    Strategy
•    Innovation

The Challenge Project is an essential part of the competition in which teams identify and research a problem involving the year’s theme, create an innovative solution to solve or reduce the effects of the identified problem, and share the problem and solution with others. Teams are scored on the
•    Research: problem identification, sources, analysis, and review of existing solutions
•    Solution: explanation, innovation, and implementation
•    Presentation: sharing, creativity and effectiveness
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FVR Intra Club Scrimmages
FVR Intra Club Scrimmages
FVR teams participate in the Intra club scrimmages in November. The three scrimmages occur on back-to-back weekends (either Saturday or Sunday) ending the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. Scrimmages are an essential part to being an FVR FLL Challenge team. They provide teams the opportunity to practice their presentations and Q&A sessions as well as run their robots in a timed setting. Teams are expected to have at least 4 parents in attendance: three to be judges for the scrimmages and one parent to walk around with the team.
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Illinois Qualifying Tournaments
Illinois Qualifying Tournaments
With multiple LegoDogs teams and limited spots at tournaments, including the Batavia qualifier, FVR teams attend different qualifiers. Two to three LegoDogs teams go to a qualifier to compete, and so there are between four and six qualifiers that we attend.

For information on Illinois Qualifiers: FIRST Illinois Robotics qualifiers
For information on the Batavia Qualifier: Batavia FLL Challenge Qualifier
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Illinois Sectional Tournaments
Illinois Sectional Tournaments
To attend the Illinois sectional, a team must place in the top percentage (TBD) of the qualifier which they attend and meet all judging qualifications.

Sectionals are new to Illinois in the 2023-2024 season. An introduction to sectionals can be found here: FIRST Illinois Robotics events
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Illinois State Championship
Illinois State Championship
To attend the Illinois Championship, a team must place in the top percentage (TBD) of the sectional which they attend and meet all judging qualifications.

Information regarding the Illinois State Championship can be found here: FIRST Illinois Robotics state championship

Awards

 
FVR teams attend numerous qualifiers, sectionals, and the Illinois State Championship.

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2023-2024 MASTERPIECE
2023-2024 MASTERPIECE
Qualifiers: 18 FVR teams attend 5 qualifiers
Brick Champions at Batavia Qualifier
Capybara: Robot Design Award Finalist and Advancing to Sectional, Oswego Qualifier
Cosmic LEGO F.O.R.C.E.: Champion’s Award Finalist and Advancing to Sectional, Naperville North Qualifier
Explosive Golden LEGO at Oswego Qualifier
K-6: Champion's Award and Advancing to Sectional, Batavia Qualifier
LEGO Coders: Champion's Award, Robot Performance Award 2nd Place and Advancing to Sectional, Rockford Qualifier
LEGO Lions: Innovation Project Award and Advancing to Sectional, Mount Prospect Qualifier
LEGO Rams: Champion’s Award Finalist and Advancing to Sectional, Oswego Qualifier
Lightning Falcon: Robot Performance Award 2nd Place and Advancing to Sectional, Batavia Qualifier
Mission Masters: Core Values Award and Advancing to Sectional, Naperville North Qualifier
Northern Lights: Robot Design Award Finalist, Batavia Qualifier
Octobots: Rising All-Star Award, Naperville North Qualifier
Powerful Chicks: Core Values Award and Advancing to Sectional, Rockford Qualifier
Robogeneers: Motivate Award and Advancing to Sectional, Naperville North Qualifier
RoboRays at Batavia Qualifier
Solar Sisyphus at Naperville North Qualifier
Techno Titans: Rising All-Star Award, Robot Performance Award 2nd Place and Advancing to Sectional, Oswego Qualifier
Timeless: Engineering Excellence Award  and Advancing to Sectional, Mount Prospect
Sectionals: 12 FVR teams attend a sectional
Capybara: Innovation Project Award, Coach/Mentor Award and Advancing to State, Chicago HSA McKinley Park Sectional
Cosmic LEGO F.O.R.C.E.: Champion's Award, Robot Performance Award and Advancing to State, Chicago HSA McKinley Park Sectional
K-6: Champion's Award, Robot Performance Award 1st Place and Advancing to State, Batavia Sunday Sectional
LEGO Coders: Motivate Award and Advancing to State, Batavia Sunday Sectional
LEGO Lions: Innovation Project Award and Advancing to State, Batavia Saturday Sectional
Lightning Falcon: Core Values Award Finalist and Advancing to State, Batavia Saturday Sectional
Powerful Chicks: Engineering Excellence Award and Advancing to State, Batavia Saturday Sectional
TechnoTitans: Engineering Excellence Award and Advancing to State, Batavia Sunday Sectional
Timeless: Core Values Award Finalist and Advancing to State, Batavia Sunday Sectional
Illinois State Championship: 9 FVR teams attend State
Cosmic LEGO F.O.R.C.E.: Engineering Excellence Award
Timeless: Robot Design Award 3rd Place
Post State Events
Cosmic LEGO F.O.R.C.E.: By invitation only, attend and compete at the Western Edge Open in Long Beach California May 31 - June 2, 2024

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2022-2023 SUPERPOWERED
2022-2023 SUPERPOWERED
Qualifiers: 16 FVR teams attend 4 qualifiers
2Xstream Robotics: Champion's Award - Finalist and Advancing to State, Mount Prospect Qualifier
Bob Da Builders: Rising All-Star Award, Mount Prospect Qualifier
Capybara: Innovation Project Award and Advancing to State, Truman College Qualifier
Cloud 9 at Mount Prospect Qualifier
Cosmic LEGO S.P.I.E.S.: Motivate Award, Batavia Qualifier
Kinetic-6: Champion's Award, Robot Performance Award 2nd Place, and Advancing to State, Batavia Qualifier
LEGO Coders: Innovation Project Award and Advancing to State, Naperville North Qualifier
LEGO Lions: Innovation Project Award and Advancing to State, Mount Prospect Qualifier
Lego Masters: Engineering Excellence Award, Batavia Qualifier
Lightning Bolts: Robot Performance Award 1st Place, Robot Design Award - Finalist, and Advancing to State, Naperville North Qualifier
MOAR VOLTAGE: Robot Design Award - Finalist and Advancing to State, Batavia Qualifier
Power Players: Engineering Excellence Award, Robot Performance Award 2nd Place, and Advancing to State, Naperville North Qualifier
Power Savers: Rising All-Star Award, Naperville North Qualifier
Robo-ray: Robot Design Award - Finalist and Advancing to State, Truman College Qualifier
Solaris: Champion's Award - Finalist and Advancing to State, Naperville North Qualifier
The Imagineers at Batavia Qualifier
State Championships: 10 FVR teams attend an Illinois State Championship  
2Xstream Robotics: Champion's Award - Finalist
Capybara: Core Values Award - Finalist
Kinetic-6: Core Values Award - Finalist
LEGO Lions: Robot Design Award - Finalist
Power Players: Alliance Round Winner
Robo-ray: Rising All-Star Award
Post State Events
2Xstream Robotics: By invitation only, attend and compete at the Western Edge Open in Long Beach California during May 12-14, 2023

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2021-2022 Cargo Connect
2021-2022 Cargo Connect
Qualifiers: 11 FVR teams attend 3 qualifiers
2Xstream Robotics: 1st Place Champion's Award and Advancing to State, Mount Prospect
      Qualifier
Arctic Phoenix at Mount Prospect Qualifier
Beese Churgers: 1st Place Champion's Award, 1st Place Robot Performance Award, and
       Advancing to State, Naperville North Qualifier
Cosmic LEGO C.A.T.S.: Innovation Project Award-Finalist, Naperville North Qualifier
DRY Coders: Robot Design Award-Finalist and Advancing to State, Batavia Qualifier
HexaForce: 1st Place Robot Design Award and Advancing to State, Batavia Qualifier
LEGO Coders: 1st Place Innovation Project Award and Advancing to State, Mount Prospect
      Qualifier
Robonauts at Mount Prospect Qualifier
Ship & Chips at Batavia Qualifier
Star Dragons: 1st Place Core Values Award, Naperville North Qualifier
Techno Transporters: Rising All-Star Award, Batavia Qualifier
State Championships: 5 FVR teams qualify for the Illinois State Einstein Championship
2Xstream Robotics: 1st Place Robot Design Award
HexaForce: Champion's Award-Finalist
Post State Events
HexaForce: By invitation only, attend and compete at the Razorback Open Invitational at the University of Arkansas May 19-22, 2022

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2020-2021 RePLAY
2020-2021 RePLAY
Qualifiers: 9 FVR teams attend 5 qualifiers with recorded presentations, robot missions, and Q&A
2xStream Robotics: Robot Design Award and Advancing to State, Speer Academy Qualifier
DRY Coders: Core Values Award and Advancing to State, Batavia Qualifier
HexaForce: Champion's Award, Robot Performance Award Finalist and Advancing to
    State, McKinley Qualifier
Robo Bacon at Naperville Qualifier
Rockin' Robo Racers at Batavia Qualifier
Star Dragons: Core Values Award, Naperville Qualifier
The Brick Climbers at McKinley Qualifier
The Impostors at Speer Academy Qualifier
Two Spartans and a Bulldog: Innovation Project Award Finalist, Batavia Qualifier
State Championships: 3 FVR teams qualify for the Illinois State Championships
2xStream Robotics
DRY Coders
HexaForce:
      Robot Performance Award - 2nd Place
      Robot Design Award Finalist

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2019-2020 City Shaper
2019-2020 City Shaper
Qualifiers: 12 FVR teams attend 5 qualifiers
2xStream Robotics: Robot Design Award and Advancing to State, Speer Academy Qualifier
Extreme Technos: Rising Star Award, Oswego Qualifier
Fuzzy Pi: Champion's Award Finalist and Advancing to State, Oswego Qualifier
Hexa-Force: Champion's Award 1st Place, Robot Performance Award Finalist and Advancing to
    State, Batavia Qualifier
Robo Bricks: Robot Design Award Finalist and Advancing to State, Naperville Qualifier
Robo Llamas: Innovation Project Award 1st Place and Advancing to State, Naperville Qualifier
Scorpions: Rising Star Award, Batavia Qualifier
Star Dragons: Core Values Award and Advancing to State, Palatine Qualifier
State Championships: 8 FVR teams qualify for the Illinois State Championships
2xStream Robotics: Strategy & Innovation Award, Einstein Championship
Fuzzy Pi:
      Champion's Award - 2nd Place
      Robot Performance Award - 2nd Place, Hopper Championship
Robo Bricks: Rising Star Award, Einstein Championship
Post State Events:
Fuzzy Pi:  By invitation only, they were planning to travel and compete. In March, the season was cancelled world-wide due to COVID-19.

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2018-2019 Into Orbit
2018-2019 Into Orbit
Qualifiers: 16 FVR teams attend 9 qualifiers
2XStream Robotics: Advancing to State, Speer Academy Qualifier
Apollo 7: Robot Performance Award and Advancing to State,
      Naperville Blue Qualifier
Fuzzy Pi: Robot Design Award and Advancing to State, Palatine Qualifier
Galactic Axolotls: Advancing to State, Naperville Blue Qualifier
Galactic Chickens: Rookie Team Award, Batavia Green Qualifier
Galaxy Bots: Champions' Award and Advancing to State,
      Oswego Wolves Qualifier
HexaForce: Robot Performance Award, Robot Design Award, and
      Advancing to State, Batavia Green Qualifier
Mars! Here we come!: Rookie Team Award, Naperville Orange Qualifier
Professor Tsunami Bots - A Space Odyssey: Robot Performance Award,
      Robot Design Award, and Advancing to State, Oswego Panthers Qualifier
Radioactive Aliens: Judges' Award, GSFC Qualifier
Socks: Robot Design Award, Crystal Lake Qualifier
Star Dragons: Project Award and Advancing to State, Speer Academy Qualifier
State Championships: 8 FVR teams qualify for the Illinois State Championships
Apollo 7: Robot Design - Programming Award, Einstein Championship
Fuzzy Pi: Judges' Award - Excellence in Project, Hopper Championship
Galactic Axolotls: Core Values - Teamwork Award, Einstein Championship
HexaForce: Robot Design - Programming Award, Hopper Championship
Professor Tsunami Bots - A Space Odyssey:
      Robot Performance Award - 1st Place,
      Champions' Award - 2nd Place, Einstein Championship
Post State Events:
Fuzzy Pi: Qualified for and attended the Global Innovation Award Semi-Finals in June in San Jose, CA. By invitation only, they also participated in the FLL Asia Pacific Open Championship four-day event in Sydney, Australia in July and won the 2nd place Champion's Award.

Professor Tsunami Bots - A Space Odyssey: By invitation only, they attended the FLL Mountain State Open Invitational in West Virginia in July.

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2017-2018 Hydro Dynamics
2017-2018 Hydro Dynamics
Qualifiers: 17 FVR teams attend 10 qualifiers
Black Widows: Robot Design Award and Advancing to State, Speer Academy Qualifier
Fuzzy Pi: Robot Design Award and Advancing to State, Palatine Qualifier
H2 GO: Core Values Award and Advancing to State, Naperville Orange Qualifier
Log To Gators: Judges' Award, Oswego Wolves Qualifier
Mind Builders: Project Award, Robot Performance Award, and Advancing to State, Crystal Lake Qualifier
Powerhouse: Champions' Award, Robot Performance Award, and Advancing to State,
     Oswego Panthers Qualifier
Professor Tsunami Bots Waterlogged: Champions' Award and Advancing to State, GSFC Qualifier
R.I.S.E.ing Phoenix: Project Award, Batavia Gold Qualifier
Techno Fish: Rookie Team Award and Advancing to State, Speer Academy Qualifier
State Championships: 7 FVR teams qualify for the Illinois State Championships
Black Widows: Core Value Gracious Professionalism Award, Hopper Championship
Powerhouse: Core Value Teamwork Award, Hopper Championship
Professor Tsunami Bots Waterlogged: Champions' Award, Ambassador Award - 2nd Place,
     Hopper Championship
Techno Fish: Rookie Team Award, Hopper Championship
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2016-2017 Animal Allies
2017-2016 Animal Allies
Qualifiers: 16 FVR teams attend 8 qualifiers
Black Widows: Robot Design Award, and Advancing to State, Woodstock Qualifier
Flash Bots: Advancing to State, Batavia Green Qualifier
Genetic Robo Dragons: Judges' Award, Batavia Green Qualifier
Master Builders: Judges' Award and Advancing to State, Naperville North Orange Qualifier
Professor Tsunami Bots UNLEASHED: Champions' Award, Robot Performance Award,
     and Advancing to State, Oswego Wolves Qualifier
Radioactive: Rookie Team Award, and Advancing to State, Batavia Gold Qualifier
Rescue Bots: Core Values Award, and Advancing to State, Naperville North Orange Qualifier

State Championships: 6 FVR teams qualify for the Illinois State Championships
Black Widows: Ambassador Award, Core Value Gracious Professionalism Award,
     Northern Championship
Master Builders: Project Presentation Award, Northern Championship
Professor Tsunami Bots UNLEASHED: Robot Design Programming Award, Robot Performance
     Award - 3rd Place, Northern Championship
Radioactive: Rookie Team Award, Central Championship
Rescue Bots: Robot Design Strategy & Innovation Award, Central Championship