Get Involved!

As a mentor or coach of a FIRST team, you are, through the kids, the key ingredient in the success of your team. Your contribution to the success of FIRST programs and ultimately to the success of FIRST is immeasurable. The time, responsibility, and expertise of a mentor or coach will vary, but the one constant is that you are bringing something to your team that they need to learn, grow, and succeed.

Who are FIRST mentors and coaches? The FIRST team members say it best. A mentor/coach:

• Can be a person of any age, teaching others what they know.
• Brings either technical or nontechnical expertise to the team.
• Provides the opportunity for students to learn directly through experiences.
• Begins as a teacher, evolves into a colleague.
• Knows that mentoring and coaching is about inspiring and guiding.
• Provides students the environment to succeed.
• Is patient, supportive, enthusiastic, compassionate, and available.
• Remembers what’s important – it’s about the kids and they come first.

Click here to view a film from the MIT Mentorship Initiative about the rewards of becoming a mentor in the FIRST Robotics Competition.

FIRST would like to extend a most sincere “Thank You” to all mentors for the time and energy given in support of FIRST teams and programs. If you are interested in becoming a coach for one of the FIRST family of competitions, please send all inquiries to mentorcoach@usfirst.org.