How much time does it take to be a Team Manager?

There is no one right answer to this questions.  It can depend on how much time you are willing to commit.  It can depend on how much your team gets "into" solving the challenge. 

Most teams start working in October or November.  The Regional Tournament is typically held the last Saturday of February or the first Saturday of March.  Many teams meet for 1 to 2 hours per week when they start.  As they move toward a solution, some teams increase their meeting frequency and length of meetings.  As it gets closer to the tournament, many teams starting meeting more frequently when they realize how much they have to do to finish their solution. 

At a minimum you should plan on

Attending Team Training Sessions.  Check out the Team Manager Training link in the menu on the left. We have scheduled 3 training sessions in October and November. You only need to attend one of them. You do have the option of attending a beginner training and then attending an advanced training. The second training would be free.

Meeting with your team for 1 1/2 to 2 hours per week at the start.  This can be on a weeknight, after school or on the weekend.  It depends on what works best for your schedule.   Rising Star teams may not meet as long.  It depends on the attention span of your team!

Spending (at least at the start) as much time in prep work as the team is meeting (If the team meets for 2 hours then you may spend from 1 to 2 hours getting ready for the meeting).  This would include studying the materials, preparing Instant Challenges for the team to practice, gathering supplies that the team has requested.

Attending at least one workshop with the team.  Our region typically offers a few workshops for teams covering such things as structure building, technical elements or instant challenge.  These typically last about 1/2 day on a Saturday.

On increasing your meeting freqency and length as it gets closer to tournament.  Teams start wanting to meet more often in order to complete their solution.

If your team advances to the state tournament, the team will continue to meet to improve their solution.