I was hoping to play some games on the internet tonight, but it looks like we are having some bad storms coming this way. Any time we have thunder and lightning, I turn off the computer and unplug it so that it won’t get zapped. I lost two computers to lightning strikes already and I’m not wanting to go through that again.

Sometimes when I am on the computer for several hours at a time, I like to listen to streaming audio over the internet. A friends told me a bout a web site called Pandora. It’s free for about 40 hours worth of listening each month. After 40 hours you have to pay them a fee or find another way to listen to music while you work. For my work habits, I can use up that 40 hours pretty quick, so I have other sites I can use. But I do like the way Pandora works for the first week or so of each month.

Well the State Tournament was today, ALL DAY LONG.  I had no idea what to expect but the kids were real pros because all of them had been in at least one competition before this one.  In fact, the team, or what was left of it from last year, won the best teamwork trophy the year before.  What an honor for them.

You have to remember these kids are 9 to 15 years old.  They’re learning how to do research because they had to do a presentation on something they learned about possibly solving or helping stop global warming.  They’re learning how to work together as a team.  They’re learning problem solving.  They’re learning to be cool under pressure and how to present an idea they have developed.  A lot of adults don’t have those skills and yet they are all very important skills to succeed in the world today.

They’re programing a robot that they themselves built usually from their own design.  That’s engineering. They’re not just ‘playing with Legos’, they’re building skills that will follow them through the rest of their lives and help them excel in what ever it is they decide to do. I learned so much from these kids, far more than they learned from me.  One main thing I learned is that I have to do more research into being a good coach because I really want these kids to do far better than they did this year.

This was a tough year for them.  They first of all lost their sponsor which was a local college and also meant they lost a place to practice.  The professor that started the team with the backing of the college, chose to pay himself so the team could go on.  They lost 5 team members, a coach and 3 mentors which had been the fathers of some of the kids that quit.  Then a local church donated a place for the kids to practice, and three mothers stepped up to coach the kids.  I came in as a mentor but only the last few weeks before the competition.

I wish I could have known about the team earlier.  The mother that coached these kids did a great job and we are all planning a much better year with meetings once a month, field trips for the kids, and anything else we can come up with to keep them interested and excited about what they do.  One mother is looking into food sponsors for the meetings.  If she can get one pizza place to donate pizza one month, I bet their competition will donate another one.  Pretty smart, huh?  I’ll let you know what we’re up to next.

I didn’t realize that the First Lego League competition is next weekend.  Man we still have a lot to do.  The kids pretty much have the robot programed to do everything it’s supposed to do for the competition.  Now the kids really have to work on their presentation they have to give.

I wish I had been to last years competition so I would know more about what to expect but I’m walking into this blind in a lot of ways.  I can honestly say that I have enjoyed this more than a lot of things I have gotten involved in over the past few years since my kids left home.  I just wish I would have known about this when my sons could have gotten involved.

Check out the First Lego League and you just might want to get involved too.  It’s a great program.