Yesterday night, I volunteered with FIRST FTC, a high school competitive robotics program. I had previously been a part of not one but two FTC teams, both from my high school. I'm mentoring those teams this year, and a team coach suggested that I register as a volunteer.
I did register, and was assigned the role of Pit Runner. The role description table indicates that Pit Runners aren't generally necessary, but that's OK, since this was my first volunteer role. When I got to the place, I got a badge/lanyard and was issued a copy of the match schedule. My job was to notify the teams when a match they were involved in was coming up. That ensured everybody was queued up when it was time for the match, making everything run smoother.
Almost immediately, somebody came up and asked me a question about where to find something. I had no idea (but I directed her to someone who knew), and now I understand how most volunteers I've seen from the standpoint of a team member feel!
I didn't get much chance to watch the matches, but I was moving most of the time, which I guess means my presence was useful.
The whole event took three and a half hours starting at 6 PM. Despite the tiredness, it was a positive experience. I'll almost certainly be volunteering at the next nearby FTC event.
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