Watching a FRC competition come together is an absolutely amazing experience. Ever wonder what goes on before the speakers come on and the robots face off? Let’s dive in.

It’s the day before Monty Madness, our annual off-season competition at Montgomery High School. The field is basically complete as of last night, after much head pounding as to which screws go where. The floor boarding was aligned and taped together and the sensors were put into place. The field came together before the pizza came however, and everyone there was quite glad for that. “I think we’re working quite diligently and the place is coming together quite well,” one of the volunteers commented.

I asked a friend of mine for a quick tour of the event (this is my first time at Monty Madness). He obliged.

We began on the field. “Here is the referee scoring panel. You know what it’s for.” For those of you who don’t know, the scoring panel basically allows the referees to log the number of foul points a team accumulates during a match. He lets me take a photo, then starts leading me to the other side of the field.

As we strode down the length of the field, my friend pointed out to me the A/V equipment and the executive table. There were a couple of volunteers laying down wires for the streaming equipment and several people setting up the judging/executive table. And my good friend let me geek out about the jib for a couple of minutes. 🙂

On the Red Alliance side of the field, a group of volunteers was setting up a large metal frame. “That’s the large metal screen where all the scores are going,” my friend explained. I’ve seen these screens before, but to see them before they are put up makes them even more impressive.

My friend leads me over to the pits. There are a few teams here because they’re close to our school, but for the most part the pit is empty.

In the back some volunteers were taking a (hopefully small) break after moving the tables and setting up the power. I looked up and saw some interestingly-shaped sticks. “Those are signs for the pits,” explained my friend.

And…then pasta was served and everyone jolted toward the food. But it was amazing to see a competition come together and all the hard work that everyone put into it.

I promise more photos will come.