[Mike Betts]

Originally Posted by PhatMike

Being our first year as a team ..

That statement in your preamble indicates that you should have at least one spare (preferably 2).

Your team will undoubtedly be working on your bot in the pits. The chance of aluminum shavings ending up inside the guts of the speed controllers and shorting the FETs is rather high. Been there and done that...

You should bring a small dropcloth to cover the controls (during work) and clean off the controls (after work) with a small vacuum cleaner (most experienced teams will have one you can borrow).

The problem is that, in the heat of the moment, many of these safeguards go out the window...

Go out of your way to make friends with a veteran team as soon as possible at your regional. They will likely have spare parts, tools you never thought you would need and helpful suggestions.