How do parents help your FRC team?

FIRST General Forum
1

I’m creating a list of ways that parents can help FRC teams that their students are on. (Link to the list below). I’m curious what roles parents play on your team.

Feel free to nitpick on my wording in the list so far. I just threw this together as a way to document everything. The organization will probably adapt as the list grows.

EDIT:
I am not going to make the document editable for other people because I want to keep it as organized as possible, but please respond on CD with suggestions. I’ll add to the spreadsheet as people respond here.

2

Our parents formed a Boosters a few years ago in order to better organize the parents behind the team, it is still in its infancy so it isn’t formal and they do not have an account for collecting money, we handle that with our non-profit account.

Some additional items our parent boosters have also helped with in addition to your list:

  1. Operate Concessions at our FLL event or other events we have where we have concessions.
  2. Organize the End of year team banquet
  3. Mentor the team, given they have time and/or skills to add
  4. Organize travel - book hotel rooms and buses
  5. Organize pre-order meals for Regionals
  6. Organize volunteers at FLL event and other activities

I know I am forgetting some things.

3

I see that “Organize team meals” is on there, I would suggest also adding 'Cook a team meal".
A home cooked meal is always better than so take out or having pizza every week.

4

That is typically what our parents do. Cook a meal to bring in. We have a parent who Organizes the parents to bring meals, handles the sign ups reminds the parents of their selected days in advance. Parents cook or purchase a meal to bring in. Days that aren’t covered are paid for from the money collected at Booster fundraisers or from donations by parents who can’t provide a meal.

5

Travel Coordinator
Meal Coordinator (find parents to provide meals)
Meal Volunteer (provide a meal)
District background check coordinator
Study Hall Coordinator (No library at school for studying before evening meeting)
Study Hall volunteer
Calendar Manager
Roster Manager
Practice Field building team
Fundraising Dinner Coordinator (Lots of sub-tasks for our dinner & Cake Auction)
Travel Coordinator
Letter Writing Campaign (part of fundraising)
Travel Coordinator
Team spirit Wear coordinator (Collect pre-orders & work with vendors)
Parent communications
Year end dinner coordinator

6

Under “Parents” on http://www.firstnemo.org/resources.htm Hasn’t been updated in 3 years, but most still apply: Roles where Parents can help your FIRST team (PDF: 3pp) Let us know if you would be interested in sharing your spreadsheet!

Roboparents: Parent Involvement on FRC Teams - 2012 FIRST Championship Conference Presentation (MS PPT: 476K)

I also have a presentation I did this month at the BAA Education Day - but pretty similar to the one above. http://www.mdfirst.org/programs/first-robotics-competition/baa/2013-training-day.html

7

Some of our parents help by:
Helping with bumpers
Organizing meals at competition
Fundraising
Driving students to competition (chaperones)

8

Some of our parents are mentors. They keep the team running even when the teachers are unavailable. Use them as a very valuable source of information because they will typically help out with what they are good at, at least for our team. With their many years of experience, it is hard to differ with what they say!

9

Carolyn,
I don’t know if this helps but Dottie and I started as parents but that was in 1996. We just hung around until Motorola just assumed we were employees.

10

Just to reduce some of my confusion, are you talking about a robotics team or motorola, or both?

11

dev,
We were already part of the team as parents but no one knew what role we were in. During the first Midwest Regional in 1997, I was invited into the pit and have never left. Prior to that we chaperoned/mentored the video and animation teams and assisted in brainstorming.

12