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Recreational League
Registration
Registration
If you plan on having VEX IQ at your campus, please fill out this Google Form so we can help support you.
We recommend that you also register for free with the pd.vex.com website. This will give you access to additional resources including the free areas of VEX PD+.
Scrimmages
Scrimmages
We are planning to hold unofficial scrimmages in November and December and an official League Tournament in January. All dates will be published here once announced.
Tournaments
Tournaments
Teams who are enrolled in the Recreational League may spectate at official VEX IQ tournaments at no cost! We recommend taking your teams to an early-season official tournament as spectators to get a good idea of the current game, its rules, and ideas for designing and building robots. All official tournament events* are listed on the events.vex.com website.
*Please note that some events are for Elementary only, some for Middle School only, while others are "blended" events that allow both.
Coach Resources
Coach Resources
VEX has a great online resource - coaches.vex.com - for VEX IQ Robotics Competition (VIQRC) coaches which includes links for training, events, build instructions, coding support, and other helpful resources.
All coaches should download the VIQRC Hub app on their mobile devices to give them quick access to the current game manual as well as game timers and scoring to use during practices.
Printable posters for your robotics room can be found here.
Alvin ISD VEX IQ Coaches - GroupMe
Alvin ISD VEX IQ Coaches - GroupMe
Join the conversation here: groupme.com/join_group/109014486/G0Rz2uYY
Coach Certification
Coach Certification
From VEX/Global Robotics & Science Foundation:
"Certifications and training programs are currently being developed and maintained in collaboration with VEX Robotics curriculum experts and experienced community members. Additional details regarding timelines, certifications, and training opportunities will be shared as development continues."
Driver Certification
Driver Certification
All students should be encouraged to complete the Driver Certification Course*. This ensures that the students have read the game manual and have a fundamental understanding of the current year's game and its objectives.
* We require our students to complete this training before they are allowed to compete in any Scrimmage or Tournament.
Team Composition
Team Composition
Teams require a minimum of three students and, while there is no maximum, we've found the optimal number of students per team is four to five.
One student should be designated a team lead who will ensure all members are contributing equitably to the team's progress. Jobs within the team may include lead designer, lead builder, lead coder, lead strategist, and/or lead notebooker (primary student ensuring the engineering notebook is maintained).
During matches, students take turns driving (two at a time) while another student serves as a loader.
Students will work together through the engineering design process as they work towards meeting their goals.
Tryouts & Team Selection
Tryouts & Team Selection
While simply selecting your well-known "all-star" students seems like an easy way to go, we like to give preference to students who may not otherwise have access to these types of programs. Not only does this give these students an exciting outlet, it cuts down on scheduling conflicts. Instead of a student missing a chunk of the season because of band or sports, we'd rather give that spot to a student who is able to commit to the robotics program and their team.
Some grants require that 51% or more of your student participants are girls, so this is something else you might consider during your team selection process.
During the application period, students will complete the Robotics Application Form which also includes Teacher Recommendation Forms (edit to your name, and give each student 2-3 forms) and a short video demonstrating their understanding of gear ratios, or a topic of your choosing. Based on the applications and recommendation forms, students are selected to attend a tryouts session, consisting of three main parts: build demonstration, code demonstration, and interview.
For the build demonstration, we have the student build a VEX Go Robot with the Go Code Base build instructions. (All elementary schools were given a VEX Go kit during the 2022-2023 season through a donation from NASA.)
For the code demonstration, the student will go to vr.vex.com, select the Wall Maze playground, and code their robot to navigate to the red and black checkerboard.
During the interview, we get to know the student a little more and ask them similar questions to what was on the application to see their answers (instead of just what their parent wrote).
Once the application and tryouts periods have ended, it is time to assemble your teams!
Naming Your Robotics Team
Naming Your Robotics Team
Choosing a team name is one of the most exciting parts of forming a robotics team. A great name can show off your creativity, school spirit, or sense of humor -- and it's one of the first things others will notice at tournaments and on events.vex.com; however, team names must also be respectful and appropriate for all audiences.
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