THERE’S A SEAT WITH YOUR NAME ON IT
Team Roles — There’s Something Here for Everyone
People assume FTC is a technical program. It’s not — at least, not only. The teams that win Inspire Awards and advance to State and Worlds pair strong engineering with equally strong non-technical work.
The robot is half the score. The other half is built by people who never touch a wrench.
Two Halves, One Team
We split roles into two halves. Left Brain handles the technical work — Software Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Driver/Operator, Strategist, Quality Tester. Right Brain handles everything else — Social Media, Website, Advertisement, Finance, Writer/Historian, scouting, and alliance forming.
The full breakdown of roles and what each one does lives on our Left Brain vs Right Brain Roles page.
“All technical = great robot, no awards/sponsors. All non-technical = great branding, weak performance.”
— We need both.
Lead Roles Across Both Sides
These are the leadership positions that run the team day-to-day. Some are elected by full members; some are appointed. All of them are held by students.
- CEO / President — student executive
- Executive Assistant
- Team Lead and Assistant Lead
- Left Brain Team Lead and Right Brain Team Lead
- Ambassador Lead
- Team Tech Lead
- Open Alliance Ambassador
One Person Can Wear Several Hats
Don’t let the long list scare you off. On a rookie team especially, one person almost always carries multiple titles — the Finance Coordinator might also be the Writer/Historian; the Mechanical Engineer might also be a Driver; the Team Lead might also be running social media.
Roles describe what each job is, not how many you’re allowed to hold. As we grow, the same role gets split among more people.
For now, expect to be plural.
What “Non-Technical” Actually Looks Like
A lot of people hear “non-technical” and picture handing out snacks. Not even close. Real Right Brain work this season:
THE HOUSTON SCENARIO
A full week away on roughly two weeks’ notice.
If we advance to State or Worlds, we’ll have to put together a Houston trip on roughly two weeks’ notice — a full week away from home with travel, lodging, and food for the whole team.
The teams that pull that off had someone planning quietly for months.
There Is Genuinely Something For Everyone
You don’t have to code. You don’t have to weld. You don’t have to want to be an engineer. If you like any of these things, there is a role on this team you will love:
If you like writing — engineering portfolio, blog, sponsor letters, grant applications, social-media captions.
If you like designing — team logo, T-shirts, patches, flyers, the website, robot reveal graphics.
If you like organizing — meeting calendars, build-day to-do lists, gear inventory, parts ordering.
If you like talking to people — Ambassador Lead, judges’ room presentations, sponsor pitches, outreach demos.
If you like planning trips — travel coordinator for tournaments, hotels, vans, meals, day-by-day schedules.
If you like taking photos — field shots from competition, build-day documentation, robot reveal images, social-media content.
If you like running a budget — Finance Coordinator, 501(c)(3) bookkeeping, sponsor receipts, year-end reporting.
If you like solving logistics puzzles — pit setup, equipment lists, transportation, contingency planning, day-of competition flow.
That goes for parents and mentors too.
Many of these roles are a perfect fit for a parent or a mentor — especially the ones that can be done from home. If you have a skill you’d like to put toward the team, the team needs it.
REACH OUT
FTC is one of the best high-school experiences anyone can sign up for.
We need a lot of hands to make this season work. Tell us what you’d like to do — we’ll find the spot.
Want the full role breakdown?
The Left Brain vs Right Brain post has every role described in detail. Or just come to a meeting and ask.
Left Brain vs Right Brain »
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