Coach Corner: FTC Docs, REV Robotics, and Starter Bots...Oh My!

Getting ready for the season can feel like a lot — but you don’t have to do it alone! This issues’s Coach Corner rounds up some of the best resources to help your team build, program, and compete with confidence. Check out this special FTC Edition for helpful guides, toolkits, and tips designed to make your season a success.

You’ll find:

• FTC-Docs: The official FIRST Tech Challenge hub for team guides, programming resources, and Control System info.

• REV Docs: The go-to spot for setup, troubleshooting, and build guides — especially for teams using REV hardware (check the DUO section for FTC-specific content).

• Game Manual 0: A community-created guide full of practical tips and competitive insights from veteran teams.

• FTC Starter Bots: Pre-designed robot kits from vendors like goBILDA, REV, Studica, and AndyMark — perfect for teams just getting started.

No matter where your team is in its journey, these resources are a great place to start (or restart!) your season strong.

https://ftc-docs.firstinspires.org/en/latest/ is the official FIRST Tech Challenge resource hub for teams and coaches. It’s a one-stop shop for everything from getting started to mastering advanced technical topics.

Here you’ll find guides on programming, electronics, and the FIRST Tech Challenge Control System, along with key reference materials and best practices for building and competing. Whether you’re a new coach or an experienced team looking to refine your robot, FTC-Docs should be one of your first stops for reliable, up-to-date information.

REV Robotics

https://docs.revrobotics.com/ is REV Robotics’ official resource hub — your go-to place for setup guides, troubleshooting help, programming tutorials, and build resources.

If your team uses the REV Control Hub or Driver Hub, you’ll find everything you need here to get started, solve issues, and learn best practices for building and coding.

For FIRST Tech Challenge teams, be sure to explore the REV DUO section — this covers all FTC-specific products, including the control system and expansion hubs. The DUO pages are the best place to start when you’re setting up your robot or running into issues with your REV hardware.

Game Manual 0

https://gm0.org/en/latest/ is a community-created and community-led resource built by experienced FIRST Tech Challenge teams to help new and growing teams get started.

Its goal is to make the transition into FIRST Tech Challenge smoother by gathering practical advice, build guidance, and programming tips all in one place. The guide was written by veteran, championship-level teams and is designed to share their collective knowledge — from fundamental engineering principles to advanced competitive strategies.

While not an official FIRST resource, Game Manual 0 is widely trusted across the community and offers a great first look at what other teams recommend when you’re learning, experimenting, or troubleshooting throughout the season.

Starter Bots

In addition to these great learning resources, FIRST Tech Challenge has partnered with several vendors to offer official FTC Starter Bots — predesigned robot kits that help teams get up and running quickly.

If your team is still getting ready for the season or looking for a solid foundation to build from, these kits are a great place to start. Each provides a ready-to-assemble robot along with parts and build documentation tailored for FTC competition.

Explore available options:

• goBILDA StarterBot Page
• REV StarterBot Page
• Studica StarterBot Page
• AndyMark StarterBot Page