In 2005, FIRST LEGO League (FLL) published a new handbook designed to help inform FLL coaches about the basic processes and procedures involved in leading a team. In order to assess the effectiveness of the new Handbook, FIRST asked Brandeis University’s Center for Youth Development to conduct a survey of FLL coaches and Regional Partners to gather their feedback on the new publication.

We are very pleased by the results! Here is a summary of the findings:

• As a whole, the response to the new handbook was strongly positive. The large majority of FLL coaches, including both veterans and rookies, felt that the handbook offered useful information; most of the FLL Regional Partners who responded to the survey also felt that the handbook had been helpful to their teams.
• High percentages of coaches rated it positively in terms of the size and presentation; almost three-quarters (69.6%) shared it with others; and most agreed that they would use it again next year (92.5%).
• Large numbers of coaches who read the handbook agreed that it was easy to read (97.4%), well-organized (96.3%), and visually pleasing (94.6%). Eighty-nine percent of coaches felt that the handbook gave them the information they needed to start a team

This season, the second edition of the FLL Coaches’ Handbook, which is included with your registration packet, now includes even more improvements suggested by you! As a result of your feedback, we added two more important resources to your registration packet. These include:

• The FIRST Compilation DVD -- includes FIRST highlight clips as well as some more in-depth pieces on the FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST LEGO League programs.
• The FLL Challenge Project Training DVD -- includes tips, sample project presentations, and interviews.

Thank you again for the encouraging and supportive feedback, as well as constructive suggestions to improve the handbook. We appreciate the support and commitment of our teams, whose thoughts and ideas continue to help further strengthen the FIRST LEGO League program.

We hope you are looking forward to receiving your copy of the FLL Coaches’ Handbook, second edition, in the coming weeks!