FIRST Robotics Competition Mentor Guide

FIRST

Robotics Competition

Mentor Guide

 
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Rev. Sep. 2023 
Contents 
Overview of FIRST
® 
Robotics Competition ................................................................................................... 3 
Typical Season Calendar .............................................................................................................................. 3 
Overview of Document .................................................................................................................................. 4 
The Lead Mentor Role .................................................................................................................................. 5 
Youth Protection Program ........................................................................................................................ 5 
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) ..................................................................................................... 7 
Safety ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 
Team Contact Responsibilities ..................................................................................................................... 7 
Mentor: ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 
Team Administrator: ................................................................................................................................. 8 
Team Recruitment ......................................................................................................................................... 8 
Diversity in Team Recruitment .................................................................................................................. 8 
Finding Team Members ............................................................................................................................ 8 
Recruiting Mentors .................................................................................................................................... 9 
Setting your team up for success ................................................................................................................ 10 
Develop Roles Within the Team ............................................................................................................. 10 
Meeting Schedule ................................................................................................................................... 10 
Tasks, Strategies, and Stress ................................................................................................................. 10 
Suggested Tools ..................................................................................................................................... 10 
Ensuring Sustainability ........................................................................................................................... 10 
Budgets & Finances .................................................................................................................................... 11 
Grants ..................................................................................................................................................... 11 
Awards ........................................................................................................................................................ 11 
Kit of Parts ................................................................................................................................................... 11 
Kickoff .......................................................................................................................................................... 12 
How to approach Build Season ................................................................................................................... 12 
Post-Event .............................................................................................................................................. 13 
Events ......................................................................................................................................................... 13 
FIRST Championship ............................................................................................................................. 13 
Off-Season .................................................................................................................................................. 13 
Resources ................................................................................................................................................... 14 
 
   

 
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Overview of FIRST
® 
Robotics Competition
 
Teams of students are challenged to design, build, and program industrial-size robots and compete for 
awards, while they also create a team identity, raise funds, hone teamwork skills, and advance respect 
and appreciation for STEM within the local community. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and 
talents to guide each team. It’s as close to real-world engineering as a student can get. FIRST
®
 programs 
gain access to education and career discovery opportunities, connections to exclusive scholarships and 
employers, and a place in the FIRST community for life.  
Please visit our Vision and Mission webpage for more information about FIRST and our core values.  
Typical Season Calendar 
This calendar is intended to help mentors know some of the major events that occur each season. View 
the FIRST
®
 Robotics Competition Calendar online for exact deadlines each season. 
 
Year-Round Activities: 
To help ensure team sustainability, these are the things that teams should focus on year-round:  
•  Fundraising (see the Budgets & Finances section) 
•  Outreach 
May – September 
May – September is considered part of the off-season and some teams may choose to take a break while 
others may continue to meet. Check out the Off-Season section for more information. 
•  Create/Update your new/returning team (login to the FIRST Dashboard to get started) 
•  Fundraise and apply for grants (see the Budgets & Finances section) 
•  Lead mentor 1 and 2 Youth Protection Screening (due every 4 years) 
•  Connect with your Program Delivery Partner on off-season events or local training opportunities 
September 
September is when teams generally start meeting again (if they took a break) and begin preparing for the 
upcoming season. This is a great time to build new skills and engage with sponsors and the community.  
•  Recruit students and mentors  
•  Host Team Safety Meeting (see the Youth Protection Program section and Safety section) 
•  First round of event selection (check out this User Guide for step-by-step instructions) 
•  Select your Kit of Parts options (check out this calendar reminder for more information) 
•  Select which Kickoff you plan to attend (check out the Kickoff webpage for instructions) 
•  Team member skill development 
•  Review available grants (see the Grants section) 
October 
October is when season prep continues to pick up with many teams continuing to develop skills and 
beginning to focus on inventory and equipment. 
•  Select additional events 
•  Safety Animation Award opens (check out the Safety webpage for more details) 
•  FIRST Championship Waitlist Registration opens (check out the Championship Eligibility Criteria 
webpage for details on how to register) 
•  Inventory tools and materials  
November 
November is when teams start to finalize plans for the season (with numerous signup deadlines) and may 
begin working on awards submissions. 

 
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•  FIRST Impact Award, Woodie Flowers Award, and Dean’s List Award submissions open (see the 
Awards webpage for more details) 
•  Event Registration Closes 
•  Initial Event Payment Deadline 
•  Deadline to select which Kickoff your team plans to attend (check out the Kickoff webpage for 
instructions) 
•  Deadline to select how your team is receiving your Kit of Parts  
•  Pre-Kickoff Vouchers are available (check out the Kit of Parts webpage for more details) 
December 
December is when teams make final preparations for the season such as finalizing shop hours, plans to 
attend kickoff, and complete any pre-season equipment or material purchasing. 
•  FIRST Choice Round 1 (check out the Kit of Parts webpage for more details) 
•  Safety Animation Award closes (check out the Safety webpage for more details) 
January  
January not only starts the year, but it also kicks off the FIRST Robotics Competition season with the 
release of the game and the start of Build Season.  
•  Kickoff (see the Kickoff section) 
•  Replacement Parts 
•  Additional Kickoff Vouchers available (check out the Kit of Parts webpage for more details) 
•  Game Q&A Opens 
•  FIRST Choice Round 2 (check out the Kit of Parts webpage for more details) 
•  Build Season Begins (See the How to approach Build Season section) 
•  Additional Event Payment Deadline 
February 
February is a continuation of the build season and there are some award submission deadlines as well. 
•  FIRST Impact Award, Woodie Flowers Award, and Dean’s List Award submissions due (see the 
Awards webpage for more details) 
March – April 
March – April is when teams attend local District and/or Regional Events. The culmination of the season 
is the FIRST Championship which brings together tens of thousands of students, mentors, and volunteers 
of all ages for the ultimate celebration of science and technology.  
•  Prior to attending an event, hold a refresher on Team Safety (see the Youth Protection Program 
section and Safety section) 
•  FIRST Championship Waitlist Registration closes (check out the Championship Eligibility Criteria 
webpage for details on how to register) 
•  District and Regional Events (check out the Events section) 
•  FIRST Championship (check out the FIRST Championship section) 
Overview of Document 
Mentoring is an integral part of FIRST and largely contributes to the program’s success. Every adult on a 
team is a mentor, simply because they lead through guidance. It is important to remember students need 
guidance, structure, encouragement, and most of all, a fun experience! When done correctly, this learning 
process builds and expands team members’ self-confidence and knowledge. If the process has a strong 
foundation and works properly, mentors come away with as much as students do. 
This document will focus on information to help successfully run a FIRST Robotics Competition team and 
help ensure students have the best experience. Be sure to also check out the Effective Mentoring 

 
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Document for tips and tricks on mentoring. We also encourage you to share both resources with other 
mentors on your team. 
The Lead Mentor Role 
The role of the lead mentor(s) varies by team. Each team will need two adults to act as lead mentors that 
are registered in the FIRST Dashboard. Some teams have one person who does the majority of the role, 
others may have school administrators listed as the lead mentors, but the work is done by other mentors, 
and some teams even have multiple mentors who share the workload. How you divide up the work is 
completely up to your team, but these are the main responsibilities of the lead mentor(s): 
•  Act as the primary point of contact for the team  
•  Register the team for the season 
•  Preference events for the team to attend 
•  Kit & Kickoffs: Sign up to attend a Kickoff Event or indicate how you will receive your kit 
•  Organize team meetings 
•  Assign team roles 
•  Delegate team tasks 
•  Keep all contact information up to date on the Dashboard. Provide accurate email address, 
mailing address, and phone number to allow timely communication with FIRST, especially for use 
during school vacations and team travel. 
•  Manage team roster via the FIRST Dashboard; invite youth & other mentors, ensure they register 
and complete Consent & Release forms  
•  Monitor the FIRST Robotics Competition Calendar 
•  Read team email blasts and blog posts 
o  Both lead mentor 1 and 2 are automatically signed up for email blasts, other mentors can 
subscribe by signing up here. 
•  Ensure team meets deadlines for events and award submissions  
•  Safety: Works with the team's Safety Captain to ensure Team Member safety. Review the FIRST 
Safety Manual 
•  Assign designated question asker for the Q&A Forum 
•  Follow information related to the Game and Season, including Team Updates 
•  Kit of Parts: Inventory the Kit of Parts to ensure items are not missing. Submit missing parts 
request by the posted deadline. Utilize the Virtual Kit of Parts voucher/password codes located in 
the Dashboard and other Kit of Parts elements 
•  Maintaining a safe and inclusive team environment 
Youth Protection Program 
Part of your role as a mentor is to ensure safety for the students. FIRST strives to create an environment 
in which team members can grow, learn, and have fun with minimal risk of injury. The two lead mentors 
(for teams within the US & Canada) must be screened by our FIRST Youth Protection Program (YPP) but 
teams may choose to have all mentors screened. Teams can reference the Youth Protection Program 
page for a step-by-step guide and FAQs.  
FIRST requires a minimum of two mentors to be with students at all times. If they are in different locations 
at the build site those two mentors should be within sight lines and be interruptible. FIRST recommends 
screening non-lead mentors if they are present in person and/or online for 30% or more of the team’s 
meeting time and/or activities. Lead mentors can request mentors complete the YPP screening by 
following these steps (see screenshot below): 
1.  Log in to the FIRST Dashboard 
2.  Click on the blue “Primary Contacts” link located under the Team Contacts/Roster column 
3.  Locate the mentors contact card 

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4. Click options in the upper right-hand corner of contact role card

5. Select “Request Screening.” The non-lead mentor will receive an email invitation to go directly to

the screening vendor.

While screening through the dashboard is only available for volunteers in the US and Canada, the other

parts of the FIRST Youth Protection guide and training are applicable globally. Groups of mentors may

take the training together, which can provide an opportunity to ask questions and discuss scenarios. YPP

training is available on the Dashboard under the Access Thinkscape tab or via YouTube.

The FIRST Youth Protection Program has clear guidelines regarding adult and student interaction. Adults

working in FIRST programs must be knowledgeable of the standards set by the FIRST YPP, as well as

those set by the school or organization hosting their team. As a lead mentor, you must understand these

policies as well as how to enforce and communicate them to every adult working with the team. FIRST

has also put together these Youth Protection Training Videos which are intended to enable adults working

with FIRST teams to recognize situations that may pose a threat to team member safety and take the

actions necessary to prevent and report injuries.

All FIRST participants and volunteers of any age may report Youth Protection Concerns, Medical

Incidents, and other concerns to FIRST using the FIRST Reporting Portal, or by emailing

[email protected]. Remember that in the United States and Canada there are laws that require

individuals working with youth to report known or suspected instances of child abuse and neglect. You

can find a complete list for the USA and other contact information on the Child Welfare Gateway website

State Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Numbers. The contact information for reporting suspected child

maltreatment in Canada, you can find it on the Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal under the

Provincial And Territorial Assistance page.

 
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Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) 
Part of your role as a mentor is to be an example and to welcome and include all team members. FIRST 
is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion. We 
embrace and encourage differences in race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, 
gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, income, language, learning difference, or 
any other characteristics that make our adult-force and students unique. 
FIRST collaborated with the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) to develop training for 
mentors, volunteers, partners and other key stakeholders who work directly with students and are 
committed to creating a sense of belonging for students on teams.  
We ask that all mentors take our complimentary, three-part training module course titled Strategies for 
Inspiring Success for All. These modules will equip mentors with specific strategies to support community 
outreach, student participation, motivation, engagement, and success through engaging and reflective 
activities on interactions with students. FIRST recommends mentors take this training when they first start 
engaging as a team mentor. It is also recommended that mentors retake this training on an annual basis 
to refresh on the tools and strategies provided to best work with all students.  
We also recommend that all team members take the Inspiring Youth Voice training designed for 
FIRST students. It is intended to educate FIRST students about the importance of ED&I while providing 
strategies and recommendations to help FIRST create a more inclusive and diverse environment.  
FIRST teams should be mindful of being inclusive to all team members which includes being cognizant of 
their backgrounds including but not limited to: their pronouns, sexual orientation, cultural norms, and 
more. To learn more about understanding gender identity terms teams can check out NPR’s Guide to 
Gender Identity Terms.    
For additional resources visit the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Training & Resources webpage to find 
other resources for increasing your knowledge and practice on creating inclusive environments for all.  
Safety 
Instilling a culture of safety is a value that every individual in the FIRST community must embrace as we 
pursue the mission and vision of FIRST. Safety is a vital part of the FIRST culture, having established the 
framework for safety leadership in all aspects of the programs. Teams should use the FIRST Safety 
Manual to understand and implement safe practices. FIRST has also worked with UL to establish online 
safety training for team members and mentors through the Safety Learning Portal.  
Team Contact Responsibilities 
This section covers the team mentor contact roles within the FIRST Dashboard and how teams may 
consider breaking up the responsibilities for those roles.  
Mentor: 
A mentor is an important part of any FIRST Robotics Competition Team. There is no limit to the number 
of registered mentors on a team. We urge teams to register all mentors within the FIRST Dashboard and 
to have them screened following the steps in the Youth Protection Program section. Mentors should also 
check out the Effective Mentoring Document for tips and tricks on mentoring. Key duties are outlined 
below: 
•  Youth Protection: ensure safety for the students. Start with the FIRST Youth Protection webpage 
•  Award Submissions: Assist to ensure submissions of award submissions. 
•  Monitor the FIRST Robotics Competition Calendar. 

 
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•  Read team email blasts and blog posts 
o  Both lead mentor 1 and 2 are automatically signed up for email blasts, other mentors can 
subscribe by signing up here. 
•  Follow information related to the Game and Season, including Team Updates 
•  Contact Information: Keep all contact information up to date in the Dashboard.  
•  Kit of Parts: Assist with all Kit of Parts processes, such as checking vouchers and being aware of 
expirations dates. 
•  Public Relations: Assist with collecting team information and how to share it publicly. 
•  Robot Transportation: Be familiar with the robot transportation responsibilities in case the lead 
mentor 1 or 2 needs support. 
•  Safety: Works with the team's Safety Captain to ensure Team Member safety. Review the FIRST 
Safety Manual. 
•  Support: Provide any support the lead mentors or team may need. 
Team Administrator: 
This adult representative is the purchaser for the team. A finance contact may be best qualified for this 
role to facilitate the team registration payment and meeting payment deadlines. A team is not required to 
list a team administrator, as the lead mentors have full administrative rights. Team Administrators cannot 
invite students or mentors. Key duties are outlined below: 
•  Submit the team registration payment for the season via the Dashboard. Pricing and payment 
information can be found on the Cost & Registration webpage. 
•  Upload Sales Tax Exempt Certificate, if applicable. 
•  Complete regrants and submit W-9 information. 
•  Dashboard: Assist in maintenance and updates of Team Information. 
•  Monitor the FIRST Robotics Competition Calendar for payment deadlines. 
Team Recruitment  
Diversity in Team Recruitment 
Exploring, developing, and implementing strategies to become more inclusive and ensure access to our 
programs to all students (as well as access to key supports) is critical for FIRST to reach its goal and 
mission. ALL young people should have the opportunity to become science and technology leaders.  
As a lead mentor, you have a vital role in ensuring that your team embodies this commitment.   
Finding Team Members  
When recruiting students for a team, it is important to understand the population of the school or local 
community and focus recruiting efforts on attracting a broad range of students. Make sure recruiting 
efforts reach a cross-section of the school or community by targeting the entire school and welcoming 
individuals with different skills and experience. Include and encourage a diverse range of individuals to 
help with recruiting. Students are more likely to be interested in participating if they see and hear from 
their peers. 
Suggestions for Recruiting Students: 
•  Utilize the FIRST ED&I Student Recruitment Strategies Tip Sheet. 
•  Use FIRST videos.  
•  Hang posters in the school, at the local library, in businesses, and in sponsor organizations. 
o  Check out the Recruitment Section of the Team Management webpage for flyer 
templates. 
•  Include promotional materials in school newsletters or on school web sites. 

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• Hold a student assembly where there is a FIRST Robotics Competition video and demo.

• Have a local or previous year’s team put on a demonstration at a school or community event.

• Give an overview of FIRST Robotics Competition in a series of classes where a variety of

students are enrolled.

• Engage adults from local corporations, university students, and FIRST Alumni to speak about the

value of participation.

• Enlist FIRST Alumni and participants on other FIRST teams to spread the word.

• Utilize FIRST stories

Youth Registration

All youth team members are required to complete the online youth registration to participate in FIRST

team meetings, events, or competitions. Learn more about the youth registration system and how to get

started. If you have a student or parent who cannot complete youth registration electronically, please

reach out to your local Program Delivery Partner to request an exception and obtain a hard copy of the

Consent and Release Form.

For assistance in completing the youth registration please direct the parent/guardians and students to

contact Team Support by phone at 1-800-871-8326, via email, or via the chat feature on our

www.firstinspires.org website.

Recruiting Mentors

Anyone can be a FIRST Robotics Competition mentor. Time and interest are the only requirements.

Having a diverse pool of mentors only benefits the team; some mentors bring business expertise, some

technical expertise, and some are great at marketing. A FIRST team can use all these skills. Lots of

adults may want to help but may be unable to commit to every meeting, so understanding the strengths

and weaknesses of the mentors and the team’s needs will help to identify the areas where additional

support will be needed. Mentors may be parents, teachers, engineers, college students, scout leaders,

FIRST Alumni, or members of the local community. Make sure recruiting efforts reach a cross-section of

the community. Team members may be more comfortable if there are mentors on the team with

backgrounds and interests similar to their own. Students can also learn a great deal from individuals with

varied life, work, and learning experiences.

Always start by identifying the help you need and the time commitment that assistance will require. It’s

important that you know your community. Start by polling your team’s parents/ guardians and families to

see if there are any potential mentors in that group or if they know someone who may be able to help with

either technical or non-technical aspects. Teams or mentors from your surrounding area (or even around

the globe) might also be willing to video chat to help.

Some teams don’t need technical help; they need support for administrative work, marketing, trip

planning, driving to events, fundraising, etc. Or they might need help developing a Business Plan or

learning about college and career preparation. As mentioned earlier, always start by identifying the help

you need and the time commitment that assistance will require.

The FIRST Mentor Network sponsored by NI

Another avenue to help with finding mentors is the FIRST Mentor Network sponsored by NI. It is an

interactive platform allowing teams to find mentors to work with virtually or face to face, locally or across

the country, for a few hours or for a season. Lead mentors can build a team profile highlighting

successes, goals, and desired mentor skill sets and experience.

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Setting your team up for success

Building a robot is just one of the many elements involved in being a successful team. Teams require

roles, time management and plans to ensure sustainability.

Develop Roles Within the Team

Develop roles so that team members feel as though they have a part in the process. Talk about skill sets,

projects and subprojects, sub teams, enjoyment, time constraints, and rules set by the school or FIRST.

Check out the How To: Organize a Team or the How To: Effective Leadership resources.

Meeting Schedule

Each team should decide on a meeting schedule that works for them. Some teams may decide to meet

both in-person and remotely depending on the tasks. Remote collaboration has its positives and

negatives so teams should evaluate what works best for each task. Teams can see the How To: Conduct

Online Meetings guide for tips on how to structure remote meetings.

The number of meetings a team needs will vary depending on what the team is trying to accomplish.

Many teams meet once or twice a week in the summer/fall but will meet more frequently during build

season. Check out the How to approach Build Season section for help with planning your team’s meeting

schedule.

Tasks, Strategies, and Stress

Help team members clarify tasks and develop strategic plans for individual jobs. Defining a task list that

includes complexity and showing their relationship to the timeline may make it easier for team members

to plan and work together toward successful job completion. Remember, you are not just building a robot,

but also building a team. Fun tasks and team building activities should be incorporated.

Watch for signs of serious stress among team members. This may be a time to intervene and ask if they

need help or suggest that they take a break. 17% of youth (6-17 years) experience a mental health

disorder (NAMI, 2020) and it’s important to ensure students (and mentors) can take a break.

Suggested Tools

One of the most important things you need in order to build a robot is tools. We worked with Team 3847,

Spectrum, to create the Tool Recommendations for FIRST Robotics Competition Teams document. This

document is intended to help teams that are newer to FIRST and includes a list of beginner tools as well

as suggestions for more expensive tools and machinery that teams may want to acquire.

While the Rookie Kickoff Kit contains a computer that can run all of the software necessary to program

and operate the robot, we recommend that teams have at least one additional computer for programming

if possible. Teams may also wish to have additional machine(s) available to run CAD software or the tools

used to support the team (e.g., photo or video editing software). Some software programs are made

available to teams for free via the Virtual Kit.

Ensuring Sustainability

Sustainability is key to ensure the program’s longevity within a school/community and the impact the

program has on students. Ensuring sustainability means that a team is focused on team retention for both

students and mentors.

Sustainability starts with the culture of the team, to be welcoming to new members and a home for

veteran members. The size of the team is unique to each individual team's situation and depends on

 
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funding, resources, and space. The size of the team may ebb and flow as seasons progress. Mentors 
should be aware of the graduating vs recruitment rate to ensure the team does not get too small or too 
big. Reference the  for payment deadlines. 
Team Recruitment section for tips on how to recruit new students and/or mentors. 
Lead mentors are critical to guide the teams through the seasons, but teams should also be able to run if 
that lead mentor ever needs to step down or take a break. The team should have a plan in place to 
transition mentors as needed.  
Budgets & Finances 
Running a FIRST Robotics Competition team is like running a small business so it’s important to set a 
budget. Each team’s budget will vary depending on what they are trying to accomplish and the resources 
in their area.  
Develop a team mission statement and business plan (check our Section 1.2 of the Fundraising Toolkit 
for an overview and examples), and decide what your team goals are. These will help you develop a 
budget and determine fundraising targets. To see average costs, please see the Example FIRST 
Robotics Competition Budget.  
Check out our Fundraising Toolkit or our Fundraising 101 for ideas on fundraising and check out our 
Sponsor Relations guide for ideas on how to structure sponsorship opportunities.   
Grants 
FIRST has a variety of grants to help teams. To see what grants your team may qualify for, please visit 
our Grant Opportunities page. This grants page is updated regularly, so check back often to see new 
team grant opportunities. In addition to FIRST grants, teams should consider checking for grants offered 
by companies in their area and/or checking with their local Program Delivery Partner.  
Awards 
FIRST Robotics Competition celebrates the excitement of competition both on and off the field. Our 
awards celebrate the FIRST Core Values which makes us so much more than robots!  
Most awards are judged at the event where volunteer judges walk around in the pits to interview students 
about their team’s accomplishments. Please see the Awards page for more information. 
There are a few awards that do require pre-submitted information in order to be eligible. Adult and student 
Award Submitters are designated by the lead mentors and are responsible for submitting nominations for 
awards, as per each award’s guidelines. Please see the Awards page for more information.  
Kit of Parts 
Each season, FIRST Robotics Competition teams receive a Kit of Parts (KoP). The KoP is not designed 
to be a "bolt together" solution to play the game, but is a starting point, containing mostly donated 
components from Suppliers across multiple industries. The Kit of Parts System consists of three parts 
available to teams through a variety of sources:  
•  Kickoff Kit – A box of parts delivered to teams at the start of the season. 
o  As part of the Kickoff Kit, a KitBot is available. The KitBot is designed to be able to play 
some aspects of the game, but not all. It’s also designed so teams can build the KitBot 
and then further iterate on it to add additional features if they choose. Teams will still 
need basic power tools (drills, saws, etc.) in order to build this robot. 

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• FIRST Choice – Items available via an online menu in exchange for credits issued to all teams.

• Virtual Kit – products available directly from the Supplier either via download or custom order.

For more information about the Kit of Parts, including deadlines, check out the Kit of Parts webpage.

Kickoff

Kickoff is the event that starts the FIRST Robotics Competition season and is when the new game is

revealed! During the broadcast, teams will hear from special guests and the details of the season’s game.

Local areas may host Kickoff events to allow teams to come together to watch the broadcast. Local

Kickoffs are most important because this is typically where teams receive their Kickoff Kit. These events

may also choose to host workshops to help teams. Teams may choose to have their whole team attend a

Kickoff event or they may send a few people to pick up their Kickoff Kit or they may choose to not attend

a Kickoff and instead have their Kickoff Kit shipped directly to them, but fees may apply. Local Kickoffs

are typically publicized in September/October and teams should sign up to the event that works best for

them. Teams can reference the Kickoff webpage for instructions on how to sign up for a Kickoff event.

How to approach Build Season

Build season is the time teams work on designing, building, and programming their robot. It begins

immediately after Kickoff and goes through the first event the team attends.

Here is one very high-level schedule for how to approach the Build Season. Many factors affect this

schedule including years of experience, number of students/mentors, machining resources, actual time

between kickoff and your first event, etc. You should feel free to modify this timeline to what works best

for your team as there is no single right way to how a team should approach Build Season. It’s up to your

team to figure out what may work best for you.

Table 10-1: Build Season Timeline

ACTIVITY

Week

Initial Strategy (~First 2-3 days)

Mechanism Brainstorming + Choosing prototype concepts (~2 days)

Prototyping

Detailed Design

Mechanism Fabrication

Assembly (includes wiring)

Initial Programming

Test and Finalize Programming

Practice/Testing

Iterating

Some resources you may find helpful to guide specific aspects of the robot design process include:

• Kickoff Worksheet

• Design 101

• Prototyping 101

• Programming 101

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If your team is attending multiple events, you may decide to make improvements to your robot between

events. Using what you’ve learned from testing (i.e., your event) to iterate and make improvements is a

crucial part of the engineering process!

Post-Event

One of the best ways to create and sustain team morale is to host a team debrief after an event. This

debrief should be used to celebrate your team’s successes and get feedback on what aspects you could

improve. Use this as an opportunity to change the narrative if an event did not go as planned. This could

include everything from the robot to logistics to interviews with judges. If your team is going to multiple

events, the debrief may help your team decide what areas to improve prior to that event. Teams may

choose to do one debrief after each event, or one at the end of the season but it’s highly recommended to

hold at least one debrief to let all members voice their opinions.

Events

Going to an event is one of the highlights of being on a FIRST Robotics Competition team. All teams are

expected to follow the Event Rules at all official FIRST events. Teams should make sure they are

prepared for the event and can do so by reading the District and Regional webpage for more information

on how to preference events, what to expect including judging, scouting, robot inspection, what to bring to

events, and more.

Some events may be day trips for your team whereas others may require an overnight trip. Check out the

How To: Arrange Team and Robot Transportation guide for tips on organizing travel to events.

FIRST Championship

FIRST Championship is the culmination of the season’s FIRST programs, bringing together tens of

thousands of students, mentors, and volunteers of all ages for the ultimate celebration of science and

technology. Teams from around the world earn spots at FIRST Championship by participating in District

or Regional Events. For more information check out the FIRST Championship website.

Off-Season

Some teams may take a break during the summer and/or fall whereas some teams choose to meet year-

round. If your team decides to meet year-round, here are some ideas for your team to focus on:

• New student recruitment

• Fundraising for the next season

• Training – this could be machining, CAD, wiring, presentation skills, etc.

• Outreach to your local community

• Organizing Build Space

• Adding/Maintaining Team Resources

• Off-Season Events – Off-season Events are unofficial gatherings that utilize FIRST program

content for which there is a participation fee or sponsorship funding. Many local teams or local

Program Delivery Organizations may choose to hold Off-Season Events.

• And more!

 
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Resources 
This guide is intended to be a starting point for mentors. Mentors should also consider looking at the 
following resources: 
-  FIRST Robotics Competition Email Blasts – Archive of FIRST Robotics Competition team email 
blasts.  
-  FIRST Robotics Competition Blog – Blog posts from the director of FIRST Robotics Competition 
and guests.  
-  Season Materials Webpage – A link of resources related to each season’s game including the 
manual, team updates, and more. 
-  Team Management Resources – A collection of resources to help teams with some of the 
aspects of running a team such as organizing your team, fundraising, and more. 
-  Technical Resources – A collection of both mechanical and software/electrical resources to aid 
teams. 
-  WPI Lib – Control System and Programming documentation to help with wiring and programming 
your robot. 
-  FIRST Robotics Competition Awards Page – A page that shows all of the current FIRST Robotics 
Competition Awards, award deadlines, and links to the guidelines for the awards.  
-  Find Local Support – A page to find your local Program Deliver Organizations that partner with 
FIRST in each community that include Program Delivery Partners (PDPs) and FIRST Senior 
Mentors.  
-  FIRST Robotics Competition Social Media:  
o  FIRST Robotics Competition YouTube,  
o  FIRST Robotics Competition Twitter, and  
o  FIRST Robotics Competition Facebook 
 
Teams can contact Team Support for any additional questions.   