All sessions cover the same Agenda.
All coaches and prospective coaches are welcome to attend Coach Virtual Training.
Schedule
- Saturday, 06/07/25, 3-5 PM (Some documents for the 2025-2026 season might not be posted yet)
- Tuesday, 08/19/25, 7-9 PM
- Monday, 08/25/25, 4-6 PM
- Thursday, 09/04/25, 4-6 PM
- Wednesday, 09/10/25, 4-6 PM
- Monday, 09/15/25, 4-6 PM
- Thursday, 09/25/25, 4-6 PM
- Tuesday, 09/30/25, 7-9 PM
- Saturday, 10/11/25, 3-5 PM
Agenda
- Coaching Philosophy, 15 minutes
- A Coach should be a Guide on the Side, not a Sage on the Stage
- VEX Robotics is a Student-Centered Program
- Students learn the skills they need to do the work with a minimum of adult assistance
- Develop game strategies
- Design, build, program, test, and drive robots
- Compete in Teamwork Challenge and Robot Skills Challenge matches
- Document use of the Engineering Design Process in an Engineering Notebook
- Develop project management,teamwork, and communication skills
- Demonstrate professionalism, respect, courtesy and positivity
- Prepare for a Team Interview with Judges
- Coaches provide a safe environment and the equipment and resources students need
- Review of important websites and resources for VIQRC coaches, 90-105 minutes
See Team Resources and Game Resources below for links
- LARobotics.org
- Nelson Team Grants
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Recipient Schools
- LAUSD VEX IQ Leagues
- Coach Training
- Sponsors
- recf.org (or RoboticsEducation.org)
- About / Contact Us / Regional Contacts
- Teams / Competition / VEX IQ Robotics Competition
2025-2026 VEX IQ Robotics Competition (VIQRC) Mix & Match
- GAME MANUAL & DOWNLOADS
- Game Description, Details, Field, Scoring
- Game Manual
- Quick Reference Guides
- Training Courses: Coches, Drive Team & Head Referee
- Field Assembly
- Robot Inspection & Legal/Illegal Parts
- Hero Robot for Mix & Match (requires the IQ 2nd generation Competition Kit)
- Mix & Match Paper Scoresheets
- Game Video
- CURRENT GAME: Description and Video
- REC Library - VIQRC
- Get Started
- Robots: Engineering Design Process, Robots, Coding
- Notebooks
- Competitions
- Judging
- Forms & Policies
- Students & Parents
- 2025-2026 Mix & Match Game Manual
- VEX Library
- VEX Library - IQ
- Get Started
- Teaching with IQ
- Electronics
- Mechanical
- VEXcode IQ
- Visual Studio Code Extension
- VIQRC Virtual Skills
- Legacy
- RobotEvents.com
- Team Registration
- Event Registration
- Map of Local Events and Teams
- World Skills Standings
- Official Q&A for Game Manual and for Guide to Judging
- VEXRobotics.com (or VEX.com)
- Products: Order robot kits and parts
- Education
- STEM Labs (Curriculum)
- Resource Library = VEX Library
- VEXcode
- Competition
- Downloads
- Build Instructions
- VEXcode Software
- VEXos Firmware
- Competition Game Manuals
- Printable VEX Ruler
- News: Monthly Newsletters
- Sales & Support
- Questions and answers
Location
Zoom Meeting Link
Please email LeRoy@LARobotics.org if you plan to attend a Coach Virtual Training session.
Schedule
- Sunday, 06/08/25, 1-5 PM
- Saturday, 08/23/25, 1-5 PM
- Saturday, 09/06/25, 1-5 PM
- Saturday, 09/20/25, 1-5 PM
- Saturday, 10/04/25, 1-5 PM
Agenda
- Build BaseBot with Sensors, 90 minutes
- Robot Builds,Competition Kit and Mix & Match Field, 10 minutes
- Questions and answers, 10 minutes
- Break, 10 minutes
- Program BaseBot with Sensors, 110 minutes
- Questions and answers, 10 minutes
Location
LeRoy Nelson Home
Los Angeles Robotcs Office
1457 3rd St
Manhattan Beach CA 90266
310-529-4637
Each Hands-On Training session at LeRoy's home is limited to 12 coaches.
Please email LeRoy@LARobotics.org if you plan to attend a Hands-On Training session.
Coaches will be working with Generation 2 VEX IQ robot kits.
Please bring a tablet or laptop computer with Wi-Fi and an available USB port that you can use to program a robot:
System Requirements.
Please contact LeRoy if you would like to host a Coach Hands-On Training session for 6-20 coaches.
The Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF) Coach and Event Partner Training Webinars are monthly opportunities to explore specific topics that are relevant to specific phases of the robotics season.
- These webinars are geared towards both new and experienced coaches.
- Registration for each free webinar is on RobotEvents.com, in the Workshops & Camps section.
- Registered participants will receive an email the day of the event to sign up to receive the Zoom link to join the webinar. The Zoom link can only be used by one attendee.
- Participants receive 1 hour of Professional Development for attending
- Most Webinars are scheduled on the first Thursday of the month, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Central Time
- Coach Training Webinars for the 2025-2026 Season:
- Tuesday, June 17. Welcome to the 2025-2026 VEX Robotics Season
- August 7 6:00-7:30. Registering for the 2025-2026 VEX Robotics Season
- September 4. The Why of Notebooking and Interviews
- October 2. Attending your First Event - The before, during and after
- November 5. Finishing your season strong: additional opportunities
- January 8. Preparing for the Event Region Championship: Who qualifies and why?
- Monday, February 2. Fundraising & Media: Early preparation for the 2026 VEX Robotics World Championship
- Wednesday, March 25 6:00-7:30. Preparing for the 2026 VEX Robotics World Championship
- For additional information and links to register for webinars:
Coach and Event Partner Training Webinars
To further support coaches and allow for more in-depth discussions, the RECF is launching the Coach Academy.
You can access the Coach Academy through RECF's Moodle platform at training.recf.org.
There, you can dive deeper into various topics at your own pace and join weekly open office hours.
One session each month will be dedicated to questions related to that month’s Coach Training Webinar.
All courses in the Coach Academy offer PD credit for completed units.
The 2025 RECF Summit for VEX Robotics Programs will take place on July 22nd-23rd, 2025, with a welcome dinner on July 21st at The America’s Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The RECF Summit will include Coaches and Event Partners with sessions for each group. We will highlight all of the new and exciting information for the upcoming season. Participants will be able to attend training and discussion-based breakout sessions on a variety of topics. Professional Development credit can be awarded by attending.
RECF Summit for VEX Programs Agenda
Presentations will be made available after the Summit concludes.
If your team got a late start, here are two ways to prepare for a league that is starting soon:
- Build and practice driving a Clawbot and bring that to compete
- Build Clawbot:
Build Instructions
- The Clawbot is much easier to build than a Hero Bot
- Your team could build the Clawbot in about two hours
- Your team could finish building the robot at the event
- Your team would learn more and have more fun if they choose this way
- If this way does not work for your team, then switch to the other way
- Skip the first session
- Your team would miss the opportunity to observe the robots and driving strategies of other teams
- Your team would still be eligible to participate in the Teamwork Finals matches
Nelson Team Grants
Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
RECF Commitment to Coach Excellence
RECF Code of Conduct
RECF Student-Centered Policy
RECF Team Contact Definitions
Starting a VEX IQ Robotics Competition Team
Registering a VEX IQ Robotics Competition Team
RECF Participant Release Form Instructions
LAUSD Field Trips: iFieldTriip
RECF Website Shortcuts - Easy to remember links to great content across REC Foundation websites
Coach Certification Course (8 hours of professional development and training)
Welcome to VEX Professional Development Plus (PD+)
VEX IQ Educator Certification Course (14 hours of professional development and training)
RECF Library - VIQRC
Get Started
-
Welcome
- Welcome VEX IQ Teams
- New to Robotics?
- New to the REC Foundation?
- Which VEX Competition Do I Choose?
- Acronyms to Know
-
Start Here
-
VIQRC Coaches Start Here
- Welcome to Coaching a VEX Team
- What is a Coach?
- Where Should I Start?
- How Do I Get Support?
- Interviews with Coaches
- Coach Summit Videos
- Code of Conduct
- REC Library
- VEX Library
- Student Resources
- Parent Resources
-
VEX Students Start Here
- Welcome to VEX and REC
- Engineering
- Notebooking
- Coding
- Competing
- Code of Conduct
- VEX Library
- REC Library for Teams
- More Student Resources
- Parent and Guardian Resources
- Scholarships
-
VEX Parents Start Here
- What Other VEX Parents Have to Say
- Welcome From a VEX Parent
- More Interviews With Parents and Students
- Universities Want Robotics Students
- Supporting STEM Students
- Understanding Robotics Competitions
- Code of Conduct
- Scholarships
- VEX Robotics Coach Training and Certification Course
- What Does a VIQRC Coach Do?
- Starting a VIQRC Team
- Registering a VIQRC Team
- How to Navigate a Game Manual
- What's Included With a U.S. Team Registration?
- Team Contact Definitions
- Finding Your Regional Support Manager
- REC Foundation Organizational Policy
- Team Registration Structure (US Only)
- Getting Help and Support
-
More Get Started Guides
- Advisory Boards
- Building a Community of Support for Your Team
- Competitive Team Grant Program Information
- Space Requirements for Building and Practicing
- REC Foundation Online Challenges
- VIQRC Jargon
- Get Started Notebooking
- VEX Digital Notebook Templates
- How to Register a Student for a Workshop in RobotEvents.com
- Fundraising Resources for VIQRC Teams
- Mobile Apps for VIQRCs
- Adding or Updating Team Information on RobotEvents.com
- How to Manage Team Contacts on RobotEvents
- Office of Naval Research Lesson Plans
- Using the VEX via App
-
Robots
- VIQRC Engineering Design Process
-
Robots
- Basic Robot Building Guidelines
- Get Started with a VEX IQ Robotics Competition Hero Bot
- Building Basic Mechanisms with the VEX IQ Robotics System
- VEX IQ Robotics Competition Robot Inspection Checklist
- Printable VEX IQ Robotics Competition License Plate
-
Coding
- Get Started Coding a VEX IQ Robot
- VEXcode VR Virtual Skills for VIQRC
-
Notebooks
- Getting Started with VIQRC Notebooking
- Engineering Notebook Basics
- Advanced Engineering Notebook Techniques
- Engineering Notebook: Purpose & Academic Honesty
- VEX Engineering Notebook Examples
- VIQRC Engineering Notebook vs Team Journal
- VEX Digital Notebook Templates for VIQRC
- How to Submit a Digital Engineering Notebook
- Historical Examples of Engineering Notebooks
- Patents and the Engineering Notebook
- Competitions
-
The VIQRC Competition
- VIQRC Drive Team Training Course (Current version coming soon)
- Game Manual & Resources for VIQRC Teams
- The Judging Process Demystified
- Tips for Great Team Interviews
-
Tournaments
- VIQRC Event Formats and Classifications
- Register for a VIQRC Event
- Registering for a Signature Event
- Attending a VIQRC Event
- Safety Procedures at VIQRC Events
- VIQRC Tournament Ranking Calculations
- Photosensitive Epilepsy and the Tournament Manager Software Flash Rate
-
VEX Robotics World Championship
-
VIQRC Competition History
- Judging
-
Guides
- Guide to Judging: Introduction and Terms
- Guide to Judging: Judging Principles
- Guide to Judging: Judging Roles
- Guide to Judging: Event Preparation and Execution
- Guide to Judging: Awards
- Guide to Judging: Judging Engineering Notebooks
- Guide to Judging: Team Interviews
- Guide to Judging: Award Deliberations
- Guide to Judging: Remote Judging
-
Resources
- Why Don't Teams Get Feedback from Judges?
- Judging Resource: Engineering Notebook Rubric
- Judging Resource: Team Interview Rubric
- Judging Resource: Innovate Award Submission Information Form
- Forms & Policies
- Students & Parents
-
Student Resources
- Students Start Here
- Digital Resources for Student Advocates
- Learning Resources
- Student Ambassadors Program
- Internship Program
- Scholarship Program
- Alumni Association
-
Parent Resources
- Audience Info for VEX Competitions
- VIQRC Spectator Primer Part 1: The Big Picture—Structure & Season
- VIQRC Spectator Primer Part 2: Tournaments
- Parents Start Here
- Your Kid Just Joined a Robotics Team. What Does That Mean?
- How Can Parents Help?
- VEX Tournaments 101: A Primer for Parents
- Robotics Curriculum
- Game Manual (See Game Resources for current version)
- VEX Library
VEX Library
- Products
- Education Resources
- Get Started
- Teaching Resources
- Teaching 1:1
- Funding and Grants
- Standards
- Research
- PD Plus
- Rulers - Includes Printable VEX IQ Parts Ruler
- VEX IQ - Applied STEM Learning
- Get Started
- Teaching with IQ
- Electronics
- Mechanical
- VEXcode IQ
- VS Code Extension
- VIQRC Virtual Skills
- Legacy
- VEXcode VR - Virtual Robot Coding
- Get Started
- Teaching with VEXcode
- VR VR Premium
- VR Enhanced
- VR Features
- VR Blocks
- VR Python
- User Entry Points to VEX and RECF
- Educators
- Coaches
- Students
- Parents
Event Volunteer Roles Available (to help at Leagues)
REC Foundation Volunteer Certifications
- Event Partner Certification Course
- VIQRC Head Referee Certification Course
- Judge Advisor Certification Course
- Coach Certification Course
RobotEvents.com (REC Foundation)
- Competitions / VEX IQ Robotics Competition
- + Register a Team
- Map of Local Events and Teams
- World Skills Standings
- Q&A: VIQRC and Judging
- Available Team Numbers
- Virtual Skills Standings
- Live Remote Skills Standings
- Webcasts of events
- Events: Enter "LAUSD" in Event Name field to select LAUSD leagues
- Resources
- Support: Contact info for Regional Contacts
- Team Engagement Manager (TEM)
- Event Engagement Manager (EEM)
- Map Search for Events and Teams
- Contact Us
- Webcasts of events
- Program Products (charges extra 3% fee for credit card purchases)
- My Account
- Dashboard
- Registered Teams: +Register a Team, Renew Teams
- Click on Order Number to to access order details including shipment tracking number, Order PDF and Invoice PDF
- Edit Team: Team Information
- Consent Forms (number completed)
- Digital Engineering Notebook: URL and language
- Renewable Teams: Renew
- Registered Events
- Waitlisted Events
- Recent Orders
- Account Information
- Support / Contact Us: RSM contact info
- Account Information
- My Teams: Consent Form Submissions; Virtual Skills Key, Coach PD+ Key, Renew, Manage Contacts
- Manage Contacts to view or update Team Contacts or Team Information
- My Orders: Click on Order Number or Action (View) to access order details including shipment tracking number, Order PDF and Invoice PDF
- My Cart: Orders with deferred payments; To pay, select desired items and click Begin Checkout at bottom
- Register / Login / Logout
VEXRobotics.com: VEX IQ
- IQ Products
- Education
- Competition
- Downloads
-
Sales and Support (Contact Info, including VEX Sales Account Executive)
-
Get Started with VEX IQ: Teaching with IQ, Electronics, Mechanical, VEXcode IQ, VIQRC Virtual Skills, Legacy (1st gen)
VEX IQ Troubleshooting Flowchart (PDF)
LAUSD VEX IQ Leagues Orientation Slides (PDF) (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
LeRoy Nelson, Treasurer
Los Angeles Robotics
1457 3rd St
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
E-mail: LeRoy@LARobotics.org
Mobile phone: (310) 529-4637
Home office phone: (310) 937-7226
