Running a Successful FRC Team

Introduction

• FIRST Senior Mentor

• Over 1500 hours of FRC experience

• Ran a team in 2014

• Made a lot of mistakes

Scheduling

• Your schedule is unique

  • No two teams are alike

• Logistics and time work against each other

• Involves time, people, tools, materials & place

  • Can become incredibly hard to coordinate

• Easier to do the earlier you do it

Priorities

• Strategy

• Prototyping

• CAD

• Design

• Machining

• Fabrication

• Practise

• Programming

• Others

  • Practise robot, etc.

Arranging the schedule

• Mix and match

  • Find out what can go together (i.e. programming & CAD)

  • Find out what relies on other things (i.e. design & strategy)

  • Arrange according to an ideal schedule, and adjust according to individual needs

Principles

Principles to live by

• Build within your means
• Involve the people that would most greatly benefit
• Push to improve yourself and the team each day
• Find a way to quantify success
  • On the field
  • Student experience
  • Amount of people

KISS

Never do something unnecessary, where something simpler would suffice

Applies to design, strategy, programming, fundraising, organizing...

Administration

STIMS / TIMS

• Register your students before or during build season
• Keep info up to date on TIMS
• Choose appropriate main & alternative contacts
• Award submissions are done through (S)TIMS

Organizing

• Public calendar
• File storage
• Consistent form of communication
• Roles
  • Paperwork
  • Budget
  • Leadership
  • Travel

Recruitment

• Don't get technical quickly
• Start process early to grab attention
• Try to emphasize a non-classroom environment
• Strategy meetings!

Training

• Show the basics to everyone
• Move on to more specific sections, keep attendance above 3-4
• Make it fun

Materials

• Needs
  • KoP
  • Batteries
  • Charger
  • Laptop + Joysticks
  • Bumpers
• Should Have
  • Speed controllers
  • Motors
  • Building material
  • Hand tools
  • Hardware

Distributors

• AndyMark
• VEX Pro
• McMaster Carr
• Princess Auto / Home Depot
• PM Hobbycraft
• Gregg Distributors
• Active Electronics / B&E Electronics

FIRST Choice