Team Governance & Organization

Overview

TEAM 2137 operates as a student-led team, with adults providing key roles in team operations plus mentorship for skills training and guidance on the team's efforts.

Structure at a glance:

Student leadership: Team Captain (student) and Program Manager, with student Captains for each sub-team — CAD, Fabrication, Mechanical, Electrical, Programming, Business, Marketing, Safety, and Strategy — each leading their group of students.
Mentor support roles: Business, Marketing, Safety, CAD, Fabrication, Mechanical, Electrical, and Programming mentors.
Oxford Community Schools operational roles: OHS Robotics Coach, OHS Teacher Advisor, Assistant/Drive Coach, and two FIRST Lead Mentors — plus the Hospitality Coordinator and Sponsorship Coordinator (mentor roles).

Team Operational Roles

OHS Head Robotics Coach (Ian Houston)

The lead OHS role for organizing and coordinating the team's activities to compete each season in the FIRST Robotics Competition. Responsibilities include:

Responsible for obtaining all documentation regarding student involvement with the team — FIRST® registration, Emergency & Medication forms through Appryse, TEAM 2137 registration forms, Commitment and Safety forms, etc.
Ensures all necessary documentation accompanies the team when traveling.
Keeps the necessary mentors aware of the documentation location at all times in case of an emergency.
Leads student recruitment in conjunction with the student teams, including establishing partnerships with other high school classes to attract new members.
Selection and oversight of the student leadership of the team.
Collects carpool drivers' insurance; instructs TEAM 2137 on school policies regarding student transportation.

OHS Teacher Advisor (Craig Trombly)

The lead OHS role for coordinating the team's use of facilities and finances in conjunction with the CTE Program at Oxford High School, and the primary teacher of related course material in the OHS Engineering Lab. Responsibilities include:

Coordinating the use of Oxford facilities for the team.
Informing school administration of team members' absences because of team competitions.
Aligning TEAM 2137 and OHS to follow proper finance practices.
Contact person for sponsorship opportunities, funds procurement and disbursement — the overall team operating expense manager.

The Head Robotics Coach and Teacher Advisor work very closely together to ensure the successful operation of the team.

Assistant / Drive Coach (Drew Sedam)

A key role in ensuring the team is prepared and operates effectively at competitions:

Helps oversee the overall robot strategy with the students, to compete effectively in each season's challenges.
Trains, evaluates, and selects the drive team each season.
Oversees the drive team and pit crew at competitions, performing each match and adjusting as needed between matches.
Provides critical support and input throughout the school year to help students grow in their skills and accomplishments.

FIRST® Lead Mentors (Ian Houston & Eric Schimmel)

The designated team coaches in the FIRST system for overall registration and coordination of the team:

FIRST team and event registration for all students, mentors, and award submitters.
Performing all roles and responsibilities assigned to Lead Mentors by FIRST.
Ensuring all mentors take the Youth Protection course and complete background checks, and that no mentor is ever left alone with one student.

(Many of the roles defined by FIRST are also fulfilled by the OHS Head Robotics Coach and Teacher Advisor.)

Hospitality Coordinator (mentor)

A special mentor role supporting team practices and competitions:

Organizing and planning lodging, transportation, and meals for competitions.
Planning meals for full-day build meetings during competition season.
Collecting funds for lodging and meals.

Sponsorship Coordinator (mentor)

A special mentor role supporting team funding and sponsor relationships:

Identifying, organizing, and guiding the team's activities to attract, retain, and communicate with sponsors.
Identifying and organizing fundraising efforts.
Enabling other mentors and students in these efforts.

Student Roles

Students have the opportunity to apply for leadership roles in specific groups. To lead, they must demonstrate potential leadership skills, be able to coach other students, monitor timelines and deadlines, communicate activities (verbally and in writing) with the OHS Robotics Coach and mentors, and meet attendance expectations. Group-specific requirements/qualifications can be provided by the Lead Mentor.

Having a leadership role with the team is a privilege, and with it come greater expectations and responsibilities:

Student Captains are expected to attend most meetings and proactively communicate the times they cannot attend, with instructions for what their sub-team should work on while they are out.
Captains participate in leadership discussions with the OHS Robotics Coach and Teacher Advisor to help set the direction and goals for the team each season.
Captains encourage and recruit new teammates to work with their sub-team and train them to support the sub-team's goals and deadlines.
Captains work with mentors to bring new training and skills to the team.
Captains represent the team — including public speaking — to Oxford Community Schools and sponsors.
Captains work to identify and train their replacement as they graduate from the program.

The Team Captain

The Student Team Captain is a special role that is only filled if an interested and qualified student steps forward. In this role, the student works closely with the OHS Robotics Coach and Teacher Advisor to drive the overall governance of the team. It is a great opportunity for a student to lead the team and gain additional leadership experience — but it is a lot of work and requires the most dedication in terms of time and commitment of any role.

Sub-Teams

The team is comprised of sub-teams that provide the necessary functions of competing each season. Students specialize in one sub-area but, with the size of our team, help out in many areas to help us succeed.

Operations sub-teams: Business · Marketing · Safety · Strategy
Robot build sub-teams: CAD · Fabrication · Mechanical · Electrical · Programming
Competition sub-teams: Drive Team · Impact Team · Pit Crew · Scouting

Operations sub-teams (business, strategy & safety — outside the robot)

Business, Outreach & Achievements Team (BOAT) — Responsible for team business strategy and operations that fall outside building the robot:

Strategy and business plan development for identifying team strategies, with the other captains, the coaches, and the mentors.
Communication and relationships with current sponsors, plus strategy and outreach to generate new sponsor relationships.
Collecting, organizing, and maintaining team data and documentation.
Responsible for the processes that organize and track outreach activities.
Leading the creation, presentation, and submission activities required to be eligible for judged awards.

Marketing & Media Team — Responsible for TEAM 2137's media identity, supporting both outward marketing of the team and the media needs of the other sub-teams:

Generation and maintenance of content on the team's website, social media, press releases, and article submissions.
Photography, video, and animation support of team documentation, and production of presentations/videos for award submissions.
Graphics, styles, and templates for the team's printed and digital publishing.
Production of team flyers, brochures, presentations, videos, and other media to increase public awareness and recruit new students, mentors, and sponsors.

Safety Team — Enables the team on all required safety procedures and ensures all safety rules are being followed:

Tracks machine certifications and keeps the team up to date with current safety practices.
Maintains the demarcation of safety zones and ensures all emergency kits are stocked, both in the classroom and at events.
Proactively helps prevent injuries and supports team members when they are injured.
Explains TEAM 2137 Pit Safety Rules and teaches the pit crew all safety measures.
Represents the team — and our safety practices — to judges at competitions.

Strategy Team — Responsible for leading and documenting our overall game strategy for the season, working closely with the Assistant/Drive Coach to identify the approach and goals for the robot:

Documents overall game strategy and the requirements to fulfill for the robot.
Develops the data-collection strategy for the scouting team to collect competitive data during competitions.
Leads scouting efforts to provide robot performance data and analysis for adjusting strategies and working with other teams.

Robot build sub-teams

Computer Aided Design (CAD) Team — Responsible for designing the robot. Using prototypes built by the team at the beginning of the design process, the CAD group draws the specs for the robot:

Designs the drive train and sub-systems (e.g., pickup, shooter, hanger).
Provides the fabrication group with drawings.
Creates changes in CAD as testing and optimization occur.
Maintains the team's designs on the computer.

Fabrication Team — Responsible for manufacturing customized parts to build the robot and for operation of the machine shop:

Operates machines in the production of parts (mills, welding, lathes, saws, drill press, metal shear/bender, etc.).
Works with CAD on 3D printing and CNC machines.
Organizes and inventories tools and stock materials, and communicates ordering needs to the coach and Teacher Advisor.
Creates safety procedures and teaches tool use for all who use the shop.

Mechanical Team — Responsible for prototyping, assembly, testing, and maintenance of the robot:

Designs and builds the systems — including motors, cylinders, and any other devices unique to the current year's game.
Assembles and tests iterations of the robot's systems to ensure performance meets the strategy requirements.
Performs full mechanical assembly and maintenance of the robot, including drive train, pneumatics, gears, and motors.
Pays attention to all materials used and documents them to ensure the robot complies with game weight regulations.

Electrical Team — Responsible for wiring all controllers, motors, compressors, sensors, and more:

Designs the board layout, coordinating with the overall robot design in CAD.
Wires all systems, ensuring all wires are labeled and neatly arranged for ease of maintenance.

Programming Team — Uses the software provided by FIRST® to create the program that allows the robot to perform various tasks and functions, both autonomously and under human control:

Designs and programs all functions of the robot for both autonomous and human control.
Builds the interface between the controls and the robot, with the input and agreement of the Driver and Operator.
Defines, develops, and programs sensors and other technologies to aid in the accurate operation of the robot.

Competition sub-teams

Drive Team — Responsible for the manipulation, driving, programming, and human-player parts of competition match play. Selected via tryouts and practices by the Assistant/Drive Coach, with the agreement of the Robotics Coach and Teacher Advisor. Comprised of a Driver, Operator, Human Player, and Technician:

Devotes an "above and beyond" approach to time spent learning the robot's maneuvers and abilities, with availability to attend training and strategy sessions outside of regular team meeting times.
Works with the Drive Coach to develop a strategic plan that aligns with the Strategy Team and competition alliance partners.
Represents the team, our robot, why we built it the way we did, and our processes for doing so, to the judges performing robot-based awards selection and pit interviews.

Pit Crew — Works directly with the drive team, mechanical team, and mentors to diligently maintain the robot throughout competitions. Members need to be familiar with all working parts of the robot and what is needed to repair them, so they can prepare for those items to be available during competition:

Provides maintenance and improvements as needed during the competition.
Preps the robot between matches — ensuring batteries are charged and ready, the right color bumpers are attached, etc.
Maintains the organization and cleanliness of the pit.
Directs other team members in the setup and teardown of the pit at competitions.

Impact Team — Represents the team in the formal judges' presentation and pit interviews for the Impact Award and other non-robot awards. Selected via tryouts and rehearsals by the Business and Marketing Mentor, with the agreement of the Robotics Coach and Teacher Advisor. Comprised of three formal awards presenters plus two or more backups:

Devotes an "above and beyond" approach to time spent learning about our team and our qualifications to earn FIRST's highest award — the Impact Award.
The three presenters deliver a formal 15-minute presentation plus a Q&A session.
The entire team represents our achievements and qualifications in pit interviews by judges for the other non-robot judged awards.

Scouting Team — An activity shared by all students on the team when not otherwise occupied by one of the roles above. Led by the Strategy Captain, it collects and analyzes robot performance data to aid match strategy and alliance selection at competitions:

Collects and records the performance data of every robot in every match to build the analysis.
Provides data and input to the drive team to support match-to-match strategy with alliance partners.
Provides overall analysis and preference data for choosing alliance partners most likely to help us succeed during alliance selection.