Become a Mentor or Coach

As a mentor or coach of a FIRST team, you are, through the kids, the key ingredient in the success of your team. Your contribution to the success of FIRST programs and ultimately to the success of FIRST is immeasurable.

Who are FIRST mentors and coaches? Our team members say it best. A mentor/coach teaches others what they know, brings either technical or non-technical expertise to the team, and provides the opportunity for students to learn directly through experiences.

Most of our team activities run from August through April. Coaches/Mentors can arrange with their team when and how they are able to contribute. Working directly with a group of students is likely the most rewarding experience you will have.

You can always contact mentorcoach@firstinspires.org for more information.
Coach/Mentor Checklist

Coach a Team

Why Coach IG
Coaches are a vital part of making the program a reality for students. No previous experience is required to coach a team and you do not need to be a working professional in a STEM-related field. Coaches facilitate teams by coordinating practices, finding subject matter experts, developing students' internalization of Core Values, and more. 

Interested in Coaching a FIRST LEGO League Explore (Grades 2-4) or FIRST LEGO League Challenge team (Grades 4-8)? View the informational flyer from FIRST.

Interested in Coaching a FIRST Tech Challenge (Grades 7-12) or FIRST Robotics Competition Team (Grades 9-12)? View the informational flyer from FIRST.

Mentor a Team

Each of our programs have varying time commitments, but each is extremely rewarding. From finding their people to finding their path, mentors help students gain the skills and confidence to forge ahead and build their future. And now, more than ever, we need to empower and foster the next generation of innovators to feel hopeful and build a better future. No previous experience is required to mentor a team. 

FIRST Mentor Network

On August 10, 2020, FIRST launched the FIRST Mentor Network. The FIRST Mentor Network is an interactive platform allowing mentors to find FIRST teams to work with virtually or face to face, locally or across the country, for a few hours or for a season. Learn more about the FIRST Mentor Network on FIRST's website.

Interested in mentoring a FIRST team? Follow these steps to access the FIRST Mentor Network:
  1. Create or login to your www.firstinspires.org account.
  2. Make sure you complete your Youth Protection Screening (18+ years old).
  3. Choose the Volunteer Registration tab and select "FIRST Mentor Network". Follow the steps to create your Mentor Profile and publish it to see teams that match your profile.
Looking for mentors for your FIRST team? Follow these steps to access the FIRST Mentor Network:
  1. As the Lead Coach/Mentor 1 or 2, login to your www.firstinspires.org account.
  2. Go to My Teams and select the Team Information dropdown on your team.
  3. Click on Find Mentors.
  4. Follow the steps to create your Team Post and publish it to see mentors that match your team needs.

What skills are needed?

Teams rely on mentors to assist and educate the team with a range of different tasks.



No previous experience with FIRST or robotics is necessary!



Skills needed by teams include:

- Marketing and fundraising

- Graphic design and communications

- Team organization and project and financial management

- Software and hardware engineering


Interested in Mentoring a FIRST LEGO League Explore (Grades 2-4) or FIRST LEGO League Challenge team (Grades 4-8)? View the informational flyer from FIRST.


Interested in Mentoring a FIRST Tech Challenge (Grades 7-12) or FIRST Robotics Competition Team (Grades 9-12)? View the informational flyer from FIRST.

Mentor Training

If you:

  • Are a former team member transitioning into a mentor role with your old team;
  • Are a former team member transitioning into a mentor role with a new team;
  • Have worked with a youth serving organization before but are new to FIRST;
  • Have never worked with a youth serving organization before; or
  • Are a veteran mentor and plan on inviting new mentors from any of the above categories to work with you and your team


Then this training from FIRST is for you!

New Mentor Training
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