What Is FIRST Robotics Competition?

"The Varsity Sport For The Mind™. The Only Sport Where Everyone Can Turn Pro."

"Sporting competitions seem to be what we obsess over, frankly. So if we can put engineering, science, technology into a format of healthy, fun competition, we can attract all sorts of kids that might not see the kind of activity we do as accessible or rewarding."
- Dean Kamen, Founder of FIRST Robotics Competition

"The Hardest Fun You'll Ever Have."

The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international robotics competition where teams of high school students design, build, and program a 120-pound robot in only six weeks to play a competitive game in tournaments.

The FRC is the highest level in the FIRST family of programs.

"Every year, we would build (in the FIRST Robotics Competition) what amounted to a $300,000 machine just based on the man-hours that go into it, and that's at a simple $10 per hour rate. How many other after school activities do our kids do today where they walk away after one year with a $300,000 opportunity that they've built?"

- Mark McCombs, TEDx Talks Jacksonville, 2015

FIRST stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. It is the world's leading non-profit STEM education program. FIRST is based on the following principles: (Source: FIRST Inspires)

Inspire and motivate students to celebrate Science and Technology, plus pursue Science and Technology careers, becoming their leaders and innovators
From mentors, learn knowledge and skills in science, engineering, and technology.
Team environment promotes learning and practice of transferable, 21st Century skills of self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
Competition programs set core values that guide everything that students and adults do:

Promotion video for FIRST Robotics Canada (2017)

Goals, mission, values, and strategies of FIRST Robotics Canada: http://www.firstroboticscanada.org/about-us/

Gracious Professionalism®:

Culture of competition, encouraging high-quality work while practicing empathy, sensitivity, and kindness by valuing and respecting others' work.

Co-opertition®:

Concept of competing teams helping, teaching, and learning each other whenever possible to mutually achieve highly.

2023 FRC game: CHARGED UP
presented by Haas

Official game reveal on Sat. January 7, 2023 to all global teams of the FIRST Robotics Competition.

FIRST Championship in Houston, TX. Einstein Field - Finals 2 (Championship-clinching match).

2022 FRC game: Rapid React
presented by The Boeing Company

Official game reveal on Sat. January 8, 2022 to all global teams of the FIRST Robotics Competition.

FIRST Championship in Houston, TX. Einstein Field - Finals 3 (Championship-clinching match).

2019 FRC game: Destination Deep Space
presented by The Boeing Company

Official game reveal on Sat. January 5, 2019 to all global teams of the FIRST Robotics Competition.

FIRST Championship in Houston, TX. Einstein Field - Finals 3 (Championship-clinching match) and Detroit, MI. Einstein Field - Finals 3 (Championship-clinching match).

2018 FRC game: FIRST POWER UP

Official game reveal on Sat. January 6, 2018 to all global teams of the FIRST Robotics Competition.

FIRST Championship in Houston, TX. Einstein Field - Finals 2 (Championship-clinching match) and Detroit, MI. Einstein Field - Finals 2 (Championship-clinching match).

2017 FRC game: STEAMworks

Official game reveal on Sat. January 7, 2017 to all global teams of the FIRST Robotics Competition.

Sat. July 29, 2017. Tie-breaking Match 5 in FIRST Festival of Champions: Winners of FIRST Championship (Houston) vs. Winners of FIRST Championship (St. Louis).

FIRST Championship in Houston, TX. Einstein Field - Finals 2 (Championship-clinching match) and St. Louis, MO. Einstein Field - Finals 2 (Championship-clinching match). The winning alliances from both of these FIRST Championship competitions me at the FIRST Festival Of Champions on July 29 in New Hampshire.

2015 FRC game: Recycle Rush

Official Game Reveal by FIRST Robotics Competition.

Apr. 25, 2015. FIRST Championship - Einstein Field, Round 2 (Championship-clinching) Match.