Coaches Start Here

Welcome to Coaching an Aerial Drone Team! 

Congratulations, and thank you for coaching a team of students that are interested in drones, STEM and being part of a team. Coaching an Aerial Drone Competition team can be an intimidating concept for some new coaches, but we are here to support and encourage you on this journey.

What is a Coach?

Simply put, a coach is an advocate.

The REC Foundation keeps all programs student centered. That means your main job is to support your team by scheduling practices, ordering equipment, assisting with conflict resolution, and being a cheerleader for your team.

Who can be a coach?

Anyone with a passion for helping students.

We see many different types of coaches that range from educators in a school environment, to a parent who is coaching out of their living room, to a high school student helping younger teams. If you have the desire to change the life of a student, you can be a coach.

What kind of experience does a coach need?

Absolutely none.

Being a coach doesn’t mean that you are an expert in flying, coding, or even selecting a strategy for your team! No drone background or previous experience is needed. We have the resources and support staff to assist you, every step of the way.

How do I get Support?

The REC Foundation, along with our partners provide support to coaches. Who provides that support depends on whether you need assistance with your team, event, equipment or curriculum.

The REC Foundation

The Robotics Education and Competition Foundation (REC Foundation) is a non-profit organization that provides coaches and event partners with managers to aid in the development and sustainability of teams and events.

Drone Partners

Our partners design, produce, distribute, and support all the hardware, software, and game elements for the Aerial Drone Competition. Our partners include:

• Robolink: Ordering, support and curriculum for an official Aerial Drone Competition drone, the CoDrone EDU
• Drone Competition Gates: Ordering and support for official Aerial Drone Competition competition fields, game elements, and trophies 

Game Design Committee

The Aerial Drone Competition Game Design Committee also creates the game manual, enforces rules, and supplies the REC Foundation with support to ensure the success of event partners.

Who should I contact if I need help?

You can always reach our Aerial Drone Competition Support team at drones@roboticseducation.org. We will direct you to the appropriate support person.

Where should I start?

Go to an event

Experiencing a competition first-hand is an indescribable opportunity. Look at teams’ pit areas and take notes of interesting or fun ideas to bring back to your organization. Watch matches and look at drones to learn some best practices for flying, programming, and witness student-centered drone competition in action.

Talk to other mentors and students

Each team and organization runs differently, and each can teach you something new. Set up a visit to talk with another organization’s coaches, and bring your students to network with members of their teams. You can search for teams and events in your area at RobotEvents.com.

Read though the articles in the Aerial Drone Competition Library

This platform is designed with you in mind. Topics include subjects like register a team, competition event formats, judging competition logbooks, coding your drone and so much more.  

Reach out to your Aerial Drone Competition Support Team

We are coaches’ advocates and the go-to source of support for all things team-related, including registration, grants, and general team support. Email us at drones@roboticseducation.org.