Participate as a team coach

Each WRO team of 2-3 participants needs a team coach.

Anyone aged 18 or over who would like to accompany children and young people on their way to the robotics competitions can get involved as a team coach. A good coach

• enjoys working with children and young people
• has enough time (see below)
• is a bit interested in technology and robots.

However, an interest in technology does not mean that only media and IT teachers or parents who work with robots can be coaches. Much more important is the ability to motivate the children and young people as they prepare for the competitions.

• Awaken the team members’ interest in robotics and motivate them even during lean periods
• Teach the team the basics of robotics or help the participants to acquire them themselves with the help of tutorials or similar
• Create framework conditions (space, material)
• Be the contact person for the competition organizers
• Offer assistance in the search for solutions, but do not write programs or construct robots yourself
• Supervise the team on the day of the competition.

One person can coach several teams in different categories and age groups.

The time required varies depending on the competition category and the experience of the participants. As a rule of thumb, the team should meet about once a week for two hours of training during the preparation phase (approx. January to May).

In the hot phase shortly before a competition, it can make sense to take a longer training block, such as a whole afternoon or a Saturday.

For teams that qualify for the Swiss championship or an international competition, it makes sense to schedule additional training sessions for this.