After 10+ years as a FIRST Robotics coach and mentor, I always get a lot of questions from new FLL and FTC teams who are starting up. How do you start? What to expect? How to prepare? I hope this becomes a space where mentors can share their “tribal” knowledge with new teams in a broader way.
I am a strong believer in FIRST Robotics programs, as a truly impactful platform for all levels of school kids to get inspired about STEM while having FUN! But it so much more than STEM. It’s about the life lessons of solving problems as a team, meeting amazing new people who can inspire you, learning to tell the story of your journey and your passion and finally learning to share what you learnt and mentoring others.
After many years as an FLL Coach, I was incredibly fortunate to be part of a team of amazing kids who had an fantastic experience in FIRST Robotics. FTC Team # 7013 Hot Wired Robotics represented Oregon at the World Championships four years in a row taking home honors as the Inspire Award and the Winning Alliance Captain. It was a roller coaster ride of highs and lows, failures and successes – but most importantly key learning’s that hopefully will carry on with them through the rest of their lives.
This is not an official blog spot for any organization. But if you are a coach or mentor who wants to share with other teams, contact me and I’m happy to share the space. And if you are an adult who is not involved in robotics, hopefully this is an invitation for you to jump in. Get involved. If not as a coach or mentor, there are tons of opportunities to volunteer as a judge or a referee.
Kris Kolady, coach/mentor and volunteer, FTC and FLL programs
