Links, Timeline, and Resources for Rookie Teams

FIRST Tech Challenge Quick Start checklist link is here. Below is a sample schedule to get your team started. (Note – timing of events, location, and size are in discussion due to COVID. We hope to resolve it by July.)

Pre-season

• Introduce Yourself!
  • Email the Regional Committee at community@firsttechsocal.org to let us know of your interest and plans, so we can plan which League makes sense for your team for the season ahead.
  • Take a look at our League structure [under construction] and think about where you might want to request to play this year.
• Connect with the Region for information and knowledge of events etc.
  • Register for Robot Tuesday e-news blasts 
    • Read past Robot Tuesday e-newsletters to see the flow of the past year and resources shared across the year
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Ask to join our SoCal FIRST Tech Challenge Mentor Support Facebook Group
  • See current resources at firstinspires.org, especially the page on starting a team.
• Build a Team
  • Recruit team members (2-15 7th-12th graders)
  • Get a second mentor (at least one) that is a good complement to your skills — all teams need at least 2 adult mentors
  • Schedule a parent meeting for orientation and team support (see suggestions in Mentor Guide)
• Register your team
  • Two adult mentors need to pass Youth Protection screening, which may takes days or a week or more — plan a little time in the process.  This is at no cost to your team, and must be done even though you may have similar processes at your school or organization.
  • Mentors should download and read the FIRST Youth Protection Guide
  • Team needs to pay $275/season registration to FIRST and should order a Kit of Parts through the registration process
    • This payment is to participate in the program, and is separate from the regional event fees, which in recent years have been about $300/team and will be invoiced after you register with FIRST and we get closer to the start of the season.
    • Team should apply for applicable grants, though you may need to wait your finalization of registration until grants are given
  • After registration, you can invite student team members to sign up at firstinspires.org
• Read
  • READ Game Manual once it is available on FIRST. https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/ftc/game-and-season-info
  • Download and read the Mentor Manual
  • Explore other resources at http://www.firstinspires.org, including Building Teams that Build Robots
  • Read about Engineering Notebook and start one with your team on their pre-season learning and activities
  • Sign up to access FIRST Class, the FIRST Tech Challenge Curriculum in Schoology, available for free, to customize for your program
• Budget and Fundraising
  • Plan a budget and fundraising for $2,000-3,000 for your first season – see FIRST Links
  • Use firstinspires.org fundraising tool kit & marketing tools web pages – see guide at these links
  • Apply for need-based grants (i.e., PTC, Rockwell Collins, Best Buy, etc.)
• Get free copies of CAD software
  • PTC
  • Solidworks
  • Adobe Autodesk Inventor
• Pre-Order a Field Set, Perimeter, or Mats if you would like a field
• Talk with your local community about your plans, identifying local engineering and manufacturing companies for possible subject matter expert mentors, sponsors, and other volunteers to help your team — get your students to some of this outreach — and document it in your Engineering Notebook along the way
• Get started with Java programming for the robotics season
  • Download FTC App Inventor
  • Look at the Android Platform Training Resources at Intelitek
  • Look at the wide variety of Java training resources available, including Codeacademy.

September

• Read Robot Tuesday each week for announcements
• Read emails coming from FIRST for mentors and pass them along to your team members and mentors
• When available, Stay tuned for the Los Angeles ONLINE KICKOFF EVENT in September!
  • Online workshops!
  • Game Reveal!
• Sign up for League Play — Register with FIRST then Register with SoCal FTC (watch emails for instructions) 
• Continue recruiting students and subject-area mentors (engineering, Java programming, CAD, PR, fundraising, etc.)
• Continue fundraising and sharing your progress with your local community
• Re-READ Game Manual Part One!
• Read Game Manual Part Two (released on Kickoff Day)
• Continue your Engineering Notebook
• Strategize how you want to “play the game”
• Weekly read the Game Forum for your game questions
• Start scanning Reddit and YouTube for other questions and strategies being shared by teams across the world
• Brainstorm robot designs using your strategy

October-November

• Build your robot using your chosen design
• Find 1-2 local teams that are not rookies to visit and learn from
• Spend a little time learning CAD (PTC, Inventor or SolidWorks).
  • Catalog of parts
• Program your robot:
  • Autonomous: First 30 seconds of the match when the robot runs on programming only and no driver control
  • Tele-op: Final 2 minutes of the match when the 1-2 students are driving the robot
• Test your robot design & programming: does it do what you want? If not, re-design and re-build.
• Journal everything in your Engineering Notebook on a regular basis with different team members
• Drive your robot – practice really helps
• Scrimmages are great opportunities for teams to learn and work with other teams – watch Robot Tuesday for possible scrimmages
• Fill out the Robot Reliability Checklist – is there anything you need to focus on?

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