Welcome to BEST! Starting a team means you’re stepping into an exciting challenge where students don’t just build robots – they create a company. No prior experience is needed, and the program is completely free to schools. Starting a New Team: Getting started with Music City BEST is easy, and every team can be built to fit your school. Here’s what you need to know:

Coach’s Role
BEST Robotics is 100% student led. Student-led means the students make the decisions, take on leadership roles, and drive the work, with coaches guiding and supporting them along the way. Coaches decide how many students to involve and how to organize the team. BEST is designed to fit your school’s size, interests, and resources.

Who Can Join: Teams can be middle school, high school, or a mix of both. We welcome any group of students who want to learn, build, and collaborate.

Team Size: If your team wants to focus only on building the robot, 10–15 students is typical. If your team wants the full competition experience, meaning the BEST awards – teams can grow to 30-60 students. There is no limit to how many students can compete, just that the students are the ones creating everything.

Flexibility in Participation:
Teams can start by participating in just the robot portion to learn the basics, then expand to the full competition in future years.

New teams receive: 
-A standardized kit of parts to level the playing field
–Training resources and workshops to get started
-Access to veteran teams & mentors for guidance

We’re glad to have you back! Each new season brings a brand-new game challenge and fresh opportunities for growth. Returning teams already know the energy of Game Day—but every year pushes you to think differently, innovate further, and improve your company approach.

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For your convenience, we’ve gathered all of the links, rubrics, videos, media kits, and guides you’ll need for the season in one place. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re fine-tuning your company for another year, everything you need is right at your fingertips.