Presentation Skills Support

Public speaking is a core component of success in FTC judging. Whether you're delivering your team's formal presentation or answering questions in a pit interview, communication style, confidence, and clarity are all essential. Our team has earned numerous judged awards, including multiple Inspire Awards, two 3rd Place Inspire Trophies, a Judges' Choice Award at the World Championship, and a Dean's List Finalist Award. Through these experiences, we have developed proven strategies for delivering compelling and polished presentations.

Competing at the FTC World Championship gave us valuable insight into how high-level judging works and what truly stands out. One of the most important lessons we learned is that the initial judging interview is just the beginning. It sets the tone and serves as a stepping stone to the pit interviews. While your presentation lays the foundation, the pit interviews allow you to go deeper, personalize your story, and highlight what makes your robot, outreach, and team unique.

In these moments, it is important to make a strong impression. Show what makes your team different and meaningful. Balance the speaking between team members to reflect shared responsibility and teamwork. Even if one person leads design or outreach, judges want to see that every member plays a part. Try not to let only the team captain do all the talking. A well-rounded and balanced team leaves a lasting impact.

Most importantly, write out and rehearse your key points. Read all the judging materials available so you understand what the judges are trained to look for. With the right preparation and a confident, authentic delivery, your team can stand out. We are excited to help your team become stronger, more effective communicators and presenters.

Presentation Review (VIDEO FEEDBACK DOCUMENT)

Here, you’ll submit a video of your team performing a mock judging presentation (ideally 5–10 minutes long). We’ll watch it closely and return a detailed feedback document highlighting speaking strengths, areas for improvement, and delivery tips. This includes comments on clarity, structure, body language, filler words, transitions, and how well your team demonstrates collaboration and professionalism.

Please submit your video using the link here as a YouTube or Google Drive, link (make sure sharing settings are correct!). Additionally, let us know anything specific you want us to focus on, like a certain speaker or award style. Feedback should be returned in 5–7 days.

Click Here!

Judging Examples and Award Overview

Inspire Award-the highest honor in FTC.

This prestigious award is given to a team that excels in all facets of FTC: engineering design, documentation, outreach, programming, innovation, teamwork, and Gracious Professionalism®. The Inspire Award winner is seen as a role model for other teams and represents the ideal of what an FTC team should be.

Advancement Power:

Winning the Inspire Award automatically qualifies a team to advance to the next level of competition (e.g., from a Qualifier to a Regional or State Championship to Worlds).

It is the top-ranked award in the advancement criteria, even higher than being the Winning Alliance Captain.

Think Award

For outstanding engineering and documentation.

Recognizes a team that excels in the engineering design process and communicates their technical journey clearly and thoughtfully in their Portfolio. Judges look for logical iteration, problem-solving, and use of STEM principles.

Connect Award

For building meaningful STEM relationships.

Awarded to teams that demonstrate strong outreach and lasting connections within the STEM community. These teams mentor others, engage professionals, and bring STEM to underserved areas.

Innovate Award (sponsored by RTX)

Creativity meets engineering excellence.

Given to teams that invent and effectively implement unique engineering solutions. Winners demonstrate how their ideas solve specific problems with function and creativity.

Control Award

Programming mastery in action.

Celebrates teams with advanced software development, use of sensors, and robust control systems. Highlights include effective autonomous routines, driver-assist functions, and thoughtful code documentation.

Motivate Award

Team spirit, identity, and outreach.

Given to teams that inspire others through their team branding, outreach efforts, and recruitment strategies. These teams show passion, inclusiveness, and a strong sense of purpose.

Design Award

For elegance and functionality in robot design.

Honors teams that apply sound engineering principles to create a robust, effective, and well-crafted robot. Judges look for clear design intent, industrial-quality CAD, and simplicity that serves purpose.

Judges’ Choice Award

A special recognition.

This award is given at the discretion of the judging panel to a team that stands out in a unique way not covered by other awards. It could be for extraordinary resilience, creativity, or character.

Winning Alliance Award

Earn your way to the World Championship through on-field excellence.

The Winning Alliance Award is presented to the two-team alliance that wins the elimination bracket at a qualifying tournament or championship event. At Regional Championships and beyond, this award can be a direct ticket to the FIRST® Tech Challenge World Championship.

Winning this award means your team didn’t just build a great robot; you executed under pressure, collaborated well, and rose to the challenge of playoff competition.

Finalist Alliance Award

Mark of elite competitive performance.

The Finalist Alliance Award is presented to the runner-up alliance in the elimination rounds of an FTC tournament or championship event. These teams advance through the quarterfinals and semifinals, and compete fiercely in the finals, falling just short of the win, but still demonstrating world-class performance, strategy, and collaboration.

Dean's List Award

Recognizing the future leaders of STEM, FIRST, and the world.

The Dean’s List Award honors individual students in FIRST Tech Challenge who demonstrate outstanding leadership, technical skill, community impact, and dedication to FIRST’s values. Named after FIRST founder Dean Kamen, this award is one of the most prestigious individual honors a student can receive in the entire FIRST ecosystem.

Compass Award

For the Best MENTORS!

Recognizes an exceptional adult mentor nominated by students. Requires a 60-second video submission; it varies how you submit by region! Remember to submit your Mentor and tell the whole competition why they are the BEST!

Inspire Award Tips and Tricks

You Must Be a Contender in Other Judged Awards

To win Inspire, your team must be considered (nominated) for at least two other major judged awards. That includes:

Think Award (Engineering design process & documentation)
Connect Award (STEM/community engagement)
Innovate Award (Unique design solutions)
Control Award (Programming & sensor usage)
Design Award (Robot aesthetics & function)
Motivate Award (Team identity & spirit)

You do not have to win any of these awards, but you must be strong enough that judges shortlist your team as a top contender for multiple categories.

You Must Submit a Complete Engineering Portfolio

Without a portfolio, your team cannot be considered for Inspire, Think, or other judged awards.

Your portfolio should clearly show:

The engineering design process
Outreach and community involvement
Innovative and technical problem solving
Programming strategies
Team branding and sustainability
Photos, CAD, and iterative documentation

Pro Tip: Judges will often flip through your portfolio during or after your judging interview to verify details, so make sure to make it easy to navigate and judge-friendly!

You Must Deliver a Strong Judging Interview

In your 10-minute judging interview:
Use the first 5 minutes for your prepared presentation
Try and Split Time for the Robot and Outreach equally
Use the next 5 minutes to answer judge questions confidently
Highlight multiple areas of excellence: outreach, robot design, code, teamwork, etc.
Showcase a unified team voice with technical and non-technical members contributing

Your Robot Should Perform Well

Robot performance is not the most important factor, but it is considered.

Judges expect an Inspire team to:

Build a functional, strategic, and reliable robot
Compete well in matches and rank reasonably high
Demonstrate good driver skill and strategy

You Must Demonstrate Gracious Professionalism®

Judges look for teams that are:

Helpful to other teams
Respectful, enthusiastic, and inclusive
Role models in your region or community

What It All Comes Down To

The Inspire Award goes to the team that best embodies the spirit of FTC: technical skill, outreach, creativity, documentation, collaboration, and gracious professionalism.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse