What to Expect at Your First Robotics Competition (A Parent's Survival Guide)
Walking into a robotics competition can feel overwhelming. The noise hits you first: cheering crowds, buzzing robots, announcer voices echoing through a gym or convention center. Then you see the setup: practice tables, competition rings, teams huddled around laptops, and kids in matching t-shirts everywhere.
If you're wondering what just happened and how to help your child through their first competition day, you're not alone. Here's what you need to know.
Want to prepare your child for what's ahead? The STEAM Scholars: Competition Day walks them through the entire experience from a kid's perspective—so they know exactly what to expect before stepping into that gym.
Before You Walk In: What to Bring
Pack these items the night before:
Snacks and water – Competition days are long. Your child might skip lunch because they're too nervous or too excited. Bring protein bars, fruit, and their favorite comfort snack.
A fully charged phone – You'll want photos and you'll need to stay in touch with your team.
Layers of clothing – Competition venues can be freezing cold or too hot. Bring a sweatshirt.
Entertainment for yourself – Bring a book or games. There's a lot of waiting time.
Cash – Some venues have food trucks or snack bars that don't take cards.
Your child's team coach should tell you what the team needs to bring. That usually includes the robot, spare parts, presentation material, and their engineering notebook.
What Your Role Is (And Isn't)
Here's the truth: This is your child's competition, not yours.
What you should do:
Stay in the audience area or waiting zone for parents
Cheer loudly when your child's team competes
Take photos and videos
Offer encouragement between matches
Celebrate effort, not just scores
What you shouldn't do:
Go into the pit area unless invited by the coach
Give technical advice during competition (even if you're an engineer)
Complain to officials about judging or scores
Pressure your child about performance
Compare your child's team to other teams
Most competitions have clear boundaries about where parents can and cannot go. Respect those boundaries. Your child's coach will come get you if you're needed.
When Things Go Wrong (And They Will)
Something will probably go wrong. That's part of robotics.
The robot might:
Break during a match
Not work the way it did in practice
Malfuction during a critical match
Fail inspection or need emergency repairs
Your child might:
Forget what to do during a match
Drop the robot
Have a conflict with a teammate
Feel like they let the team down
When this happens, here's what helps:
Stay calm. Your energy affects your child's energy. If you panic, they'll panic more.
Listen first. Don't immediately try to fix it or give advice. Just listen to how they feel.
Remind them this is practice. Every competition teaches something new. Even professionals fail sometimes.
Point out what went right. There's always something. Maybe their teamwork was strong. Maybe they recovered quickly from a mistake. Maybe they helped another team.
The best learning happens when things don't go perfectly.
Help your child build confidence before competition day. The STEAM Scholars: Competition Day shows them how to handle mistakes, work with teammates, and stay positive when things don't go as planned.
Understanding the Scoring
Robotics competitions use point systems that can seem confusing.
In FIRST LEGO League (FLL), teams earn points by completing missions on the table. A robot might need to move objects, activate mechanisms, or reach certain zones. Each mission has a different point value.
In VEX competitions, teams score by moving game pieces into goals or zones within a time limit.
Don't worry if you don't understand all the details. Your child will explain the missions to you (probably multiple times). Just know that:
Higher scores are better
Matches are usually 2-3 minutes long
Teams compete in multiple matches throughout the day
Final rankings consider all match scores
The Culture Shock: Gracious Professionalism
You might notice something different at robotics competitions. Teams help each other.
A team that just lost a match might lend tools to the team that beat them. Kids from competing teams sit together and share design ideas. When a robot breaks, other teams offer spare parts.
This is called "gracious professionalism" or "coopertition" (cooperation + competition). It's a core value in robotics competitions.
Teach your child to:
Congratulate other teams, win or lose
Offer help when they see another team struggling
Say "good match" to opponents
Cheer for all teams, not just their own
This attitude matters. Teams have won awards specifically for outstanding sportsmanship.
After the Competition
The ride home is important.
Your child might be:
Exhausted and quiet
Talking nonstop about everything that happened
Crying because they're disappointed
Already planning what to do differently next time
All of these reactions are normal.
Ask open questions:
"What was your favorite part?"
"What surprised you today?"
"What did you learn?"
Avoid questions like:
"Why didn't you score more points?"
"What went wrong?"
"Are you disappointed?"
Focus on growth, effort, and experience. The score matters less than what your child learned and whether they want to continue.
The Real Win
Here's what matters most about robotics competitions:
Your child is learning to work in a team, solve complex problems under pressure, handle disappointment, celebrate others' success, and think like an engineer.
They're building skills that will help them in school, careers, and life.
The trophy is nice. The skills last forever.
So when you walk into that overwhelming, noisy, chaotic competition venue, remember: You're not just watching robots compete. You're watching your child grow.
Get Your Child Competition-Ready Today
Don't let your child walk into their first robotics competition feeling nervous and unprepared. The STEAM Scholars: Competition Day by Auntie Sierra gives them the inside look at what really happens—the excitement, the teamwork, the challenges, and the wins.
Perfect for ages 8-12 | Available also on Amazon