[waialua359]

Originally Posted by SteveGarward

I was fortunate enough to start in FRC last year as a mentor with 3132 in Australia during their first year, so here's my input based on experience.

* Work closely with FIRST to get their help and support. There is a lot to do logistically to make this happen. Just getting the kit of parts could prove hard, depending on customs laws in Japan or the US. But get in touch early and see what can be done, and keep in touch regularly.
* Travel to a regional will be the biggest expense in your budget. Last year we traveled to New Hampshire for GSR, and this year the team went to Hawaii. You don't have to go to the closest regional.
* Try to partner with/work with a team or teams elsewhere that have experience. The interaction of students is great, and they can help guide and teach the students on your new team. Similarly, mentor interaction is useful.

I know the teams from Turkey travel to different regionals, and I also know (this year at least) it takes a while to get the kit of parts. So start at step 1 early, and that is, contact FIRST.

Good luck. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

Definitely true, however, cost is sometimes everything for a team.
As the only non-Hawaii team who participated in Hawaii last year, there was certainly something noticeably different compared to 2008 when several mainland teams came.