Local FTC Help Needed for Cowtown Invitational

[Emily Nicole]

Hi FTC Coaches and Teams,

Boots. Bots. Big Energy.

We are just two weeks away from the Cowtown Invitational, and we are in the final push to fill several critical volunteer roles. This event is bringing top FTC teams from across the country to Fort Worth for a high-level Premier Event in the heart of the Stockyards, and we need our local FTC community to help us make it happen.

This is a great opportunity for local teams, alumni, mentors, and families to be part of the event even if you are not competing. FTC events run best when they are supported by people who understand the program, the pace, and the student experience.

 We are also happy to sign off on  service hours for students or volunteers who need them.  

Event Dates: June 9–10
Setup Help Needed: June 8
Location: Cowtown Coliseum, Fort Worth Stockyards
Sign Up: https://my.firstinspires.org/Volunteers/Wizard/Search/2?EventId=78907

Please review the attached volunteer role graphic for specific role times and details.

Right now, we especially need help with:

Judges

Judges are one of our biggest remaining needs. This is a great fit for adult mentors, alumni, professionals, educators, and FTC supporters who enjoy talking with teams and learning about their engineering process, outreach, robot design, and season journey.

We are also glad to welcome recent graduating seniors who will be 18 or older for the 2026 school year as judges, as long as they are not actively affiliated with a team competing at Cowtown. This can be a great way for new alumni to experience FTC from a different side and help celebrate teams’ accomplishments.

If you are affiliated with a team competing at Cowtown, we can help determine whether judging is an appropriate fit based on conflict of interest. If your team is not competing, this is a high-impact way to support the event.

Field Reset and Queuing 

Field Reset and Queuing are great roles for FTC students, alumni, and younger team members who want to be close to the action. 

This is one of the best ways for students to support the event, see high-level FTC play up close, and be part of the competition floor experience. 

Easy First-Time Roles: A Few Hours Makes a Big Difference

We also need help with several roles that are perfect for teams, parents, mentors, and volunteers who can only give a few hours:

Event Setup on June 8
Team Load-In on the morning of June 9
Team Check-In on the morning of June 9
Event Breakdown on June 10

These roles do not require special training, and even a couple of hours of help would make a real difference. Setup, load-in, check-in, and breakdown are especially helpful places for local teams and families to jump in.

Cowtown is a chance to showcase FTC in Texas and give visiting teams an incredible event experience. If your team has students, parents, alumni, or mentors who can help, we would be incredibly grateful.

Thank you for helping us bring Cowtown to life!