Like most Robotics Tournaments, those hosted by the Haslett Robotics Club are staffed entirely by volunteers. There are a wide variety of roles that vary significantly in both their time commitment, required experience, and physical demands. Given that variety though, there are roles for folks of nearly any age or level of experience with robotics. The descriptions below should help you get an idea of all the different ways that you can help us make great experiences for the teams and supporters that join us for events in Haslett every year.
Lunch is provided for all volunteers, and other considerations may be available that vary from event-to-event.
The Key Volunteers for any event are those that require the most significant time commitment and are responsible for planning and overseeing the operation of a tournament. These volunteers generally have more experience with Robotics, but that's not necessarily required for success in every role.
The Event Partner is the overall coordinator for an REC Foundation-sanctioned event. They are required to pass a certification and background check through the RECF every-other season to ensure that they are up-to-date with the evolving policies and procedures around the competition programs involved with the events they host. For our club, this role is filled by the Tournament Director withe the other Key Volunteers forming the bulk of the Tournament Committee.
Experience Required: Expert. The Tournament Director must be familiar with all aspects of an event including judging and refereeing both in general and for a specific season's game(s).
Time Commitment: 4-8 Hours per month, year-round, plus all tournament activities including setup and tear-down (16-20 hours per tournament).
With the support of the Tournament Director and the rest of the Tournament Committee, the Volunteer Coordinator manages the process of finding and scheduling volunteers to fill all the roles required to staff a successful event. They are also responsible for working with the Event Partner, Judge Advisor, and Head Referee to ensure that all volunteers receive appropriate training for their roles. The Volunteer Coordinator will work with the Concessions Coordinator to ensure that reasonable hospitality (e.g. lunch, snacks, drinks) are provided for volunteers throughout event days. On tournament days the Volunteer Coordinator oversees volunteer check-in, and handles any staffing or volunteer hospitality issues that may arise.
Experience Required: Medium. No robotics-specific experience is required, but strong organizational skills and experience in recruiting & training volunteers is a huge plus.
Time Commitment: 4-8 Hours per month during the school year, plus all tournament activities including setup and tear-down (16-20 hours per tournament).
The Concessions Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that any concessions offerings at an event are properly stocked, including sourcing items, arranging for team lunch orders, and working with the Volunteer Coordinator to provide food and beverages for volunteer hospitality.
Experience Required: Medium. No robotics-specific experience is required, but strong organizational skills and experience in recruiting & training volunteers is a huge plus.
Time Commitment: 4-8 Hours per month during the school year, plus all tournament activities including setup and tear-down (16-20 hours per tournament).
The Judge Advisor is responsible for organizing and overseeing the judging process at an event. This includes working with the Tournament Director and Volunteer Coordinator to recruit judges and ensure those judges are properly trained on the current judging process/standards. They also ensure that every team at an event has the opportunity to be interviewed by the judges. They will work with the Tournament Director and Tournament Committee to determine how to handle any preliminary remote judging. A Judge Advisor must be 21 or older, free of any conflicts of interest with any teams attending the event, and pass the Judge Advisor Certification.
Experience Required: Expert. The Judge Advisor is responsible for one of the most important aspects of any event and must lead the team of Judges with little to no input from the Tournament Director or any other volunteers.
Time Commitment: 4-8 Hours per month during the school year, plus tournament days, judge training, and any preliminary remote judging (16-20 hours per tournament).
The Head Referee is the ultimate authority for any gameplay-related rules at an event and -- with the support of the Tournament Director and Volunteer Coordinator -- is responsible for training and overseeing Scorekeeper Referees. Head Referees must be at least 20 years old for V5RC events, or 16 years old for VIQRC events, and must pass the appropriate Head Referee certification from the RECF. This position requires continuous standing and walking throughout an event. Head Referees are responsible for enforcing the game manual as written, answer score and rule questions from student drive team members, and arbitrate disputes fairly while deescalating arguments quickly. Unlike many other competitions, Referees in RECF competitions are expected to help teams avoid violating rules (e.g. by issuing verbal warnings before a rule is violated) in addition to identifying and resolving violations.
Experience Required: Advanced. The Head Referee must be very familiar both with the general operation of tournaments in an event's program, and the specifics of that year's rules, including any revisions or Q&As that may have happened throughout the season..
Time Commitment: Tournament Committee meetings leading up to a tournament, any training for scorekeeper referees ahead of a tournament, and tournament days (16-20 hours per tournament).
While the Key Volunteers are responsible for planning an oversight, they cannot put on a tournament on their own. It takes a village of volunteers to make events successful. There are roles available for people with any amount of robotics experience, and nearly any age -- even those younger siblings!
Roles are listed here in rough order of the amount of experience required and the time commitment for each.
Under the guidance and supervision of the Judge Advisor, Judges are responsible for evaluating teams through interviews, Engineering Notebooks, and on-field performance. They may also be asked to present awards. This position will mostly involve sitting, but there will be some standing and walking.
Experience Required: Intermediate. Robotics experience is helpful, but not necessary. Training will be provided by the Tournament Director and/or Judge Advisor in the weeks leading up to the event. Judges must be at least 18 years old and not part of any V5RC team for V5RC events, and at least 18 years old -- or at least 16 years old if paired with another Judge at least 18 years old -- for VIQRC events.
Time Commitment: 1-2 hours of training in the weeks leading up to the event. 2-4 hours of Engineering notebook review in the week before the event. Full (8-10 hours) day of the event.
Under the supervision of the Head Referee, Scorekeeper Referees are responsible for recording and verifying scores with teams and other officials (as necessary) after each Teamwork Challenge or Skills Challenge Match, discussing possible rule violations with the Head Referee after matches, and ensuring the field is reset and robots & team are ready for the next match. Scorekeeper Referees will also perform inspections at the beginning of the event. This position requires standing and walking throughout a shift. Scorekeeper Referees must be at least 15 years old for all events.
Experience Required: Intermediate. While this is a role that new volunteers can be successful in, more experience is always helpful. Scorekeepers will receive training prior to the event from the Tournament Director and/or Head Referee, but the RECF Referee Certification course is highly-recommended.
Time Commitment: 1-2 hours training in the weeks leading up to the event. Teamwork Challenge Scorekeeper Referees will generally serve at least one 4-hour shift, and Skills Challenge Scorekeeper Referees will generally serve at least one 2-hour shift.
The Tournament Manger Operator is responsible for operating the Tournament Manager software that controls events. This role may be combined with the Video Operator role, depending on the specific needs of an event and experience/skill level of the volunteer(s). This position will require standing, walking, and lifting objects up to 50 lbs. during setup & tear down, but will primarily be seated during the event.
Experience Required: Intermediate. Volunteers with technical experience are preferred, but troubleshooting skills are a must. Training will be provided by the Tournament Director.
Time Commitment: 2-4 hours the day before the event for setup & training. At least one half-day (4-5 hour) shift plus 2 hours for tear-down the day of the event.
The Video operator is responsible for operating the live video and audio systems in use during an event. This role may be combined with the Tournament Manager Operator role, depending on the specific needs of an event and experience/skill level of the volunteer(s). This position will require standing, walking, and lifting objects up to 50 lbs. during setup & tear down, but will primarily be seated during the event.
Experience Required: Intermediate. Volunteers with technical experience (IT, theater tech, AV production) are preferred, but troubleshooting skills are a must. Training will be provided by the Tournament Director.
Time Commitment: 2-4 hours the day before the event for setup & training. At least one half-day (4-5 hour) shift plus 2 hours for tear-down the day of the event.
Queuers are responsible for ensuring that teams are properly staged ahead of Teamwork Challenge matches. This generally means a combination of helping teams know where to line up, and finding teams that have not yet lined up ahead of their matches. This position requires standing and walking throughout a shift.
Experience Required: Beginner. No robotics experience is necessary, just the ability to communicate effectively, stay organized, and follow instructions.
Time Commitment: Up to 1 hour training in the weeks leading up to the event. At least one 2-hour shift during the event.
Field Resetters are responsible for ensuring that the play fields are returned to their proper starting state. They will be assisted by teams and scorekeeper referees. This position requires standing and walking throughout a shift.
Experience Required: Beginner. No robotics experience is necessary, just the ability to communicate effectively, stay organized, and follow instructions. This is a great role for siblings as young as Kindergarten!
Time Commitment: Up to 1 hour training in the weeks leading up to the event. At least one 2-hour shift during the event.
These volunteers are responsible for helping teams and other volunteers check in throughout the event, and also serve as the primary information desk to help answer questions from teams, volunteers, and spectators about the event/venue, or directing them to another official for more information This position will primarily be seated, but may require standing and walking at times.
Experience Required: Beginner. No experience necessary, just the ability to communicate effectively and follow instructions.
Time Commitment: Up to 1 hour training in the weeks leading up to the event. At least one 2-hour shift the day of the event.
These volunteers are responsible for the physical setup ahead of an event and/or the tear down after an event. This position will involve, standing, walking, and lifting objects up to 50 lbs.
Experience Required: Beginner. No experience necessary, just the ability to communicate effectively and follow instructions.
Time Commitment: At least one 2-hour shift the day before or day of the event.
Under the supervision of the Concessions Coordinator, these volunteers are responsible for staffing the concessions stand. This involves taking orders, serving food and beverages, and may involve some food preparation (e.g. pop corn). This position will involve standing and walking throughout a shift.
Experience Required: Beginner. No experience necessary, just the ability to communicate effectively and follow instructions.
Time Commitment: At least one 2-hour shift the day of the event.
These volunteers are responsible for moving items and information throughout the venue and/or filling in for other volunteers at the request of Tournament Officials. This position could involve sitting, standing, walking, and lifting objects up to 50 lbs.
Experience Required: Beginner. No experience necessary, just the ability to communicate effectively and follow instructions.
Time Commitment: At least one 2-hour shift the day of the event.