West Windsor-Plainsboro FIRST Robotics Team #1923
MidKnight Inventors
2013 – 2014
FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1923
Student Leadership Positions
Co-Captain (Four
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Positions)
Serve managerial roles working with the Adult Team Advisor, Mentors, and Team Leaders to define and
help FIRST Robotics Team 1923 meet objectives and timelines
Work with the Team Adult Mentors to divide the positions’ workload between themselves based upon their
individual strengths and interests at the beginning of the school year
Work under the guidance of school Advisor and adult Mentor(s)
Lead groups of students on a sub-team basis
Be responsible for motivating and encouraging participation from their teammates
Mentor younger students and set a good example
Attend mentor/student leader meetings
Attend all team events, unless otherwise discussed and excused with Mentors
Communicate problems and concerns immediately to advisor and/or Mentors
Put in the time necessary to meet role expectations and keep the team progressing forward.
Represent Team 1923 in all official capacities
Serve as chief spokesperson(s) for FRC Team 1923 at FIRST-related events
Facilitate communication between Mentors and student team members
Voice student concerns and issues to Mentors
Facilitate and manage team meetings
Monitor and communicate FIRST updates and correspondence
Serve as liaison with student members of respective schools
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Build Coordinator (Leadership Position)
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Work closely with the Technical Mentors, Programming Coordinator and CAD/Design Coordinator to
ensure that support, supervision, resources and materials are in place to help with the robot’s progression
during build season and the maintenance during competition season (both on and off-season events)
Oversee the activity of the Arms & Lifts Lead and Drive System Lead
Communicate weekly build schedules, locations, and goals to team members
Be responsible for ensuring the overall weight and dimensions of the robot remains within specifications
Be responsible for ensuring that the robot build progresses on schedule to allow for at least ten days of
driving practice
Works with the Financial Coordinator to ensure the Team’s “Bill of Materials” is correct and available
when needed
Be responsible for coordinating transportation of robot and all support equipment to events
Be responsible for coordinating build and pit area organization, and maintaining a safe, presentable
working environment
Be responsible for coordinating the construction of crate and field elements
Be responsible to organize and conduct off-season building sessions to teach new students
Programming Coordinator (Leadership Position)
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Lead a committee of students to plan, sketch, and create a complete code for all functions of the robot
Work closely with mentors and other committees to ensure proper communication about the functions of
the robot that need backing code
Be able to predict future functionality of the robot and control station, and work on ideas and code for these
possibilities
Have the ultimate responsibility that all FRC Team 1923 computers are fully functional and that all
software/data are properly backed-up and easily retrievable
Help with other students’ use of technology and programs to ensure team-wide facility
Oversee the activity of the Electrical Lead to create proper interaction between software and hardware
Spread understanding and directions for use to any drivers or other team members directly involved with
Programming
Provide jobs for everyone on the team to do, such as sketching, drawing pictures and flowcharts, and
contributing logical ideas or code bits to the final code on the Robot
Stay in touch with FIRST mandates, regulations, and rules about the control system and code, and fully
understand the function of programming-related hardware on and off the robot.
CAD/Design Coordinator (Leadership Position)
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Lead a team of students in designing models of designs for the robot and its mechanisms
Work with the Technical Mentors, Build Coordinator and Programming Coordinator to make sure the
design is easily manufactured within the given timeline and makes sense for the application on the robot
Work with the Build Coordinator and Programming Coordinator to ensure that the design is feasible to
implement
Use computer-aided design software (eg, ProE or Autodesk Inventor) to design, simulate, and test the
designs
Work with the Team’s engineering Mentors to ensure the designs can be utilized “as is” or converted to a
form that can be use for off-site fabrication
Understand that all involved students should get the opportunity to learn and use CAD software in a real
production environment.
Eliminate design flaws early before production through a CDR (Critical Design Review)
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External Communication/Public Relations
Coordinator (Leadership Position)
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Help manage marketing and public relations for the team by working closely with the School Advisor, CoCaptains, Web Site Lead, and others.
Work with the Team Development Leader to promote a consistent team message; oversee creation of
marketing (eg, newsletters and giveaways) and team branding (logos, t-shirts, robot labeling, etc)
Enhance the team members’ understanding of the goals and ideals of FIRST and the team
Coordinate and supervise events that promote technology and engineering, raise awareness or provide
support for FIRST and its affiliate programs, FRC, FTC, and FLL
Work with Awards Coordinator overseeing all tasks associated with the Chairman’s Award submission
Be in charge of other Team Members and give them jobs to promote, connect, and develop a reputation for
our team
Advertise the team within the Central New Jersey community and arrange team presence at events such as
each school’s annual Club Rush
Work with other team leaders to design the team brand, including team shirts and souvenirs to hand out at
the competition.
Work to spread the Team’s message and presence as well as details about events
Be a primary content provider to team web site
Contact and interact with other FRC teams during the build season, competition season and off-season
Serve, along with the other members, as a spokesperson for the Team both during the build season and
during the competition
Make sure that our team’s reputation stays intact throughout transactions and interactions with other people
and teams
Fundraising/Sponsor Relations Coordinator
(Leadership
Position)
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Work with the Adult Team Advisor, Mentors, and Team Leaders to coordinate submission of corporate
grants requests, provide timely acknowledgement of sponsorship, and ensure timely reporting of
sponsorship to the Community
Coordinate corporate sponsor presentations and appreciation events (eg, Open House)
Plan and manage fundraising events and activities
Work with the Community Outreach Coordinator when Fundraising and Outreach activities are
combined (eg Plainsboro Founders’ Day)
Work with Team Mentors to secure a public build site each season
Work with the Build Coordinator to ensure adequate placement of sponsor logos on the Team 1923 robot
Write and disseminate the End of Year Team 1923 Report
Write and distribute the End of Year Sponsor Thank You Letters
Work with the External Communications Coordinator and Web Site Lead to ensure sponsor logos are
appropriately placed and maintained on the Team 1923 web site and that they link to URLs as requested by
the sponsors
Awards Coordinator (Leadership Position)
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Work closely with Adult Team Advisor, Team Coordinators and Team Leads to make certain that award
criteria and submission requirements are being met
Be familiar with all FIRST awards that are available and keep leaders and team members aware of
requirements throughout the year
Actively work with Mentors, key leaders and team members to complete a competitive Chairman’s Award
submission
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Make all team members knowledgeable about available awards from FIRST, and which ones we qualify for
Organize and execute applications, activities, and outreaches that correspond to the awards our Team is
pursuing
Lead discussions and work sessions for award applications
Act as a spokesperson for the team if the need arises that an application presentation is required, or if the
team wins an award
Follow through with all awards and decide which are most possible to do in the time frame available
Understand that awards can be anticipated and worked on before the build season, and year-round
Electrical Coodinator (Leadership Position)
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Lead a group of students overseeing the electrical aspects of the robot, work closely with Technical
Mentors, and other Team Leaders ensure accurate and necessary correspondence and operation
Works with the CAD designers during the conceptual phase of the robotic design
Create and maintain electrical function of all aspects of the robot, to the best of his/her ability
Study and understand the rules regulating all electrical aspects of the robot to ensure compliance and proper
function
Understand where electrical components are needed, or where they will be needed in the future, so that
proper planning and accommodation can be made for all possible ability for the robot in the electrical
aspect
Work closely with programmers to insure proper hardware-software interfacing
Work with battery team to ensure functioning batteries/chargers for all events
Responsible pneumatic phase of the robotics program
Internal Communications Coordinator (Leadership Position)
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Oversee internal team communications
Take and distribute meeting minutes within 24 hours of each meeting
Gather meeting agenda items by working with the Mentors and other Team Leaders
Maintain the Team 1923 calendar and schedule
Oversee team emails and tweets
Be a primary content provider to team web site
Coordinate with External Communications/Public Relations Coordinator on team promotional
materials
Financial Coordinator (Leadership Position)
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Work with the Adult Team Advisor and Mentors to draft budget for the year, and obtain team adoption of
budget
Manage the income and expense and monthly reporting of team finances
Follows required fiduciary and School District procedures to ensure that team funds are handled
appropriately
Ensures that proper approvals are met before money is spent and that deposits and
payments/reimbursements are done in a timely matter with necessary documentation
Makes certain that all money is deposited into the Team’s account and receipts are given when necessary
Presents monthly financial reports with budget comparison to team and advisor
Assist The Adult Team Advisor in planning team logistics and acquiring necessary paperwork from team
members for travel and events
Responsible for working with the Build Coordinator to complete “Bill of Materials.”
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Safety Coordinator (Leadership Position)
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At the Team Robot Build Site: Obtain enough safety glasses for the team. Ensure all persons wear them
over their eyes when working on the robot or in the "work" vicinity. People who wear glasses must have
regulation safety glasses with side shields or wear safety goggles over their glasses
Make sure the work area is safe and the floor is clear at the team’s workplace
Read "Courtesies and Rules" section in Chapter 4 -At the Events section of the FRC Competition Manual.
Meet with team members and decide what the team deems important in the safety area. Diplomatically
enforce their findings
Print, read and make easily available to the Team the “FIRST Robotics Competition Team Safety Manual.”
Meet with the Team and go over the manual with everyone at or before the first build session
Review Safety Policies and Procedures in the “FIRST Robotics Competition Team Safety Manual” and
inform the team of the mandates and suggestions. Encourage all team members and Mentors to read the
document, follow the suggestions, and become familiar with the safety awards.
Work with the Mentors to establish and enforce “Safety Glass Areas” within the Robot Build Site
At the Competitions and Other Events: Bring enough safety glasses for the Team and all guests
Make sure persons who will unpack your robot crate will have glasses to wear as they arrive at the Pit, and
make sure all persons wear safety glasses/goggles properly
Be sure your team transports and lifts the robot safely. Make sure that there are enough gloves available
for each competition.
Serve as the Team 1923 Liaison between the Team and on-site FIRST Safety Advisors (green shirts)
Know where the EMT area is, and report any injuries to the Pit Supervisor at the time of injury or treatment
Discourage running in the Pit or Competition Arena, and work with the Safety Advisors to keep things safe
and the Pit aisles clear.
Bring any serious safety infractions, such as metal grinding or open flames to the attention of the Pit
Supervisor, as well as any blatant discourtesies
Community Outreach Coordinator
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(Leadership Position)
This person is responsible for executing outreach activities such as demo in elementary and middle schools;
participate in STEM events to promote the club and FIRST objectives.
The Marketing Director serves as liaison between Community Outreach group and the team co-captains.
Strategy and Scouting Coordinator
(Leadership Position)
This person will:
 Be responsible for overseeing competition strategy and scouting database development
 Assist Co-Captains in leading initial strategy and brainstorming sessions
 Maintain each year’s rules and updates binder
 Communicate changes that may impact robot design or strategy to other teammates
 Monitors and facilitates discussion of strategy ideas from the team and FIRST community
 Create, acquire, and manage necessary forms, resources, or tools for competition scouting at events
 Coordinate scouting rotation schedule at events
 Foster good relationships with other teams so that they know a lot about us and can select us as alliance
partners for the final competition matches
 Provide strategy recommendations at the events
 Lead and represent team in elimination tournament alliance selection efforts
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Team Development Lead
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Be responsible for the Team’s public persona (look), Team-building social activities and the Team's spirit
and celebration efforts
Coordinate all social and spirit functions of the Team
Insure that team shirts and other team wear are ordered
Facilitate team-building and enhance Team 1923 spirit by:
Planning pre-season social events
Coordinating the purchase of the Team T-shorts and hoodies
Planning the season-end celebration
Coordinating the team spirit section at competitions
Working with the Parent Volunteers to coordinate food during the build season
Web Site Lead
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Have the overall responsibility establishing and maintaining the Team 1923 public web site,
www.firstrobotics1923.org
 Define best format for the Team's web site
 Maintain sponsor information, logos, URL links, etc.
 Create, update and maintain team website to include:
o Team 1923 schedule
o Yearly Team Video
o Captioned photographs
o What’s First?
o Journal of Team activities
o In the News
o Results of competitions
o Meet Team 1923
o Directions and map to Team's build site
o Posting of Team 1923 Tweets
o Sponsor acknowledgements
o Links to appropriate USFIRST.ORG web
o Directions to donate to/sponsor FRC
pages
Team 1923
o Build Season Chaperone Schedule
o The Team 1923 End of Year Report
o Build Season Lunch/Snack Schedule
o Community Outreach overview
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