Joining the RatPack
Welcome! This page will walk you through the steps to officially join the RatPack for the 2023-2024 season.
We have several steps you need to complete to join the team. The forms should take you at most 20-30 minutes to complete in total. We’ve split them up by who should be completing them. If you get stuck on anything, contact us by email and we will do our best to help!
Returning students: you need to complete all of these steps as well.
Deadline:
Steps 3, 4, and 5 are required before you can work in our shop.
All other steps are required by our registration deadline of November 5, 2023 (updated)
Some things you will need to complete registration:
Contact information (for both students and parents)
Health and insurance information
Payment information or check
Looking for middle school robotics?
RatPack is for students in 9th-12th grade. For students in 6th-8th grade, check out our FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Team 7305, the GearCats! RatPack works very closely with the GearCats and it is a great first step into the FRC world. With mentors and student mentors from this team running the program, we do our best to educate FTC students on FIRST, robotics, STEAM, and engineering.
Check your progress here:
Click the button below to see if you are done with registration. We keep this spreadsheet as up-to-date as possible. If you are listed as “missing” something that you think you did already, check with a mentor!
1. Join the RatPack Google Group (email list)
We use a Google Group to send important announcements by email.
Who: students should sign up for this. Parents can also sign up to get regular team announcements.
When: as soon as possible
Note: AAPS accounts generally cannot join this group. Try to join with a personal email address instead. If you don’t have another email address, please indicate this in the student info form (step 2, below) and we’ll add your AAPS email address to an internal list that also gets most announcements.
To join the group:
Log in with a personal email address that you check regularly
Visit the Google Group: here
Click “Ask to join group” near the top of the page
Put your name in the “reason for joining” field
Make sure that your “Subscription” setting is set to “Every new message”
Click “Ask to join”
If you are a returning student, you are likely already in this group, but double-check by clicking the button.
We also maintain a list for parent updates - encourage your parents to join this. They can join the general team list above as well. The same instructions apply as above (please mention your student’s name as well in the “reason for joining” field).
2. Student Info Form
Who: students fill this out
When: as soon as possible
This helps us get to know you better so that we can match you with subteams and projects that you’re interested in. (Also, it helps us make sure you get a team shirt!)
3. Team Consent & Release Form
Who: a parent/guardian must fill this out.
When: as soon as possible
This form is required before you will be allowed to work in our shop.
You can submit this form by:
turning in a copy at a team meeting
emailing a printed+scanned or electronically-completed version to us (see contact information here). Note: the email needs to come from the adult who completed the form.
4. Emergency Contacts Form
Who: a parent/guardian typically fills this out
When: as soon as possible
This form is required before you will be allowed to work in our shop.
5. Medical Info Form
Who: a parent/guardian typically fills this out
When: as soon as possible
You will need health insurance information to complete this form.
This form is required before you will be allowed to work in our shop.
6. Parent Participation Form
Who: at least one parent/guardian should fill out this form - ideally two.
When: by the team registration deadline
We depend on parent help to run our team. This helps us figure out how best to involve everyone.
7. Register with FIRST
This is the registration process for FIRST, our parent organization. This is required to participate in FIRST competitions.
Who: in most cases, parents need to register their student(s) and complete two consent/release forms. Students 18 or older can complete these steps themselves.
When: by the team registration deadline
Express Registration
You can register with FIRST at this link, or with the QR code below:
Important things to note when registering with FIRST:
You should join FIRST Robotics Competition Team 830, the RatPack. The link or QR code above should handle this automatically.
Once you have joined the team, there will be a second consent and release form to fill out, specific to FIRST in Michigan. You need to sign both forms. See the last picture in the slideshow below. (FIRST’s PDF instructions only show one form.)
See the screenshots provided below with important parts highlighted in red:
FIRST also has their own set of help pages, if needed:
8. Team Fee
Our team fee for the full 2023-2024 season is $250, which covers part of our operating costs. If this poses a problem for you, we have scholarships and other alternatives available. Nobody will be denied participation due to their financial situation. To apply for a need-based scholarship, fill out this form or contact us by email.
The team fee is due by the team registration deadline unless other arrangements are made.
You can pay online with credit/debit, or in-person with a check. If paying by check, checks should be made out to “FRC team 830”. Contact us by email if you need an alternative (e.g. mailing address).
9. High Five
Wow! That was a lot of forms. That deserves a high five, wouldn't you think?
