I am a middle school student that is moving into high school next year where my middle school does vex v5, but my high school doesn’t do robotics and none of the other high schools in my district do it either, any suggestions on how I can continue vex?
There’s no requirement that a team be part of a school, so you could try getting a group together, recruit a parent as your mentor/coach, and work as a community team.
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Also, you might meet the definition of middle school student in 9th grade, so you might be able to compete with your middle school team.
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But how would I get the parts
what do you mean meet the definition of middle school student in 9th grade
Read Game Manual definitions:
Student - A person is considered a Student if they meet both of the following criteria:
- Anyone who is earning or has earned credit toward a high school diploma, certificate, or
other equivalent during the six (6) months preceding the VEX Robotics World Championship.
Courses earning credits leading up to high school would satisfy this requirement. - Anyone born after May 1, 2003 (i.e., who will be 19 or younger at VEX Worlds 2023). Eligibility
may also be granted based on a disability that has delayed education by at least one year.
• Middle School Student - A Student born after May 1, 2007 (i.e., who will be 15 or younger
at VEX Worlds 2023). A Middle School Student may “play up” and compete as a High School
Student.
• High School Student - Any eligible Student who is not a Middle School Student
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Starting a private team outside of a school is an upfront investment as your private team will need to buy the parts yourselves. Do you know if there are other private teams in your area that you can join? When you were competing in MS VRC, did you compete with any private teams at the tournaments? Maybe some of them are on Discord that you may reach out to and see if you can join them.
But if you form your own, you can look to see if others on Vex Forums are selling their used parts, or look on eBay/Craigslist. You can always go to vexrobotics.com to purchase the kits, parts, field, etc. You can also buy screws and others parts from robosource.net.
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Part of being a community team is finding sponsors and raising money for the equipment you need. It can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. There are a number of successful Community teams your first task will be to find a mentor/coach who is supportive of your effort.
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So if I am 15 or younger I can compete with my middle school team?
If you met the age requirements to be considered a middle school student, this year yes. Next season might be different.
I know as an EP MS teams find it unsettling to have kids that they know are in a high school compete at middle school event. However, what we consider “normal” middle school ages is different around the globe.
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well I am 14 and live in the US so I think Im good
Get sponsored by someone. One of my friends got sponsored by Kumon and started his own team.
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When you say sponsor, do you mean by like a company
If you look at the VRC State Championship for your region, it appears that some high schools in your area do VEX. 2023 Idaho VRC High School Regional Championship: Robot Events
I would either get in contact with them to see if you could join one of their teams or start a private (non-school-affiliated) team like others have mentioned above me.
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Joining a robotics team at another school is not unheard of. I teach/coach in a school district neighboring my home school district. The school in my home town does not sponsor a BEST Robotics team, so my kids have joined the team at the school I work at. Since their district does not offer this activity, they permit kids to participate elsewhere. Both districts have to agree to it and there is a bit of paperwork for insurance reasons, but it is not uncommon. (Our BEST robotics team has members from 5 different schools). Start by talking to your local school administration if you wish to try this route.
Of course none of the hassle probably applies if you find a private/community team.
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That is very helpful thank you for the comment
You should definitely look into starting your own team. Find a bunch of other students that are interested in robotics and who are as committed as you are and form a team. There are plenty of people here who would be able to give you great advice to find sponsors to help fund your team.
It is 100% doable. My high school only did FIRST, so I decided to start my own VEX team right after middle school. We were up and running within less than two months.
Good luck!
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That is very helpful, it looks like I just need to figure out how to get sponsered