Team Management Resources

• FIRST Robotics Competition Mentor Guide - A guide intended to help teams with best practices for running their FIRST Robotics Competition team. 
• Effective Mentoring - This guide is intended to help new or prospective mentors 
• FIRST Robotics Competition Calendar - The official calendar for FIRST Robotics Competition which includes important deadlines. If you click on a specific calendar item, you can also download those items to your own personal calendar.
• Mental Health Resources - This document covers some tips to help ensure your FIRST Robotics Competition team has a healthy and supportive environment for teens and mentors during the build and competition season.
• STEM for Everyone™ Resources - As part of our commitment to creating a unified community for all our participants, we have partnered with leading organizations to create optional trainings on how you can inspire the youth voice, and build a connected team.
• Youth Registration System Overview - Youth Team Member Registration can be completed through new Express Enrollment application (U.S. & Canada) or the FIRST Dashboard (Global) and is for youth team members who have been invited to an existing team. To register your youth, please see instructions on this page. 
• Youth Protection Program - Check out this webpage to learn more about the Youth Protection Program that provides coaches, mentors, event volunteers, employees, Program Delivery Partners, team members, parents, guardians of team members, and others working with FIRST programs with information, guidelines, and procedures to create safe environments for FIRST participants.
• FIRST Reporting Portal - Anyone can report a youth safety concern or medical incident to FIRST Headquarters using the FIRST Reporting Portal or by emailing safety@firstinspires.org. 
  • Note: Feedback about issues such as game play, rule changes, awards, and event management (other than medical/safety issues) are considered program related concerns and not youth protection issues and should be shared with FIRST via customerservice@firstinspires.org. Please note that match results and award results are final and that we will not review match videos.  
• 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.

Courses are available via the “FIRST Learning” button in the FIRST Dashboard. 

• The FIRST Robotics Competition Guided Experience is a fun, flexible training designed for Lead Coaches, mentors, and youth team members (13+) to build essential skills for a successful season. With 12 interactive modules, hands-on activities, and downloadable resources, teams can choose a full training path or mix-and-match lessons to fit their needs. Perfect for pre-season prep, build season support, and onboarding new members.
  • Course Overview - View this resource to see a high-level summary of the course, module listing and training paths, expected course outcomes, and alignment to career clusters/subclusters and national standards.
  • Course Outline - View this resource to see in-depth outline of modules in the Pre-Season Training Path, lessons, objectives, and assessments for each module, and full listing of academic and CTE alignments by module.
•  Welcome to FIRST Robotics Competition is a short, self-paced training designed for lead coaches and mentors to understand team purpose, structure, and seasonal flow. In just 1–3 hours, participants explore the origins and ethos of FIRST, learn how the 7 Pillars shape the student experience, and walk through a typical team year, from preseason planning to competition and reflection, with flexible lessons that can be taken individually or as part of a training path.

• Build Season Timeline - A 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. Teams should feel free to modify this timeline to what works best for each team as there is no single right way to how a team should approach Build Season 
  • 8.5" x 11" pdf - A version to print out and post in a team's shop that is 8.5" x 11."
  • 11" x 17" pdf - A version to print out and post in a team's shop that is 11" x 17."
  • The original Excel file so teams can alter the timeline if they choose (file automatically downloads)
• Team Organizational Chart Example - An example of one way teams can set up their team organization.
  • Use this word file (file automatically downloads) as a starting place to edit for your own team's organization
• How To: Organize Your Team - A resource that shares ideas on how to organize your FIRST Robotics Competition team. 
• How To: Effective Leadership - A resource that shares best practices for effective leadership.
• Goal Setting by 1678 Mentor Mike Corsetto - This video discusses the history of goal setting in FIRST Robotics Competition and how teams can set their own goals and use those to improve their team. 
• Structure & Organization Worksheet - A worksheet, created by The Compass Alliance, that helps teams with organizing their team. 
• How To: Conduct Online Meetings - A resource that shares ideas on how to host online meetings for your team.

Fundraising

• Fundraising Guide - This guide was created with Team 6328, Mechanical Advantage. This guide is intended to be an introduction to fundraising for FIRST teams and covers the basics of why you should fund raise, how to prepare to fund raise, fundraising ideas, as well as information on sponsorships, grants, and record keeping. 
• Fundraising 101 - A resource that covers the basics of fundraising. An important part of being sustainable year after year is raising enough money to support your team. Fundraising allows your team to develop both technically and as a program by providing sufficient funds to grow and expand your team.
• Fundraising Toolkit - Tips and tricks to elevate your team's fundraising efforts.

Business Plans

• Business Plan Worksheet - A worksheet, created by The Compass Alliance, that helps teams create a business plan.
• Business Plan Template - This document is a template on how to create a business plan, and teams can use this to create their own. (editable word doc - file automatically downloads) 

Costs & Budgeting

• Example Budget - This document shares things to consider when creating your FIRST Robotics Competition budget as well as the median budgets reported to FIRST broken into different categories as a starting point. 
  • Budget Template - Teams can use this Budget Template (file automatically downloads) to create their own team budget.
• Cost & Registration - A webpage that covers information on the cost and registration for FIRST teams.
• Sales Tax Information - Review our knowledgebase articles that describes the sales tax process for all teams and how it impacts your registration fees.
• FIRST Regranting, Process, Procedures, and W-9 - A webpage that discusses the Regranting Policy and procedure.

Sponsorships & Grants

• How To: Sponsor Relations - A resource to help manage your relationships with sponsors and ideas on what to provide them to keep them engaged.
• Sponsor Packet Template - A sponsor packet is an informational packet that gives potential sponsors an overview of your team, why they should give you money, and how you’re going to use it. (file automatically downloads)
• Sponsor Processing Template - A template, created by Bryce Hansen, to help teams keep track of current and future sponsors (file automatically downloads)
• Grant Opportunities - A list of available grants that FIRST is aware of and information on how to apply. Teams can use the filters to sort by location, program, and other filters. Also includes Frequently Asked Questions and Answers related to Grants. 
• Hack Club Bank - Hack Club Bank is a full-stack fiscal sponsor for organizing anything and can help teams manage their funds.

• Inventive Outreach and Your Team by Alum and 971 Mentor Sarah Heimlich - In this video, learn about creative methods to engage members in outreach activities that best fit the resources and mission of your team.
• Hows and Whys of STEM/FIRST Outreach - This presentation was created by Hall of Fame Team 1816, The Green Machine, and covers concepts teams can use when selecting outreach events for their team to participate in. 
• Outreach Plan Worksheet - A worksheet, created by The Compass Alliance, that helps teams identify and plan outreach opportunities. 
• Community Engagement Worksheet - A worksheet, created by The Compass Alliance, that helps teams plan ways to engage with the community.

• Team Recruitment Flyers - Flyers that teams can use as a starting point when creating flyers to recruit new students to the team.
  • Letter Size | Tabloid Size (files automatically download) 
• Student Recruitment Strategies Tip Sheet - Helpful strategies for recruitment of all students for FIRST teams.

• Awards Webpage - A webpage that shows all of the current FIRST Robotics Competition Awards, award deadlines, links to the guidelines for the awards, and additional award resources not listed in this section including a Dean's List Guide, Practice Judge Questions, and more!
• Awards Worksheet - A worksheet, created by The Compass Alliance, that helps teams prepare for judging at events. 
• Dean's List Award Worksheet - A worksheet, created by The Compass Alliance, that helps teams pick a student, write the essay, and prepare the student for the interview. 
• FIRST Impact Award Worksheet - A worksheet, created by The Compass Alliance, that helps teams organize their outreach, write the essays, and prepare for the interview.

• Game Manual & Season Specifics - A webpage hosting resources related to each season’s game including the manual, team updates, and more.
• Kit of Parts - A webpage that includes information on the Kit of Parts (KoP) that is included with every team's registration fee.
• Safety - Learn about the importance of safety and how to implement safe practices by viewing resources including our safety manual, UL Safety Learning Portal, and more.
• Technical Resources - a webpage consisting of a collection of technical oriented resources to help teams.

• District & Regional Event Information - A webpage to help teams be prepared for attending local events. It includes information on how to preference events as well as what to expect including judging, scouting, robot inspection, what to bring to events, and more.
• Robot Transportation - General information for robot transportation, including shipping crate construction guidelines, tips for teams shipping their robot to international events, and shipping to FIRST Championship.
• Event Preparations Worksheet - A worksheet, created by The Compass Alliance, that helps teams prepare for events including reminders about things to plan, bring, and do.
• How To: Arrange Team and Robot Transportation - A resource that discusses options when buying plane tickets for large groups, coordinating drivers for shorter distances, arranging bus transportation for longer distances, communicating travel logistics with your team, shipping your robot equipment, and more.

• What’s FIRST Robotics Competition? - A video that describes what FIRST Robotics Competition is and includes students, mentors, and volunteers explaining the program.
• FIRST Robotics Competition - How it Works - A flyer that describes the FIRST Robotics Competition program. 
• FIRST Robotics Competition - Start a Team - A flyer that can be used to help start a FIRST Robotics Competition team.
• FIRST Robotics Competition - Mini Brochure - Mini brochure that introduces new audiences to FIRST Robotics Competition and what it can do for students
• FIRST Logos and Branding Standards - Information on FIRST standards and policies when using the FIRST logo and brand.
• Season Content and Logos - A webpage that hosts season specific marketing content such as logos and more.
• FIRST Robotics Competition Promotional Photos - A collection of promotional photos that can be used only for the following purposes: celebration, advertisement or promotion of FIRST programs, events, or scholarships; or, for journalistic needs.
• Student Participation Certificates 
  • Letter Size | A4 Size (files automatically download) 
• Imagery for FIRST Teams - a resource created by Hall of Fame Team 1902, Exploding Bacon, that shares helpful recommendations for teams when teams are deciding on imagery/branding for their team
• Imagery Worksheet - A worksheet, created by The Compass Alliance, that helps teams identify their team identity and branding.

• Team Blasts Archive - Archive of FIRST Robotics Competition team email blasts.
• FIRST Robotics Competition Blog - Blog posts from the director of FIRST Robotics Competition and guests on a variety of topics relevant to teams. 
• Alumni - Participants and alumni of 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. Check out the Alumni webpage for more information. 
• FIRST Robotics Competition Social Media
  • FIRST Robotics Competition Facebook 
  • FIRST Robotics Competition YouTube