Be a WRO Team Coach

Inspire the Next Generation

Anyone over the age of 18 can get involved as a robotic team coach. This can be a teacher, parent, or an older student. Coaches do not have to have any background in computer science or programing. Coaching is about motivating a group of kids to explore and learn to reach their goal – competition.

What a coach does

  • Spark interest in STEM through robotics
  • Create a framework (space to meet, manage equipment)
  • Keep team on track and monitor progress
  • Communicate with team, parents and regional organizer
  • Assist with solving problems and allow team to figure things out for themselves
  • Use appropriate resources to teach the team basics of robotics with online tutorials
  • Provide supervision to their team on competition day.
  • Involvement of Parents

Make a difference

  • Create a positive environment for kids to learn about robotics
  • Hold and supervise weekly meeting
  • Provide encouragement - not answers
  • Promote teamwork and sportsmanship
  • Encourage success through hard work
  • Use failure as a tool - not an excuse

As Easy as...

1Be
Supportive

It’s not about winning or losing. It’sabout learning new skills and building confidence. Foster an environment where kids feel good about themselves.

 

2Be
Encouraging

Show them it’s okay not to know how to do everything, it’s a learning process. Demonstrate the importance of learning from what doesn't work to find what does.

 

3Be
Motivating

Acknowledge the efforts of the group and encourage the team to think issues through for themselves.

Coaching a Team

During the preparation period (around February to July) the team should meet regularly, ie at least once a week for 2 hours. To estimate the effort, the following hints are used:

  • The effort can vary depending on the competition category (eg, the phase of finding a topic in the Open Category often requires an increased amount of time to help the children and adolescents find their brains).
  • In the "hot phase" just before the competition, more frequent meetings may be required (possibly also on weekends).
  • It can be helpful to hold individual longer meetings (eg until the evening or on Saturday).
  • Especially with (LEGO) robots you work more effectively than several times a single hour.
  • When qualifying for the United States or World Final, another working phase is often necessary for the "finishing touch".

What a team coach should not do

Since the WRO is a competition for children and adolescents aged 6 to 19, competition should be done by the students.

At this point, we would like to give a few pointers on how a coach should not behave on game day but also in preparation. Rule violations on the day of the competition can also lead to consequences such as deduction of points or disqualification.

  • take direct action in programming or construction
  • provide students with a ready-made solution
  • Interference in the work / presentation on the competition day
  • demotivate (own and third-party teams)
  • Challenge decisions of the referee
  • After the competition is a "bad loser", the team needs you much more than support and to understand why you did not win

Become A Team Coach


Visit the WRO USA site to learn more about becoming a to become a coach and registering a team.
 

Competiton Materials


Game Pieces $50
Competition Mats $80