Culture is engineered into FRC
Most competitions have a code of conduct. FIRST goes further: it builds its values into the rules, the awards, and even the scoring. Two terms you'll hear constantly:
Gracious Professionalism
Gracious Professionalism (GP) is a term coined by Dr. Woodie Flowers. It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. The core idea: fierce competition and mutual gain can coexist. You compete with everything you have, then help the team you just beat fix their robot for the next match. GP is not about being soft — it's about being excellent and kind at the same time.
Classic examples of GP in action:
- Lending a spare motor, battery, or part to a rival before a match.
- Sharing CAD designs and code publicly so other teams can learn.
- Congratulating opponents sincerely, win or lose.
- Cheering for a great play by the other alliance.
Coopertition
Coopertition (cooperation + competition) is the philosophy that teams can and should help and cooperate with one another even as they compete. It shows up directly in the rules: recent games award a Coopertition Bonus when both alliances complete a shared task. In 2025 REEFSCAPE, both alliances processing enough Algae in the Processor earned each side a Coopertition Bonus that lowered their ranking thresholds. The game literally rewards you for helping your opponent succeed.
The full FIRST Core Values
Across all FIRST programs, the official Core Values are:
- Discovery — we explore new skills and ideas.
- Innovation — we use creativity and persistence to solve problems.
- Impact — we apply what we learn to improve our world.
- Inclusion — we respect each other and embrace our differences.
- Teamwork — we are stronger when we work together.
- Fun — we enjoy and celebrate what we do.
These aren't just for FLL. They underpin FRC's judged awards.
Why this is rewarded, not just expected
FRC's most prestigious honors are culture awards, not robot-performance awards:
- The FIRST Impact Award (called the Chairman's Award from 1992 to 2022) is the highest honor in FRC, recognizing the team that best embodies FIRST's mission and impact in its community.
- The Woodie Flowers Award honors an outstanding mentor who teaches and inspires through communication.
- The Dean's List recognizes outstanding student leaders.
Winning these can matter as much as — or more than — winning matches.
What this means for you
As a new student, the fastest way to be valued on a team is to live these values: show up, help others, share what you learn, and stay positive under pressure. Robots break; gracious people don't.
Learn more
- Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition: https://community.firstinspires.org/gracious-professionalism-and-coopertition
- About FIRST (Core Values): https://www.firstinspires.org/about
Key takeaways
- Gracious Professionalism (coined by Woodie Flowers) means competing fiercely while respecting and helping others; Coopertition means cooperating even while competing — and is rewarded in the rules via the Coopertition Bonus.
- The official FIRST Core Values are Discovery, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, Teamwork, and Fun.
- FRC's highest honors (the FIRST Impact Award, formerly Chairman's; Woodie Flowers Award; Dean's List) reward culture and mentorship, not just robot performance.
Keep going
Take the quiz · +10 XP with an accountMore in Culture, Teams, and Roles
Sources & corrections
This lesson is AI-assisted: drafted from primary sources, then reviewed and edited by hand. Errors still get through. When one is reported we fix it and write down what changed — publicly, in the corrections log.
Sources and further reading
- Gracious Professionalism and Coopertitioncommunity.firstinspires.org
- About FIRST — Core Valuesfirstinspires.org
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Lesson quiz
RequiredAll 3 right completes the lesson. Miss one and only that question comes back — anything you already answered correctly stays banked.
0 of 3 answered
01.In FIRST, what does 'Coopertition' describe?
02.Which statement best captures FIRST's idea of 'Gracious Professionalism'?
03.The FIRST Core Values include Discovery, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, Teamwork, and which other value?
Answer every question to submit.
All 28 lessons in Getting Started with FRC
- Not started:Project 1 — Make a NEO Spin with the REV Hardware Client
- Not started:Project 2 — Deploy a Real Arcade-Drive Program
- Not started:Project 3 — Refactor into a Command-Based Drive Subsystem
- Not started:Project 4 — Build a Fuel Launcher for REBUILT
- Not started:Project 5 — A One-Button Autonomous Routine
- Not started:The Connection Chain: When the Driver Station Won't Connect
- Not started:Brownouts: Why the Robot Goes Limp Mid-Match
- Not started:CAN Bus Gremlins: Missing and Conflicting Devices
- Not started:Software Gotchas: Inverted Drives, Scheduler Stalls, and Reading the RioLog
- Not started:Inspection-Day Failures: Bumpers, Size, and Weight
- Not started:Closed-Loop Control: PID + Feedforward for a Consistent Shot
- Not started:Swerve Drive: Omnidirectional Movement with YAGSL
- Not started:AprilTag Vision: Knowing Where You Are with PhotonVision
- Not started:Data-Driven Strategy: Scouting, EPA/OPR, and Alliance Selection
- Not started:Choosing Your Hardware Ecosystem: REV vs CTRE