FTC 2026 DECODE

Last weekend, Team Sprocket hosted our annual FTC event! This event ran smoothly receiving many compliments from staff and teams -- and food was delicious. We made many memories cooking quesadillas, tacos, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, nachos, and philly cheesesteaks. It was a little hectic at first, but luckily service ran more smoothly afterwards. The free cotton candy and claw machine were both a popular hit (and suprisingly, the Twinkies). We saw a lot of kids proudly holding up their plushies while stuffing their faces with pink and blue cotton candy. Furthermore, both set-up and clean-up were quick and well coordinated.

Set-up on Friday started at 6:30 PM, and ended at 8:30 PM with the help of FIRST staff. The whole gym was almost entirely set up in that one night. Then, we enjoyed delicious hot Chinese food and pizza with the custodians! On Saturday and Sunday, members arrived at 6:30 AM and ended at 8 PM. It was a lot of work, but it paid off!!

Here’s some reflections from members about FTC:

Outreach member, Brista, who worked in crowd control and field reset, says, “I think it was a very well managed event, which is great. Also, there weren’t a lot of people just standing around. It wasn’t that tiring, and it was nice being able to bond with my teammates!”

Additionally, Shelly, our publicity lead, relates, “I was really impressed by how efficient we were, and I liked talking to participants at the concessions stand. I also really enjoyed watching Sprocket members (Harrison and Tzuyu) perform the Star Spangled Banner! Being able to hear their talent was so moving.”

Justin, an operations member, proclaims, “It was an honor to be given the privilege of being able to attend FTC.” (Justin was also the MC, and he did a really great job.)

MC Zoey

Robots in action!

Claw machine