THE TWO FIRST QUESTIONS
What It Costs and How Much Time It Takes
Two questions every parent and student asks first. Here are the straight answers.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
$0
For students on this team.
We don’t charge dues.
Why we don’t charge dues
FTC judges us on three legs, not just one — what we build, how we engage with our community, and how we fundraise. A team with zero fundraising effort doesn’t do well at the awards table. So instead of taking money from students, we go raise it.
What about travel costs?
REGULAR LEAGUE MEETS
Single Saturdays. Day trips.
Regular League Meets are single Saturdays scattered between Tallahassee and Pensacola. Most weekends are simple day trips — gas money, packed lunch, and back home for dinner.
LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
2-day event. Likely Niceville.
There may be some out-of-pocket travel costs around the League Tournament — a two-day event, likely in Niceville — involving food, possibly one or two overnights, and gas to and from.
Even those we’ll attempt to fundraise for.
How much time does it take?
Officially: 1 to 100 hours per week.
Whatever fits.
If you want to drop in just for the fun, and you’re not disruptive, you’re welcome — show up as much or as little as you like. No required commitment.
What a successful season actually looks like
For a successful season, a typical FTC team has a core group of 4–5 students contributing 5–15 hours per week during the crunch part of the season. That tracks with what competitive FTC teams around the country report — roughly 10 hours/week is the sweet spot for a meaningful contributor, with team leads and drivers spiking higher in the two weeks before each tournament.
When does the season run?
The regular FTC season runs September through late January. If we advance, that adds a 2-day trip to State in early March (Winter Haven, FL). If we advance further, that’s a full week at Worlds in late April (Houston, TX).
The practical version
Plan on the school year having one extra “thing” most weeks, with one Saturday per month spent at a competition. That’s it. Less than band, less than football, less than most travel sports.
THE STRAIGHT ANSWERS
$0 to join. About 10 hours a week. One Saturday a month.
That’s the deal. Drop in for the fun, contribute as a core member, or carry a crunch sprint as a team lead — whichever fits your life this year.
Got more questions?
Come to a meeting and ask. Or email and we’ll answer anything you want to know.