[Phoenix Spud]

This year, my family started the first FIRST team in Australia, and let me start off by saying, it was one of the hardest things that we have ever done! But, it was also one of the most rewarding. The lives of the students on the team will never be the same! A lot of the time, I have "Herb Brooks" moments, all these kids were "meant to be on this team, they were born to be FIRSTers." I don't know the exact reasons that you are starting a new team, but for me and my family, it was moving. If we hadn't have moved I would have continued on with my old team (2342, Team Phoenix), and without their support this year, our team would not be around! I would highly recommend finding another team in your area to mentor your start up team. Or, if you can't find another team in your area, you can always use e-mail and Skype, that's what our team had to do. (Turns out the closest team is an 8 hour plane ride from us, go figure!)

Having a robot to demo is key. Having Fenix1 (2342's rookie bot) was essential to getting our team started. Also, wear your team shirt or a FIRST shirt, I always did!

For getting sponsors and a place, I would recommend getting a prime sponsor with a location. Then, they can help you get more sponsors, and you won't have to worry about building a machine shop etc. Have you tried the company where your Dad works? What about your Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, cousins, etc? Blind calls don't tend to work as good. Also, since you are an American team, I would look into the NASA grants. Also, are there any universities/community colleges in your area? They tend to sponsor FIRST a lot!!!

As for communication, our team used Google Groups. We like it a lot, as we can send e-mail to the whole group quickly, and share documents etc. Google even lets us set up private web pages!

On a more personal note, let me warn you, you are about to set out and do what will probably be the hardest thing you have ever done. On those days where you just want to give up, remember all the other students who may not be on a FIRST team if it weren't for you. Think about how much you are going to change their lives. And just keep "doing hard things, one step at a time." If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me!

Good luck, I hope to meet you at a competition some day!