Frequently Asked Questions

Never built a robot? Perfect.

Most of us hadn’t either. You’ll learn by doing, side by side with teammates and mentors who are happy to show you the ropes. Bring your curiosity. We’ll handle the rest.

If you go to Gaylord High or Middle School, there’s a spot on the team for you.

Not sure what you want to do? Perfect. Try a bit of everything.

Build a little. Code a little. Design a logo, film a match, plan an event. Our team has a spot for every kind of curious person, so poke around until something clicks.

Roles you can try: building, designing, programming, marketing, business, CAD, and event planning.

Does it cost anything? Nope.

There are no fees to join. Fundraising and grants cover the essentials, from building materials to hotel rooms and meals at tournaments. The only thing you might spend money on is optional snack and souvenir cash for tournament weekends.

Busy schedule? We get it.

We’re flexible, and we’ll work with you to make robotics fit around everything else in your life.

Regular off-season meetings

• FRC: Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 5 - 7 PM
• FTC: Tuesdays and Thursdays, after school until 5 PM

When the season starts: We meet more often as tournaments get closer. Have a conflict? Tell us early and we’ll figure it out together.

What does a season look like?

• FRC (grades 9-12): Kickoff is the first week of January, and the season builds up to tournaments in late March. It moves fast.
• FTC (grades 7-8): The season runs September through December, so it’s short, busy, and over before you know it.

Qualify for state or the FIRST Championship? The season keeps going, and so does the fun.

What happens in the off-season?

This is where we learn, experiment, and have fun with zero pressure. We build practice robots, sharpen our skills with mentors, and usually head to one relaxed tournament in the fall to get a feel for competition day. It’s the perfect warm-up for the real season.

Can I join late? Always.

It’s never too late to jump in. Starting before the season gives you the most time to learn, but there’s plenty to build, code, and design whenever you show up. One heads-up: if you join after tournaments start, travel plans are already locked in, so you’d arrange your own ride to events.

Mentors are the backbone of this team.

They come from all kinds of backgrounds and share their time and know-how, technical or not. They help students with programming and robot design, and also with marketing, fundraising, and running the business side of a team.

Got something to teach? We need you. Any subject and any amount of time makes a real difference for our students.

Parents, you’re part of the team too.

Big or small, every bit of help makes a difference. Share your know-how as a mentor, bring snacks for a long build night, or just show up at a tournament and cheer loudly. All of it counts, and we’re glad to have you.