Starting Your Team

Welcome to the new season! One of your first tasks as a coach is to reach out to the parents of your team members. This initial communication is crucial for setting expectations and ensuring a smooth and successful season.

You'll need to inform parents about the weekly practice schedule, emphasizing that these are required and letting them know the practice start date. It's also important to give them a heads-up about potential competition dates. While we won't know the exact dates until mid-season, they should be advised to keep the first and second weekends of December available.

Also, be sure to explain that while the weekly practices are mandatory, there will be several optional extra practices throughout the season. These sessions are designed to help the team be more competitive and feel a sense of accomplishment by the end of the season.

Sample Welcome Email

Here is a sample email you can adapt and send to your team's parents. Remember to replace the bracketed information with your specific details.

Subject: Welcome to the Saline FLL team [Team Name]

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the [Year] FIRST LEGO League season! I am the head coach for the [Team Name], and I am thrilled to have your child on our team. My phone number is [Phone Number].

This season promises to be an exciting journey of discovery, teamwork, and fun. We will be holding mandatory weekly practices on [Days of the week] from [Start Time] to [End Time] at Saline Middle School in the Media Center. Practices will begin promptly at [Start Time], so please ensure your child arrives on time. Please escort your child into the school every practice until you verify that two adult coaches are present. Once you've verified two coaches are present, you may leave.

While we do not have the exact dates for the competitions yet, they typically occur in early December. Please pencil in the first and second weekends of December for the regional competition. Should our team advance, the state competition is usually held on the second or third weekend of December. I recognize how difficult it is to set aside most of December for potential FLL competitions, but unfortunately, this is simply what we are forced to do every year.

Throughout the season, we will schedule several optional extra practices. These are not required but are highly encouraged to help the team be as prepared and successful as possible. We will provide more details on these as the season progresses.

Our primary goal is to foster a love of learning and problem-solving in a collaborative and supportive environment. We will be guided by the FIRST Core Values, and we expect all team members to do the same.

We are looking forward to a fantastic season with your children!

Best regards,

[Your Name]