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Engineering the Future: PAR Builds a FIRST Robotics Practice Arena

Where Engineering Meets Community Impact

At PAR Systems, engineering is more than what we do- it’s who we are. This year, our team has applied that mindset beyond customer projects. Employees across the organization volunteered their time and talent to build a full-scale FIRST Robotics competition arena for local teams to use as a practice field.

For many FIRST Robotics teams, access to a regulation-size field can be a challenge. The cost of official field kits, combined with space limitations, often makes it difficult for teams to fully replicate competition conditions before their events. Without that opportunity, preparation can be limited. By building a full-scale arena at PAR, we’re helping create access.

Why a Full-Scale Arena Matters

FIRST Robotics competitions are designed around precision, speed, and strategy. Practicing on a field that mirrors competition dimensions allows teams to:

  • Refine autonomous routines
  • Test mechanisms under real game constraints
  • Develop match strategy with accurate field spacing
  • Build confidence before competition day

For teams without the space or funding to build their own field, this kind of access can significantly impact performance and preparation. That impact goes beyond performance. As one local team shared after competition, access to resources and support like this helps build not only technical capability, but team culture:

“We are thrilled to share that our team had a milestone weekend- and your support made it possible. Out of 42 teams, we earned the role of Alliance Captain and the #3 seed heading into the playoffs- the first time in 10 years our students have held that distinction.

The team also won the Team Spirit Award, recognizing their extraordinary enthusiasm and the way they partnered with and elevated the teams around them throughout the competition. That kind of culture is exactly what support like this helps build.

We could not do this without the resources, mentorship, and confidence you have placed in our students. Your name is woven into this program, and this weekend was a strong example of what that support looks like in practice. ”

- Roseville FIRST Robotics Team

We could not do this without the resources, mentorship, and confidence you have placed in our students. Your name is woven into this program, and this weekend was a strong example of what that support looks like in practice.

Built by Engineers- For Future Engineers

The arena was constructed by PAR employees volunteering their time during Engineering Week activities and beyond, with additional materials donated and supplied through company and partner support. With generous donations from RJ Ryan Construction and Cope Plastics, technicians, manufacturing teams, and contributors from across PAR worked side by side- reflecting the same cross-functional collaboration that drives our customer projects.

The build reflects what we do every day:

  • Translate specifications into physical systems
  • Collaborate across disciplines
  • Solve practical design challenges
  • Execute with precision and quality

While the application is different, the mindset is the same.

Several PAR employees mentor, coach, or have children who participate in FIRST Robotics programs making this project both personal and professional- a direct investment in the next generation of engineers, problem-solvers, and innovators.

PAR Employees building a FIRST Robotics Arena

Building More Than an Arena

Engineering doesn’t stop at customer deliverables. Investing in STEM education and workforce development is an extension of PAR values. By helping build this arena, we are contributing to a stronger engineering pipeline- one that starts in high school robotics programs and continues into careers in advanced manufacturing and automation. This project is about more than assembling field components. It’s about:

  • Expanding opportunity
  • Strengthening community partnerships
  • Encouraging hands-on learning
  • Supporting a prepared workforce

 

As the arena came together, we were reminded that engineering is about enabling others to succeed. This project celebrates not only the systems we build – but the people we are helping to build next.

 

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