Top 10 Reasons Why Your Team Should Attend a Scrimmage or Practice Event

1) Scrimmages are fairly informal and you can go even if you haven’t built your robot yet. Some are scheduled quite early in the season and the expectation is not that you are “tournament ready”.

2) Your team will get to interact with other FIRST LEGO League teams. You and your team members can ask questions and learn a LOT! Or, if you’re a more experienced team, you’ll have the opportunity to share your knowledge. Coopertition with other teams is the foundation of the Core Values, whether you’re a rookie team or a veteran team.

3) You’ll be inspired! Seeing how other teams have built their robots and are approaching missions can help inspire creativity in your team.

4) Having a scrimmage date on the calendar can motivate your team to get moving! We often get more done in the week before a scrimmage than we do in the month prior.

5) You’ll see a competition style table and can watch how the missions operate. It is not uncommon to have a mission that is built incorrectly and it is MUCH BETTER to realize that at a scrimmage than during your first run at a qualifier.

6) It’s never a bad idea to get some practice runs in on another table. Lighting, table bumps, and other changes in condition can affect how your programs run. Adapting your programs to different conditions will help make your programs more durable.

7) Your team will get to feel a bit of the “pressure” that comes from a timed match and a crowd, albeit a small one :-)

8) Some scrimmages will have mock judging sessions where your team can gain invaluable insight into the types of questions that will be asked in the judging rooms.

9) You’ll be more prepared for your qualifier.

10) You’ll have FUN!

This Coach’s Corner article was written by Emily Locke.