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

Calendar

  • Google calendar is a great tool

    • Invitations are the best way to know who is coming when

  • Whatever you use - make it public

  • Have specific plans

    • “Robotics on Tuesday” doesn’t portray any information

Playing off of specialties

  • Spend more time on what you need to do well

  • Take liberties only on parts you are comfortable with

    • You might not be comfortable with anything - be as balanced as possible

  • Your specialty is your advantage

    • Don’t ignore other things and make it a disadvantage

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

Mentors

  • Technical
    • Mechanical
    • Design
    • Electrical
    • Programming
    • Team Mentor
  • Non-Technical
    • Administration
    • Awards
    • Finances
    • Outreach
    • Sponsorship

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

Team Structure

Awards

  • Chairman's Award
    • Karthik talks
  • Rookie All-Star
  • Engineering Inspiration
  • Dean's List

 

Don't forget to have someone in the pit ready to answer questions!

Competition

  • Pits
  • Match Schedule
  • Scouting
  • Drive Team

Find me

joelg236.github.io

/joelg236

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