[Bob Steele]

I think the best way for you to estimate this is to find a team close to you.
Ask them what they do.

For instance... travel costs eat us alive for the championships...
We live in Seattle, so for a team of 30 we spend somewhere around $12,000 JUST for the air fare to Atlanta.... (not counting what mentors and parents pay)

Registration is $5000.

You combine that with hotel cost of at least $200 per night ... 4 to a room....3 nights...and you are around $5000 for hotel expenses...

so for championships.... for us... bare minimum is something around $22,000

For a local regional for anyone.... if you can stay at home....

$10,000 is a good number for a team... you can do pretty much everything minimally for that kind of money for a single local regional...

Just be careful to look at travel...
It can be very expensive... but you can cut costs...

For our team we also limit attendance at the championship to our juniors and seniors...something for our underclassmen to strive for and also to raise money for during their initial years...

FIRST is worth it though...

I totally agree with another post in regards to getting kids to do their own fundraising so they have ownership in the program and the team...

something given without cost... has little value..

good luck