LOAD Robotics complete guide for Rookie Teams.
Each title is a drop down filled with information of all topics specifically for rookie teams. Videos will also be posted online monthly and if you need any help or have any questions just email or join our discord and we would be more then happy to help and answer any questions.
Here are some of our videos we reccommend watching for rookies:
Cost of Starting an FTC Team: Detailed Spreadsheet
Here is a spreadsheet of things your team will need and helpful items to start a rookie team! https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fB8ZNropiAwxqzqnuycL_wMLYJUFgfl6wT1V3HUsdGE/edit?usp=sharing
CAD Resources
We reccommend using Onshape as a CAD software. Onshape is free for students. It's all web-based, so there's no download needed, you just open it using your computer browser.
Here are instructions on creating an Onshape accout: docs.google.com/document/d/1wiYS6OEx0GaV6gxV732pZtSHqR7HbfvoO7I-Oqqv-DY/edit?usp=sharing
Resources:
FIRST has some great resources in their training portal, including one on basic Onshape and 3D printing. To access it simply sign in with your FIRSTinspires account. Onshape and 3D printing.
Programming Resources
There are 2 ways to program FTC robots: Java and Blocks. Blocks are a great start for rookies, but Java gives you more control. Here are resources for learning both:
Java:
You can learn the basic Java syntax through a program called CodeHS. This is free with a teacher account, so our team created a "class" that you can join: codehs.com/go/DC68C. You create an account and then start programming! It starts with learning simple Java using commands to move a dog. Then it becomes more advanced.
FIRST has some great resources in their training portal, including one on basic Onshape and 3D printing. To access it simply sign in with your FIRSTinspires account. Java Programming (Part 1) and Java Programming (Part 2)
This YouTube Channel has lots of ideas and tips for FTC programming: www.youtube.com/@robocodex/shorts
There's also a book called Learn Java for FTC that we found helpful.
Blocks:
The best website we've found for learning Blocks is FTC SIM. ftcsim.org/
FTC From a Student’s Perspective: Expectations, Mistakes, and What Actually Matters for rookies:
I didn’t know FTC existed until my sophomore year of high school. A local family wanted to start a team and held information sessions at the library to find members. I went, liked what I heard, and joined. Our rookie season was Into the Deep, and ten of us started with no experience and no defined roles. Over time I found myself doing strategy, scouting, data analysis, and eventually helping with marketing. Our team structure stayed flexible so people could try different things and figure out what they enjoyed.
Before joining, I assumed FTC was only about building a robot and that it would be extremely difficult. I expected a big skill gap and imagined robotics as sitting alone at a computer. Instead, I learned that FTC is much bigger than that. There’s a whole community, a connection to careers, and a huge amount of support. You visit engineering companies, volunteer at events, meet teams across the country, and join active online communities. There are countless resources for programming, building, and outreach, and nearby teams are almost always willing to help. The biggest surprise was how many opportunities FTC opens up and how many people you meet. In our rookie season alone, I learned a lot about engineering careers and connected with people around the world. Now, our team even mentors a FIRST Global team in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The hardest early lessons were simple: mentors matter, planning matters, and you need tasks ready for people to work on. I also wish someone had explained the mission of FTC on day one. It’s not just robots: it’s outreach, communication, teamwork, and building something meaningful in your community.
If someone asked me what FTC is, I’d describe it as a youth robotics competition for students interested in STEM. It’s similar to how sports exist for athletes. FTC exists for students who want to build, design, and solve problems. But FTC goes further because outreach and community involvement are required for major awards. It’s also huge: more than 10,000 teams across every continent except Antarctica and over 60 nations. Through FTC, you’re exposed to professional engineering fields, community engagement, teamwork, leadership, digital marketing, programming, mechanical design, electronics, drafting, and organization.
If someone only cared about engineering, I’d still tell them to care about outreach, judging, and the portfolio. These areas expose you to new opportunities and connections, including professional ones that can help your robot development. They also qualify your team for more awards, which means more ways to advance to qualifiers, states, or worlds.
Rookie teams should expect to have fun. Winning depends on how much work you put in, and you shouldn’t expect to dominate competitions right away. Some teams have years of experience, alumni networks, and resources. As a rookie team, you should expect challenges but not pressure. What you shouldn’t expect is to show up and outperform established teams immediately.
The biggest mistake rookie teams make before the season starts is not making a plan. You should begin learning and researching what other teams have done. The best way to make a plan, and this is extremely important, is to set GOALS. Goals give you a clear outline of what you want to accomplish before and during the season. They help focus the team, show improvment over time, and give judges something concrete to evaluate. Even if you don’t complete all your goals, judges appreciate seeing them documented and updated. If I could give one major tip to any rookie team, it would be to set a lot of goals: individual goals, team goals, robot goals, outreach goals. The more specific, the better.
During Week 1, the biggest mistake is ignoring what other teams are doing. Hundreds of teams post updates on YouTube, livestreams, blogs, Reddit, and Discord. You should spend at least 30 minutes a day seeing what other teams are building and planning. Everyone learns different lessons and approaches problems differently. Many teams also do Robot‑in‑3‑Days builds, which are extremely valuable because the challenges they solve in three days might take you months to figure out.
By the middle of the season, rookie teams often lose direction. You want a clear plan and a detailed outline for the rest of the season so you’re not rushing to finish the robot before competition. You also want your team mission defined by this point. You should know what your team stands for, what your outreach theme is, and how you want to build your reputation.
Right before competition, the biggest mistake is being careless with the robot. Stress makes teams sloppy, and it’s common for teams to break components during rushed practice or even drop the robot. Slow down and be careful.
A successful rookie season can mean many things depending on the goals you set. The best way to define success is by reaching the goals you created before the season. Others might say success means winning Inspire, becoming alliance captain, or establishing your team locally. All of those are valid. A rookie team can absolutely have a successful season without winning a tournament.
If I had one hour with every rookie FTC team, I’d give five pieces of advice. First, set goals-this is the most important thing you can do. Second, plan ahead. Third, make professional connections because you will learn a lot from them. Fourth, be active in the FTC community on Discord, YouTube, and Reddit because you’ll find many ideas. Fifth, be active in your local community and show off what you’ve built.
There are also pieces of advice I disagree with. One is assigning roles immediately. Rookie teams should explore different areas before specializing. Locking people into roles too early can make them feel stuck. Another is doing outreach just for the sake of outreach. You should build a mission and theme for your team and grow that. Outreach should be meaningful, not random.
If you remember only one thing from this entire guide, it should be to set goals and create a team mission in both the robot game and outreach. Everything else builds from that.
