Frequently asked questions

We start training new students in June and strongly recommend you carve out 4-6 weeks of the summer to take the training. If you are interested in joining the team, check out the Join page and follow the instructions listed. Because of growing interest in being part of the team, membership is limited to current MVHS students.

The meeting times and locations are available at the calendar at the top of this page under resources. Meetings are held in room 805 on most Wednesdays nights from 7:15pm - 9:15pm and Saturday from noon - 6:00pm year round. When there is a lot to do, we call extra meetings. During the main season (January through April) additional meetings are scheduled on Friday afternoon and evening and Sunday afternoon.

Other than when the team attends competitions, the software and drive team occasionally goes to a practice field with the robot. This can be in East Palo Alto or Mountain View, depending on where we can find a field for the season.

Robotics is much more like a sports team or an activity like Marching Band than a typical school club. As such, it requires a commitment to showing up in order to have a successful experience on the team. Students who make the commitment learn skills that will help them in college and beyond. However, since it is not a class, students need self motivation to attend and get the most out of the experience.

The robotics team works best for those who show up often, engage, and ask questions. Those that occasionally show up have a hard time engaging and may feel like the time they do spend with the team is not well spent. There is usually more mentor support for students who are committed to learning and showing up. Being on the team works even better for those that spend lots of time on robotics outside of the meeting times.

• While there is no minimum time commitment to be on the team, we have found that members need to show up for at least two meetings a week during the off season from June to December. It's very important to take the training in the summer. We do have a training at the beginning of the year, but the amount of attention the experienced students can spend with new students at that time drops considerably.

• During the build season that starts in January students who are actively involved in the travel team are spending twenty hours a week and leadership students can spend as much as forty hours a week. We have found that students who don’t make this level of commitment often drop out because they do not feel integrated into the team.

• The season has a very tight timeline so for new students to have the best experience possible, it is important to take advantage of training and involvement before the season starts. During the season, students will work on tasks with strict deadlines alongside mentors and other students. Again, If they can’t meet the deadline, someone else will likely finish the task.

From June Through August we run 3 training sessions for new members. These are critical for them to come up to speed on CAD, Manufacturing, Electrical, Software and Competition skills. Once trained, new students may be invited to join the JV team, 9584, where 25 students who are new to the club will build and run their own robot. The remaining students will be part of 971 where there are more experienced students. The benefit of 971 is more advanced learning, but the downside is that there are more advanced students who are occupying the roles.

We encourage all students and families to attend the competitions. There is always a lot to do and see at them. The competitions are great opportunities to learn a lot about robotics quickly. We highly encourage all new members to attend Chezy Champs in September and Madtown in November . It will help you understand what we are working toward in a season.

• At competitions new members can

  • Help with scouting - this is a vital part of the competition. The team needs data on every robot at the competition and the more people who can help with this the better. There is a lot of strategy involved with the game and this data is important.

  • Look at other teams and robots - at Chezy Champs there will be some of the best robots on the west coast. Go and ask questions.

  • See what we do in our pit - a limited number of people can actually be in the pit working on the robot because of the small size but you can observe and see what goes on. In Madera in Nov, we will have three robots and a bigger pit area so there will be more opportunities to work on the robots.

  • Watch matches. See how the competition works and how the robots work.

  • Cheer the team on and show team spirit.

  • Parents are encouraged to attend the competitions - even the away events. We book blocks of rooms for students and families.

Here is a summary of important dates for new members to know about up front. The year is divided into two parts: the season and the off-season. The season runs from January to the middle of April. The off-season is the rest of the year.

The season

• Kickoff - The first Saturday in January - This is when the team gets the new challenge for the season. Sometimes it is the Saturday before school starts. If you haven't already planned a trip for that time, please consider being back in town on that date. Many design decisions and much work is done that weekend and members who miss it will have a lot of catching up to do.

• Regional Competitions - During March and early April - The team attends two regional competitions where we compete to earn a slot at the Norcal Championship

• Norcal Championship - The top 60ish teams in Norcal will compete at this Championship.

• Championship event in Houston - This is usually during the third week of April. Approximately the top 15 teams of the Norcal competition will be invited to Houston to compete with 650 other teams worldwide.

The off-season

• June-August: Very rigorous training program to bring new members up to speed. It is very difficult to be part of the team without this.

• September - Chezy Champs at Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose (off season competition). Off season events are fun because we compete with the previous season’s robot. It is a great way for new members and their parents to get a taste of a competition. Chezy Champs is particularly fun because many of the best teams on the west coast attend.

• November - Madtown Throwdown in Madera (off season competition near Fresno). We will be taking three robots and will need lots of help at the competition. We will drive to Madera on Friday after school and come home on Sunday. Monday is a school holiday. This is a great time for members to get to know each other better. Family members are welcome to come too. This is where we debut our “third robot” that the team is currently working on. Many new members have been involved in designing the robot and will help make parts and assemble the robot.

• August through Dec - training and preparation for the season. Taking advantage of training during this period will make the season more fun.

Despite being a robotics team, there are many tasks which we have that do not involve robots themselves. We have a Business team that builds out budgets and secures sponsorships and funding. We have an outreach team that drives STEM education beyond the high school. We have a competition team that delves into strategy and data analytics.

There are no entry fees to be on the team. 971 has generous sponsors who help fund the team. However, we do ask members to pay for their own travel to competitions. Students share rooms to keep costs low and the competitions in California tend to cost around $250-300 with food. When the team travels to the Championship, costs are higher and can be from $1,200 to $2,000 depending on airfare. Traveling to team events is a great experience and really helps the team get to know each other better. Students do need to miss school for some of the competitions and active members will be excused from class. We offer scholarships to help with travel for students who cannot attend otherwise.

Dr. Woodie Flowers, FIRST National Advisor and Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, coined the term “Gracious Professionalism®”. Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST. It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. With Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions. Gracious professionals learn and compete like crazy, but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process. They avoid treating anyone like losers. No chest thumping tough talk, but no sticky-sweet platitudes either. Knowledge, competition, and empathy are comfortably blended. In the long run, Gracious Professionalism is part of pursuing a meaningful life. One can add to society and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing one has acted with integrity and sensitivity.

Gracious Professionalism is an important concept in FIRST. This means we help other teams before and at competitions and then during the competition, compete like crazy. As an individual, you should always act with integrity at all time. When you are wearing a team t-shirt or otherwise representing the Spartan Robotics team you should always be helpful, gracious, and never speak ill of another team.

• Become a fingerprinted volunteer and if your company uses Benevity turn those hours into corporate donations. The students need supervisors or they can't build the robot.

• Become a mentor if you have deep skills in areas like Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering.

• Donations are always appreciated

For more information on how to help, you can go to our page on Volunteering to Help.

You can see the latest about our governance here.