Fan FAQ

What is FIRST Robotics?

FIRST. FIRST is the World’s Leading Youth-Serving Nonprofit Advancing STEM Education. FIRST® stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” It is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12) that can be facilitated in school or in structured afterschool programs. Boosted by a global support system of volunteers, educators, and sponsors that include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, teams operate under a signature set of FIRST Core Values to conduct research, fundraise, design, build, and showcase their achievements during annual challenges.

An international not-for-profit organization (501(c)(3)) founded by accomplished inventor Dean Kamen in 1989, FIRST has a proven impact on STEM learning, interest, and skill-building well beyond high school. Alumni of FIRST programs gain access to exclusive scholarships, internships, and other opportunities that create connections and open pathways to a wide variety of careers.

What is FRC / First Robotics Competition?

FIRST Robotics Competition / FRC. FIRST dubs its FIRST Robotics Competition “the ultimate Sport for the Mind.” Under strict rules, limited time and resources, teams of students are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game against like-minded competitors. It’s as close to real-world engineering as a student can get. The game focuses on problem solving and encourages students to operate under the FIRST Core Values which emphasize friendly sportsmanship, respect for the contributions of others, teamwork, learning, and community involvement.

Click here to see more about last year’s game and this year’s FRC games.

What are the team cheers?

Cheer Leader: Let me hear you HOLLER…
Crowd: KNIGHTKRAWLER!!

Cheer Leader: 20!
Crowd: 52!
A variation on this cheer is when we cheer for an alliance member. For instance if we are in an alliance with the Firebears 2846, the leader shouts “When I say 28 you say 46, 28! (crowd yells, 46!)

When we are in a red alliance we’ll chant RED ALLIANCE and clap or stomp 5 times. Likewise if we’re in a blue alliance the cheer is BLUE ALLIANCE!

What is allowed in the stands at competition?

Cheering wildly. Doing the macarena. Singing along with your favorite songs between matches. Holding up our team numbers. Being festive.

Asking questions! There are a lot of technical things happening on the field, if you’re curious about how something works, doesn’t work or why something happened – ASK. Students will love to share their knowledge with you and you will enjoy the game that much more.

What is not allowed in the stands at competition?

Noisemakers such as horns, bells, megaphones etc.

Standing up and blocking the view of those behind you. In a way, treat it like baseball, don’t get up and move around while a 2 minute match is underway, wait until between matches (or innings to use the baseball metaphor) before you get up for that stretch, walk or trip to the restroom.

Booing, yelling at officals, heckling, harassing, antagonizing other teams or their fans or any behavior that would be considered lacking Gracious Professionalism.

How to be a good fan

Support the students, be a gracious professional and model GP behavior for the students. FRC is a “cooperatition” and you will notice that dissing other teams, alliance members or the opposing alliance is not considered GP. Most importantly, be curious, take an interest in what is going on and HAVE FUN.

Oh! And if you go into the pits area, be sure to grab safety glasses. If you don’t have your own there is usually a station handing out loaners.

Common terms heard during competition

Coming soon!