At our recent FRC Planning Committee Re-org meeting, the question came up "Where do our registration fees go and how are they used?"  This is a really good question and one that I thought should be answered.  Back when I was coaching an FRC team, I thought that the fee was high and couldn't begin to imagine why that was so and what were we really getting for our money?  After being on the 'other side,' so to speak, organizing and supporting FIRST programs in North Carolina, I have learned that FIRST is a bargain!

But back to the original question.  When an FRC team pays the $5000 registration fee, it helps to cover the following costs:

$4000 goes to FIRST HQ to help cover:
• Kit of Parts - including not only the parts but the staff needed to source the parts, assemble the KOP, and ship the KOP
• Participation in 2 District Events - including the cost of staff needed to design the game, design the field, source the parts for the field, assemble the field at HQ, disassemble the field for shipping to NC, shipping, staff to answer game questions, staff to manage real-time game play, resources needed to provide real-time scoring and ranking updates
• Staff to process team registration and payments; staff to manage a world-wide organization
• Marketing materials and promotional materials

$1000 goes to FIRST North Carolina to help cover:
• Event expenses including venue rental, AV production, food for volunteers, transportation of all the equipment needed for the event
• Mobile Machine Shop - materials, replacement parts, tools, transportation

Thus both FIRST HQ and FIRST North Carolina are constantly raising funds through corporate and individual donor support to fund a program that impacts so many people in so many ways.  Team fees do not begin to cover the costs of running FIRST.  However, they do help people to have 'skin in the game' and a vested interest in making the most out of the experience possible!  And....

Compared to high school sports, the cost per student in FIRST is lower.  A TD Ameritrade survey found on average parents spend between $100-$500 PER MONTH per child in athletics.  20% of parents spend over $1,000 a month.  An FRC team with a budget of $10K ($5K registration and $5K for travel) and a team size of 25 is $400 per student for the year - or only $34 per month.

It's all about the math.  And for my math, FIRST is a really good deal!

Marie Hopper
President, FIRST North Carolina