Overview

FIRST® LEGO® League is a volunteer-run organization by passionate, like minded individuals who see the value in encouraging elementary through middle school students to participate in a program that exposes them to a world of imagination and innovating.

Why Volunteer?

  •  Make a difference in the lives of young people – Help young people apply real
  • World math and science concepts
  • Network with like-minded professionals
  • Help celebrate science and technology
  • Help kids discover the fun in science and technology
  • Volunteers are needed to enable more than 2,400 Southern California FIRST® LEGO® League students to compete at tournaments and demonstrate what they have achieved.

Volunteer Opportunities

Tournament Director
Judge Advisor
Judge
Head Referee
Referee
Scorekeeper
Master of Ceremonies (emcee)
Field Resetter
Field Manager
Load-in/Load-out
Queuer
Volunteer / Hospitality Room Coordinator
Registration

Tournament Director
This individual is responsible for planning their events and recruiting volunteers. Additionally, this person is responsible for onsite management of event-day activities and volunteers, including team and volunteer registration, game area, pit area, and volunteer room. The Tournament Director manages all logistics, including pre-event planning and communication and is the single point of contact with the Operational Partner. Typically, the Tournament Director will select others to assist him/her in their role.

Experience and Skills Needed:

  • Basic knowledge of tournament structure and volunteer roles and responsibilities
  • Ability to collaborate with others and work as a team
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills
  • Ability to recruit key volunteers to assist
  • Strong organization skills
  • Attention to detail

Judge Advisor
This is a KEY volunteer position. Rather than judge teams, the Judge Advisor oversees the judging process and judging quality for the event. Judge Advisors are responsible for overseeing all judges for the event, including any necessary pre-event communication and training. Judge Advisers will lead the final deliberation process where judges from all rooms will collaborate rank all the teams. This position requires intimate familiarity with the Judging process and must have attended training.

Required Skills and Experiences:

  • Knowledge of the current season project and FLL
  • Strong leadership skills
  • Strong interpersonal/communication skills
  • Strong organizational skills
  • Ability to collaborate with others and work as a team
  • FLL experience necessary especially as a judge

Judge
Interview and observe teams in the Judging rooms and rank them in each category: Project, Robot Design and Core Values against all observed teams. Interacts and deliberates with judges from other judging rooms regarding their observed teams and through consensus agree on forced ranking of all teams in the tournament. This is a high visibility role and has the opportunity to positively impact the quality of events.

Required Skills and Experience:

  • Basic knowledge to the challenge theme
  • Strong listening and assessment skills
  • Ability to effectively relate to youth aged 9-14 and adults and be a role model
  • Ability to work as a member of a team as judges will be paired in room to interview up to 8 teams
  • Knowledge of judging rubrics

Head Referee
The Head Referee helps train, and oversee all tournament referees. Unparalleled knowledge of the robot game, mission, rules and Robot Game Updates. Responsible for tracking and timing robot performance rounds and coordinating referees with the Emcee, Scorekeeper, and the Field Manager. Performs quality assurance on tournament Field Setup Kits, all competition and practice fields in advance of the event. Providing input from referees and field staff to the Judge Advisor for final judging deliberations.

Required Skills and Experiences:

  • Advanced knowledge of the competition game and rules of play
  • Ability to be tactful and assertive
  • Physically demanding role; ability to stand for long periods of time
  • Strong communication and diplomatic skills
  • Ability to collaborate with others and work as a team
  • Detail-oriented
  • Strong assessment skills
  • FLL experience and training required

Referee
Observes team robot game matches, identifies rule violations, assesses field for scoring of matches, and participates in deliberations regarding contested calls and official scores. Position works under the direction of the Head Referee. Requires training and intimate knowledge of current Robot Challenge Game rules. Plays a critical role in ensuring smooth flow of match play and maintaining the pace of the event.

Required Skills and Experience:

  • Thorough knowledge of the competition game and rules of play
  • Ability to be tactful and assertive
  • Physically demanding role; ability to stand for long periods of time
  • Outgoing personality; high energy
  • Strong communication, diplomacy skills
  • Ability to collaborate with others and work as a team
  • Detail-oriented
  • Strong assessment skills
  • FLL experience and training required

Scorekeeper
This person is someone who is comfortable with computers and can enter data from score sheets into a scoring program. Provide judges with the results after each round.

Experience and Skills Needed:

  • Basic knowledge of the competition game and rules helpful
  • Excellent computer skills
  • Detail oriented; driven to achieve high level of accuracy

Master of Ceremonies (emcee)

Serves as the public voice of the event. Introduces both teams at the competition table, ensures both teams are ready, and starts the match by announcing, “Three, Two, One, LEGO!” Provides anecdotal announcements about teams that helps put them at ease while keeping the audience engaged. MC helps the audience visualize the action and excitement through commentary during the robot rounds.

Required Skills and Experience:

  • Knowledge of the competition game and rules helpful
  • Public speaking skills
  • Comfort and experience interacting with youth aged 9-14
  • Sense of humor

Field Resetter

Repairs and resets the playing fields after each match. Resetter plays a critical role in ensuring smooth flow of match play and maintaining pace of the event. Supervise the teams collecting their robot and attachments to assure that Field Setup pieces are not taken inadvertently.

Required Skills and Experience:

  • Knowledge of the competition game, field setup, and rules helpful
  • Ability to work as part of a team
  • Physically active role; ability to stand for long periods of time and move quickly about the field
  • FIRST and FLL experience helpful

Field Manager

Keeps teams flowing to each area throughout the day and on schedule. From the competition floor, the Field Manager keeps in contact with queuers and keep abreast of scheduling and work with the MC.

Required Skills and Experience:

  • Basic knowledge of the competition games, rules, and table set-up necessary
  • Ability to work as part of a team and be an effective communicator
  • Physically active role; ability to stand for long periods of time and move quickly about the field
  • Excellent problem-solving skills

Load-in/Load-out

Helps set-up or breakdown the event. May be assigned to set-up or breakdown a specific area of the event. This is a physically active role and requires the ability to lift a minimum of 15lbs. This is a physically demanding role.

Queuer
Manages team traffic to and from the playing field. Queuers play a critical role in ensuring smooth flow of traffic and maintenance of overall event pace. May need to restrict access to competition area from unauthorized individuals. Rounds up teams that are not in the queue, helps keep teams in order and ready to compete. This person should be very aware of the schedule, and needs to be able to keep track of more than one thing at a time.

Required Skills and Experience:

  • Strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills
  • Ability to collaborate with others and work as a team
  • Self-directed individual
  • Physically demanding role; ability to stand for long periods of time

Volunteer / Hospitality Room Coordinator
Monitor and maintain the area assigned to volunteers to relax, store belongings, mingle, and eat. Set-up and ensure coffee, breakfast and lunch are available and planned at required time.

Registration
Assists with FLL Team Registration. Position provides direction, assistance, and information to FLL coaches and other adults accompanying teams and distributes materials. Assist with area set-up and breakdown.
Required Skills and Experience:

  • Ability to be tactful and assertive
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills
  • Ability to collaborate with others and work as a team
  • Strong organization skills
  • Attention to detail
  • Self-directed individual
  • FIRST experience helpful