General Info

Welcome to the Discovery Trailblazers VEX IQ Robotics Competition!

Date: December 13, 2025
Time: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM  
Location: Discovery Charter School, Bahama, NC      (just outside of Durham, NC)

Sign up to volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4BAFA82DA3FBCF8-60311583-discovery

We are excited to host teams for a day of fun, teamwork, and engineering excellence. Please review all the information below carefully to ensure a smooth and successful event.

This event will run Teamwork and Skills Challenge simultaneously throughout the day. Coaches are encouraged to review and highlight their Teamwork schedule before starting in order to plan time for Skills runs. Remember that each team may complete three autonamous skills rounds and three driver skills rounds maximum. Teams may complete their runs at any point when they are not competing in a Teamwork match.

In addition, there will be a dedicated 90-minute window during the lunch break when no Teamwork matches are scheduled. Teams are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this time to complete or improve their Skills runs.
 

Competition Preparation
- Coaches and students only are allowed in the pit area. Coaches’ wristbands will be given to each head coach on the day of the tournament. Pits will be in a building adjacent to where matches take place.

- Review the rules and run through the inspection checklist about a week before the competition so that there is ample time for adjustments. The inspection checklist can be found on the REC Foundation website.

- Check the official VEX forums for rule updates and clarifications before arriving.

- Carefully read all of the information contained in this tournament posting on RobotEvents.com.

Packing Checklist
- Robot
- Safety glasses (optional for VEX IQ)
- Spare parts and tools
- Batteries and chargers
- Programming cable
- Power strip
- Laptop computer
- Engineering notebook (for Design and Excellence Awards)
- Team banner or decorations for your pit area
- Giveaways like buttons or stickers, if desired

Additional Preparation
- Review the award descriptions and judging criteria listed under the Awards tab.
- Prepare for team interviews with the judges
- Prioritize safety. Do not bring tools that create sparks or pose a safety risk, as the venue space is limited.
- Understand how the game will be played. Teams are encouraged to watch the official referee training videos before attending.
- Review the Robot Troubleshooting Guide prior to the event.

Event Information
- Grade Level: ES / MS
- Skills Challenge Offered: Yes  
- Judging Format: Remote Engineering Notebooks (submit via link before the event)
 

Grade Level: All

Skills Challenge Offered: Yes

Judging Format: Remote Engineering Notebooks