Managing stress and anxiety in competition season

Competition season can be exciting and exhausting at once. Students face unfamiliar robots, fast decisions, public judging and the hope that months of engineering will produce a strong match. Mentors and parents carry their own pressure: fundraising, transport, volunteer rosters and the fear that one technical fault will spoil the event. Nerves are a normal response to meaningful pressure, but sustained anxiety can affect concentration, sleep, friendships and willingness to keep trying.

Managing stress and anxiety during competition season works best when it becomes part of the team routine, not a reaction to visible distress. FIRST’s age-banded structure, from FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge to FIRST LEGO League and Jr.FLL, helps adults set realistic expectations for each learner. Australian teams can adapt the same principle: accept nerves, make support predictable and focus on learning rather than perfect outcomes.

Name the pressure before it grows

Stress usually reflects a current demand, such as a match deadline, travel delay or failed mechanism. Anxiety may continue after the demand has passed, creating a loop of “what if” thoughts. Recognising the difference prevents adults from dismissing genuine distress or treating healthy excitement as a problem.

Signal	What it may indicate	Immediate response
Butterflies, a fast heartbeat or shaky hands	Normal activation before a match	Slow the breathing and focus on one task
A plan full of “what if” thoughts	Anxiety is pulling attention towards failure	Write down the next controllable action
Irritability or silence after a match	Fatigue or disappointment have accumulated	Take a short break, acknowledge feelings, then debrief
Panic, crying or recurring physical symptoms	The pressure response is becoming hard to regulate	Move to a quiet place and involve a trusted adult

Use a simple daily check-in: green means ready, amber means support would help, and red means the student needs a lower-stimulation task or a conversation with a mentor. The age-specific expectations in Maryland FIRST’s FIRST program pathways can help adults calibrate that check-in. Stay alert to changes from a student’s usual behaviour. Anxiety that lasts for weeks, regularly disrupts sleep, causes panic or appears alongside school refusal deserves support from a qualified health professional, rather than a stricter practice schedule.

Build a predictable preparation routine

Put the season calendar in one place and mark travel, build deadlines, exams, school holidays and recovery days. Australian school calendars vary by state and between metropolitan and regional campuses, so confirm dates before committing to flights or accommodation. A schedule that includes downtime looks responsible because it protects the number of hours when students can think clearly.

Sleep, regular meals and hydration are basic stress-regulation tools. Ask students to eat before an early departure, carry a refillable bottle and keep a simple competition snack available; a stop at Woolworths for shelf-stable options can prevent a long queue at the venue from becoming another source of stress. On hot days, schedule water breaks and use shade or air-conditioned areas where possible. Do not reward all-night debugging; a rested team usually spots design errors more effectively.

Rehearse the whole event, not only the robot. Run through unloading, inspection, pit work, judging and the return journey. Pack labelled tools, spare batteries, chargers, cables, team clothing, medication, water and printed schedules. Regional Australian teams may face long drives between towns, while teams travelling from Sydney or Melbourne to another capital can deal with flights, delays and transport transfers. Leave margin in the timetable and identify a safe place to reset when plans change.

Create a calm event-day plan

Choose the team arrival time around the student, not the convenience of an adult. A quiet first ten minutes can prevent rushing, lost property and conflict in the pit. Give each student a clear role for setup so nobody is left waiting for instructions. Keep essential repairs at the table, preserve floor space and send no more than the required team members into a crowded queue. Noise-reducing headphones can help students sensitive to loud venues, while a calm space offers somewhere to step away without admitting defeat.

Practise one short reset that everyone understands. A comfortable breathing pattern—such as a gentle inhale followed by a slightly longer exhale—can reduce physical arousal. Grounding exercises that name five things seen, four felt, three heard, two smelled and one tasted redirect attention from imagined failure to the present match. Use the same signal at every event: hands on the table, one slow breath and a shared check of the next task. Familiarity lowers mental effort.

Between matches, use a short debrief with three questions: what do we know, what can we control, and what is our next step? Celebrate sound engineering and cooperation, but do not demand instant positivity after a loss. A student who is upset can talk, write, draw or work on a low-pressure task before rejoining the team. Pair each student with a trusted peer or mentor, check that everyone has eaten and hydrated, and allow withdrawal when the emotional load is too high.

Keep mentors and volunteers steady

Adults shape the stress climate. Pacing, sighing, public criticism or sudden changes in expectations can tell students that every problem is a crisis. Leaders can model the behaviour they expect by pausing, speaking calmly and separating a technical problem from a person’s worth. “I can see this is frustrating; let us identify the next controllable step” preserves accountability without adding shame.

Assign roles before the event day and rotate them where practical. A pit lead, safety monitor, queue coordinator, travel lead and wellbeing contact can prevent small problems from multiplying. Each role should include a handover and a backup person, especially when a regional event draws volunteers from several community clubs. Protect adult breaks too. A rested mentor is more patient, and tired adults often communicate stress to younger team members through tone and constant urgency.

Recognition helps sustain a volunteer team. Many Australian community sport and service groups already rely on shared meals, thank-you messages and small gestures of appreciation between seasons. Maryland FIRST’s volunteer recognition ideas offer adaptable examples for event leaders, including specific praise that reflects real effort. Recognition should reward mentoring, safety and teamwork, not merely winning; it should never replace fair rosters, reasonable hours and access to a genuine break.

Seek support early and act before the next event

Most competition nerves improve with rest, familiar routines and supportive relationships. Signs such as persistent stomach pain, repeated panic, inability to sleep, loss of interest, school refusal or escalating aggression need a more formal response. In Australia, a family GP, school wellbeing counsellor, paediatrician or psychologist can assess what is happening. Headspace provides youth mental-health support through 1800 11 4328, while Kids Helpline is available on 1800 55 1800. Immediate danger warrants emergency assistance on 000.

Community-based referral systems can make professional help easier to access. The NConnectNW support resources provide one regional example of connecting people with mental-health support; because that network is based outside Australia, teams should verify its coverage and use Australian services where necessary. Avoid waiting for a crisis if symptoms are worsening. Document patterns, share relevant observations with the family and make a plan with the health professional about competition participation and support at events.

Make the action plan now. Select a traffic-light check-in, appoint a quiet-space lead, practise one breathing reset, schedule a short match debrief and save local support contacts in the team manager’s phone. Brief students and adults before departure, use the same language at every competition, and review what helped after each event. A calm plan protects sleep, cooperation and creative problem-solving, giving the team a stronger foundation for the next match.