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Why Should I Join a FIRST Robotics Team?

Testing a kicking mechanism

Why should you join a FIRST robotics team? To begin with, what exactly is a FIRST robotics team?

FIRST is an initiative to advance awareness and participation in science and technology. FIRST is a committee of engineers and other professionals who develop and host several annual FIRST robotics competitions, including the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), and FIRST Lego Lego League (FLL). A FIRST team is, at its core, an after-school activity where students take part in FIRST's robotics competition. FRC is the largest and oldest of the FIRST competitions. Team 75 is one of thousands of FRC teams. FTC is a competition intended for schools with too little funding to take place in FRC competition. FLL is a competition designed for younger students, from age 10 to 14.

There are a number of great reasons for students to take part in an FIRST robotics team. FIRST teams have similar involvement and competitive spirit to traditional high school athletics. Like these teams, however, FIRST places special emphasis on cooperation, professionalism, and education.

Unlike other after-school activities, FIRST offers students tremendous opportunity by allowing them to work with professionals in business and engineering. By teaching students the basics of engineering and business, and by giving them firsthand experience, FIRST gives students an incredible advantage later in life. And it goes without saying that current FIRST members and alumni would agree that FIRST robotics is a fun, exciting, and overall life-changing experience.