Volunteers are the heart and soul of the PYRS organization and our VEX Robotics competitions. Volunteering at a VEX competition is easy to learn, fun to do, and rewarding for everyone involved. Read on to learn about the ways you can participate in PYRS.
Event Volunteers
We rely on Event Volunteers to host competitions, throughout the year. Referees to keep things fair and score the matches, Judges to evaluate a team’s design, build, and planning work, and Queuers and Field Setters to keep things on schedule. The IT team keeps the network and the game management system running. Setup teams set up fields Friday nights, and teardown teams take it all apart on Saturday nights, after every event. Events typically run Friday evening and all day Saturday. Friday evening is setup, and technical inspection. Saturday runs from 8:00 – 5:00 pm, with game play from 9:15 to 4:30. Volunteers typically commit to help at specific events.
If you’d like to know more, page down the the Event Volunteer Roles table.
Team Mentors
Individuals with engineering or computer science backgrounds work directly with the teams at one of our participating secondary schools, coaching them in design, build, and programming.
PYRS Operations
There’s lots of behind the scenes work where volunteers are also key – from writing blog posts, keeping our website up to date, to organizing logistics and volunteers for each event.
Volunteer with PYRS
If you’d like to be an Event Volunteer, a Team Mentor, or help with PYRS operations, just fill in the form below and a PYRS member will contact you just as soon as we can.
Event Volunteer Roles
| Role | Description | Skills Needed | Time Commitment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical Inspectors | Conduct inspections to verify the robots comply with the rules and specifications outlined in the Game Manual. | Knowledge of robot construction Attention to detail Follow inspection checklist | Friday evening and Saturday until all teams are inspected |
| Judges | Evaluate student teams through interviews, Engineering Notebooks, and on the field performance, | STEM background, such as engineers, computer scientists, and technical educators Be impartial Communicate effectively | Saturday |
| Referee | On-field officials closely watch the competition to ensure that competition rules are followed. Count and record official score | Participate in referee training Apply knowledge of the game and the rules Work effectively as a team Interact positively with students | Saturday |
| Queueing Crew | Stage teams for upcoming matches. | No experience required Communicate effectively Stay organized Work with student volunteers from the host school. | Saturday |
| Field Reset Crew | Accurately reset the competition field after each match | No experience required This role is often filled by volunteers from the host school. | Saturday |
