Something really helpful in the pits is the area known as the “Robot Service Center” with the major suppliers in it. They can help replace broken parts if you need them, and you can get technical assistance as well.
Fun fact: Last year, we brought a pile of shattered plastic to AndyMark, and Andy Baker correctly identified it as a 24T pulley.
For drive team, any back up drive team, and people critical to keeping your robot competition ready. Do not leave the venue until after your last match of the day. Traveling and sightseeing is fun, but its a competition, and you are there for a reason. At regional competitions you can sometimes get away with leaving for lunch, but we are talking way more teams all trying to find lunch all within close proximity to the arena alongside the normal city lunch rush. Its almost impossible to find a quick bite to eat.
I always recall to my students the year that we were being queued for a match, and I was the sole drive team member around, and there was one other student, and my father who had never seen a competition before, and he almost had to go out as coach, but the rest of the drive team had ran back from wherever they decided to go for lunch.
We have not done this yet, (though I think it is genius) but I have seen that some teams will take into their pits a 2015 tote that is filled with food for the drive team and pit crew. That way they avoid worrying about running off to other areas/buildings for food.
Last time I was there they sold cotton candy and funnel cakes at concession stands IN the pit areas. Long lines though!
Use the buddy system with your students and sign everyone up for remind.com.
When I saw everyone, I mean literally everyone going. Remind is an absolute lifesaver.
Make sure to get all students’ phone numbers for the head coaches, in case they cannot be found. To take quick attendance, assign everyone a number and have a countoff on the bus. Follow your sheet and if a number is missing, you know a student is missing.
We used to print business cards (the card stock is inexpensive) with the key mentors’ cellphone numbers on it, plus the name and address of the hotel we were staying at in case someone got lost. The cards were distributed to each member traveling with the team as well as a copy was given to parents who were staying home in case they needed to reach us. Easy to put into a wallet and keep on you.
We do something very similar. Every member of our team has badges that they wear which serve multiple purposes. On the front has a picture of the person that it belongs to, our team logo, and little symbols which indicate what sub-teams that person is on and their level of access to our pit.
On the back of the badge is our hotel information, and then the names and cellphone numbers of our coaches so that incase the person is lost all they have to do is find someone with a phone.
There was also an awesome lemonade stand in the pit area last year.
If your team doesn’t advance to elims, try to get good Einstein seats quickly! Besides competing, Einstein is one of the most exciting parts of the event, but everyone is there so good seats are tough to get if you wait.
Just remember, saving seats isn’t allowed by FIRST. Keep that in mind.
Also, scholarship row is obviously great for juniors and seniors. However, I think it’s an even better opportunity for sophomores sometimes. Last year I was able to talk to representatives from these schools, which added a few schools to my list to visit, and removed a few schools from the same list. I’d make any effort you can to attend.
Highly recommend this. We did it at District Champs (out of town for three days), and it was pretty great. We went through nearly a full tote of snacks, so be prepared… 
Well it’s Wednesday, but it’s been posted!
St. Louis A to Z Guide
It contains a wealth of important and useful information for both rookie and veteran teams.
Thank you for posting the link to the A-Z guide!
And thank you to all for you helpful comments. Team 4926 - GalacTech is stoked to be playing in the Archimedes Sub-Division. So excited!!!