Resources
Everything you need, in one place.
Whether you're a student signing up or a parent working out what you just signed up for, here is how a season on Team 1405 actually runs. This site is the team hub — news, the calendar, photos, sponsors, and links to FIRST registration all live here.
Joining the team
Two steps. Sign the FIRST consent form — required for every student under 18, it covers the school and FIRST for liability around tools, machines, and equipment. Then create a parent account at FIRSTInspires.org, add your student to it, and apply to FRC Team 1405.
Every student gets a team t-shirt on joining. Extra gear is available at cost: hoodies $30, hats $15, t-shirts $15.
Meetings and attendance
Saturday meetings are required all season, and students sign in and out at every one.
- September – January
- Training. Mechanical and electrical systems, software and programming, shop safety and tool use.
- January – March
- Build and competition season. Saturdays run longer and weeknights are added — software meets Tuesdays.
Safety
Goggles are worn at all times in the shop and near tools or robots. The only exception is working strictly on software. Every new member attends a mandatory safety meeting in October.
During meetings students stay in the robotics area and the cafeteria — the gym, weight room, and other school facilities are off limits. A Safety Captain keeps watch, but the standard belongs to everyone.
Food and meals
From January we eat Saturday lunch together as a team. Every student is expected to contribute across the eight to fifteen weeks of build season — a dish, drinks, or snacks — and family donations toward food costs are always a help.
Parent involvement
The team runs on parent help, and none of it takes an engineering background:
- Supervising students during meetings
- Helping with Saturday meals
- Driving robots and equipment to events — Mr. Kunkel takes the van and would welcome company on the rotation
- Fundraising and sponsor outreach
Competitions
- RIT Regional
- Rochester. Required, and the centerpiece of our season.
- Ruckus
- Fall. Optional, but strongly encouraged.
- RMSC demonstration
- Fall, at the Museum & Science Center. Optional.
- Second regional
- Albany. Optional, but strongly encouraged.
Winning RIT or Albany earns an invitation to the FIRST Championship in Houston. We haven't made that trip yet — it's the goal, as funding and logistics allow.
Who is on the team
Students from The Charles Finney School, homeschool students, and students from other districts. Everyone is welcome and no experience is assumed.
Sponsorships cover much of what a season costs, and families are often where a new one starts — a parent's employer, a local business. Current sponsors are listed on the sponsors page.
What we expect
- Show up, especially on Saturdays
- Be willing to work, including the small jobs like cleaning and organizing
- Respect your mentors, your teammates, and the shop
- Try something new — software, mechanical, electrical, or design
You don't need to be an expert, only motivated to learn. Robotics has a steep learning curve, and what you get out of the team tracks closely with what you put in.
FIRST Robotics puts students shoulder to shoulder with engineers, software developers, and designers. Teamwork, problem-solving, persistence, creativity — the lessons here carry well past the shop.
Robotics: it's good for your future.