For every coach and mentor in Loudoun County.

Why this page exists.

Loudoun Robotics is a parent-founded nonprofit, but our mission isn't to grow our own teams — it's to make sure every kid in Loudoun County who wants to do robotics can. That means supporting every coach and every mentor in the county, not just the ones connected to our teams.

Coaches and mentors across Loudoun share more problems than they realize: parents who ghost in week three, parts that arrive late, kids who burn out before competition, judging interviews that get under-prepped. We're collecting what works — from any coach or mentor, for any team — in one place.

Bookmark this page. Send corrections. Tell us what would help you most. Get in touch any time.

Five steps to launch a team.

If you've never coached before, this is the path most teams take. None of the steps are hard. They just need to happen in order.

1. Pick a program.

   FLL Discover (ages 4–6), FLL Explore (grades 1–4), FLL Challenge (grades 4–8), FTC (grades 7–12), or FRC (grades 9–12). Younger = simpler kits, less time. Older = more coding, more travel.

2. Register the team with FIRST.

   Go to firstinspires.org, create a coach account, register the team. ~$295/team for FTC; FLL is similar. Required before you can buy a kit or compete.

3. Find a host space.

   You need a spot to meet weekly with a table, electrical outlets, and storage for the robot. School classroom, public library, makerspace, community center, or someone's basement — all work. Loudoun County Public Library branches frequently host teams for free.

4. Recruit students.

   FLL teams: 4–10 students. FTC: 6–15. Mix grades if you can — older kids mentor younger ones. Don't over-recruit; you can always add a second team later.

5. Buy the kit, set the schedule.

   FLL kit: ~$500–$800. FTC kit: ~$1,000+ for the basics. Plan a weekly meeting (90–120 min for FLL, 2–3 hrs for FTC) starting around September. First competition is usually December–January.

What experienced coaches wish they'd known.

A short list of habits that separate teams that have a great year from teams that limp through.

• Set the meeting cadence in week one and never miss it. Kids show up when the schedule is predictable. Same day, same time, same place.
• Don't let the robot eat the season. FLL Innovation Project and FTC Engineering Notebook matter as much as the robot at competition. Schedule non-build time deliberately.
• Two adults at every meeting, always. One can run drills; the other can troubleshoot. Also: child safety best practice.
• Communicate weekly with parents. A 5-line "what we did this week" email keeps families engaged and surfaces conflicts (illness, vacation, drop-out) before they become surprises.
• Plan for the mid-season slump. Around week 6–8, motivation drops. Schedule a fun build day, a movie night, or a visit to a local FTC team's practice. Kids need to remember why they signed up.
• Practice driving and presenting before competition. Most teams under-prep their judges' interview — that's where awards are won. Run mock interviews with a parent volunteer at least twice.
• Order replacement parts in October. Things break in November. Late-season parts orders take weeks to arrive.
• Keep one parent as designated driver to competitions. Robot transport is a logistical nightmare without ownership. Pick someone in week one.

Where the money actually comes from.

Most Loudoun teams don't fail because the kids can't do the work. They fail because the adults running them can't afford the registration fee, the kit, or the broken motor in February. Here's the funding stack that actually works for small teams.

• Loudoun Robotics team grants — $150–$500 for any Loudoun team, no strings attached. Apply via our funding page.
• Loudoun Youth, Inc. + ACOY minigrants — $500 minigrants for youth-serving programs in Loudoun County. Open year-round; reach out to ACOY directly.
• FIRST Rookie Grant (FTC) — reduced registration for first-year FTC teams. Apply during team registration.
• Local PTA/PTO funding — if your team is school-based, ask the PTA. They often have a "grants for clubs" line item that goes unused.
• Local corporate sponsorship — small Loudoun engineering firms, IT companies, and contractors will often sponsor $500–$2,500 for a team in their back yard. A one-page pitch and a coffee meeting goes a long way.
• Crowdfunding (Givebutter, GoFundMe) — works best when you have 30–50 supporters already. Tell parents to share with their networks; don't expect the public to find you cold.
• Robot Garage Sale — at season end, sell unused parts on AndyMark or eBay. Easy $100–$300 toward next season.

Local context that matters.

Host venues that welcome robotics teams

• Gum Spring Library — free meeting rooms, robotics-friendly. Loudoun County Public Library → Gum Spring.
• Other LCPL branches — most Loudoun County Public Library branches will host teams; ask the branch manager.
• Your school's classroom or makerspace — the easiest sell is a teacher who's already a fan. Coordinate with the principal.

Background checks & volunteer screening

FIRST requires lead coaches to complete a background check (Sterling). LCPS has its own volunteer registration if you're operating on school property. Plan for both to take 1–2 weeks; start in August if you're aiming for a September meeting kickoff.

Loudoun mentors who help across teams

Building this list. If you're a coach, engineer, programmer, or makerspace operator who'd be willing to be a cross-team resource, tell us and we'll add you.

Get in touch.

Suggest a resource, ask a coaching question, volunteer as a cross-team mentor, or tell us you want help starting a team. We read every message and reply within 24 hours.