- Reach out to your local teams! They can often help you through any problems you encounter. Also reach out to your community.
- Find out the easiest and most efficient way to play the game, and then build your plan around that.
- Don't think your robot needs all these bells and whistles to be a good robot. It doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to get the job done.
- Be a Generalist. It's better to be able to do more when other robots can't provide.
- Take advantage of online resources such as Robot In 3 Days, Build Blitz, FRC Designs, The Blue Alliance, and (obviously) Chief Delphi. Look at past competitions and see if you can draw inspiration from it.
- Keep in touch with your sponsors; keep them updated so they know they've put their support to good use!
- Make a flag.
- Show spirit! Make signs, come up with a cheer, get your team pumped up at your competitions!
As Dean Kamen said, FIRST is more than just robots. It's about good sportsmanship. It's about the bond you make with your team. It's about getting up at 7 AM to go to a build meeting and working past noon. It's about cheering as your robot plays on the field for the first time. It's about making friends with members of other teams that you'll keep for a lifetime.
So have fun with your first year. It'll be a learning process, but you'll make it through!
Good luck from The Gems!