Do FRC teams just build robots?

It is a false myth that you have to be good at or even interested in learning programming or design. There are many jobs related to FRC teams.

FRC teams do many things, if you are not good at design or programming NO PROBLEM. If an FRC team is set up well, you should be able to find a niche, not matter what your skills are. In FRC students not only have to build and program, but they have to mange their resources, especially time. The highest award in FIRST is the Chairman's Award which is not at all about the robot, it is about service projects. For more information about this award check out this link.

Here is a great quote from the FIRST website that sums up what I am trying to say.

The FIRST Robotics Competition is about much more than the mechanics of building a robot or winning a competitive event. It is about the partnership among people who are part of the FIRST community and the impact on those who participate in FIRST programs with a united goal of achieving FIRST’s mission. The FIRST mission is to change the way young people regard science and technology and to inspire an appreciation for the real-life rewards and career opportunities in these fields.

Here are some of the things that a good FRC team needs

Designer; Builder; Electrician; CADer; Animator; Financier; Videographer; Programmer; Leader; Website designer; chef, chauffeur; and many others!

FRC teams also need people who are willing to write essays, do public outreach, make phone calls to family, friends, and businesses to ask for money.

FRC teams do much more than just build robots. They have many more functions than simply making a robot that completes an assigned task. In fact, teams are divided into subteams, and only half of the subteams actually work with the robot.

Take Team Awkward Turtle for example. The drive, electrical, mechanical, and programming teams are really the only four teams that actually work directly on building the robot. Since Team Awkward Turtle has fourteen teams, there are ten teams that are not completely absorbed in the robot. All of them are used to promote the team, whether at a competition, which can be used to help improve the appearance of the team when they need to look good; to community outreach, which is a major focus of the 2009-2010 season.

Even if you aren't good at programming or designing robots, there is still much you can do on an FRC team. You could join the animation team, and make the thirty second animation that the team makes every year. If you enjoy computers, you could join the IT team, and work with the team's computers, or the web team, and work with the team's website. Even if you don't want to do any of this, there is a plethora of other things you can do.

No matter what your interests are, you will be able to find something that you enjoy on a FIRST team.

Teams who wish to win the top award in FIRST need to be sure that they concentrate on things like helping other teams, starting new teams, mentoring FLL and FTC teams, generating volunteers, recruiting mentors, running off-season events, contributing to FIRST outreach, community service, participating in BETA programs, providing parts and assistance, creating an awesome team image, adding flare and cheers to the team, partnering with other teams, encouraging entrepreneurialism, becoming safety conscious, creating innovative designs, scouting, strategy, leadership, Public Relations, and many other non-technical tasks. Parents and volunteers can help with organizing events and meals, travel, fundraising, sponsorship programs and of course the always content "Taxi driver" role.

Well, as this site demonstrates, FRC teams also build websites (and do lots of other types of community outreach work to help interest people in science and technology!)