Re: Science Olympiad Issues

From: Jeff <janderson_at_twmi.rr.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:31:43 -0000

I don't know whether my solution will work for you, but here's how I
solved the problem.

I started by coaching single schools like you, heck, Brett Sanborn
who now flys F1Ds so well was in my FIRST group coaching session.
But I became frustrated because of the large number of students I saw
at competitions who had problems with just the basics of these
events.

I started expanding by telling the schools I coached that my
continued support depended on running at least SOME multi-school
events. That helped some.

Next, I became involved with the local and state SO organization as
an event supervisor (they are ALWAYS looking for good help). There I
had the opportunity to present Wright Stuff at coaches clinics. The
coaches typically expected a discussion of the rules and event
procedures. I'd cover that in 5-10 minutes, emphasizing having THEM
read the rules. Then I spent the rest of my time telling them how to
make a plane FLY. I'd finish the presentation by offering to come to
THEIR school and spend a day coaching IF they opened up the session
to other schools in their region.

This has been very successful. If the coach isn't interested in
helping others, they don't invite me. But I guess my starting
sessions were good enough that I've got plenty of invites, more every
year as my name gets around. So far this year I've run three half
day to full day events with around 30 schools participating. I have
one each weekend from now till the end of Feb and expect to see at
least another 40+ schools.

Now, I know not everyone is interested in spending as much time as I
do, but I think the problem of a school trying to 'hoard' knowledge
(which is all available somewhere on the internet anyway) can be
addressed even with more limited efforts. Just be clear up front,
the help you provide is not just for a limited few, your you'll find
other eager takers.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

--- In Indoor_Construction_at_yahoogroups.com, "iflyf1b" <iflyf1b@...>
wrote:
>
> I ran to a few issues this weekend mentoring students for the up
and
> coming Regionals. Anybody else having these negative responses to
> mentoring?
> First I have been mentoring 2 local high schools and 3 middle
schools
> in our county for 8 years. I have seen alot of improvmwnt and
some
> rebnewed and growing interest in model aviation. Because of
limited
> use of local gyms I have students from different schools come to
one
> high school gym to fly and pass along my many years of experience.
> At first the coach for the local gym we were using showed soem
> displeasure in me bringing the so called competetion to the gym but
> never said anything. He would take his students off to the side and
> talk quietly about flying and trimmimg. Understand this coach also
a
> parent gained all his knowledge from me. I let it go. This weekend
> after having a local middle school coach and students come to the
gym
> to experience BLG again I saw the same attitude until the students
> left then all was good again. I recieved a phone call later in
the
> day from the coach/parent stating because of liabilty only the
> students going to the high school in question could use the gym as
a
> test facility.
> My goal is to not only teach young people the joys of indoor free
> flight and experience the feeling of a sucessful flight but to
> hopefully bring new blood into out beloved hobby.
> Im done Just food for thought. Larry Norvall Woodbridge,CA
> Oh on a side note this BLG is a very cool event The middle school
> kids are jazzed and doing about 40 seconds in a 25 foot gym.
>
Received on Mon Jan 22 2007 - 12:36:10 CET