Robotics is a co-curricular option during both the Winter and Spring seasons. The Winter co-curricular is open to all students for robotics training, however the Spring co-curricular is reserved for Robotics Team members only. Students on the Robotics Team are expected to sign up for both co-curriculars.

Winter Robotics Training (FRC Preseason, Nov 4 - Dec 13) — This co-curricular is open to all students. Students will be expected to meet in the Robotics & Engineering Lab three days per week for a total of 4 to 6 hours per week. Students will learn about robotics and develop a variety of skills. Robotics Team members will use this time to prepare for the 2025 FRC build season.

Spring Robotics Team (FRC Build Season, Jan 4 - Apr 10) — This co-curricular is reserved for Robotics Team members only. There is a lot of work to do during build season, so team members must be committed, willing to contribute, and consistently put in the required hours required for their position. Team heads and leads will be required to log in at least 12 hours per week, and other team members will be required to log in at least 8 hours per week. During the week prior to a competition, students may be required to log in extra hours.

• Kickoff — The 2025 FRC game is released by FIRST on January 4. This is before classes begin on January 8th, so the kickoff meetings will be held remotely via Zoom. Team members who are in town are welcome to join the coaches in the lab.

• Weekends/Open Weekend — With just six weeks to design, build and practice operating our robot, the C-Otters will need to develop a work ethic that prioritizes consistent progress. This means that we must utilize weekends (and even Open Weekend, Jan 30 - Feb 1) to log in hours and keep things moving forward. This collective commitment to log in hours during the six weekends will give us the best chance to make steady progress and reach our season goals. During Open Weekend, the lab will be open Thursday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm. Taking full advantage of these days will give us the best chance to meet our goal of completing our robot by February 21. The lab will be closed during Winter Break.

• After Winter Break — Following Winter Break, C-Otters will be busy with drive practice, software fine tuning, and making mechanical and electrical adjustments. To get the robot primed for competition, team members may need to contribute extra hours in the lab during this time.

• Competitions — During the month of March, the C-Otters will compete in two regionals, likely in Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area. Competition dates and locations will be determined in Sept/Oct. Typically, competitions begin with a Wednesday afternoon load in and end with the final competitions on Saturday afternoon.

Spring Robotics Team (FRC Postseason, Apr 22 - May 30) — Expectations during this time period will revert to three days per week for a total of 4 to 6 hours per week. This is a time for the Robotics Team to reflect on the FRC season, set goals for the next FRC season, identify future team leaders, and develop robotics-related software, drive, design, fabrication, mechanical and electrical skills.

Engineering & Robotics Lab — We have a bright and spacious dedicated Robotics & Engineering Lab with a vast selection of hand, power and computer controlled tools. During the FRC Build Season, the lab will be open six days a week, Monday-Friday 3:00-6:00pm and Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm. Team members will be expected to log in their required hours during these times.