Frequently Asked Questions

To register or to see the latest classes, camps, and programs, click on the "Sign Up" button in the top menu.  That will take you to an app called "Playmetrics" to create an account and add your students.  Playmetrics was built for soccer however allows us to manage all billing, contacts, communications, team schedules, etc. all in one application with a friendly app and chat features.  This allows our families to manage everything in one application.  For help with registration in Playmetrics, see here: https://help.playmetrics.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019972314-Registering-with-PlayMetrics

Our competition teams are formed in April - May so that our families can enjoy the summer prior to competition teams kicking off in August.  Commitment to robotics teams is approximately 6 months so we do tryouts to ensure our families and students can have the best experience with similar aged and minded students.  We offer our Lego Robotics I class as an introduction to FLL-C for students who want to see what the program is about but not make a full commitment yet.  FLL-C (beginner) tryouts are to gauge interest while joining FTC (advanced) is highly selective.  We do not have tryouts for classes, FLL-E, or Battlebot programs. 

This is a common question and can be different for each student.  While students are exposed to all kinds of STEM related activities from engineering, to coding, design, build, marketing, research, etc. students learn in an environment that is intentionally more hands off.  We want to ask students questions and have them explorer to find answers.  The goal is to have them find failure and have to troubleshoot to find the answers through team experiences and research.  Our coaches and mentors are guides.  Similar to sports or soccer, some athletes find instant success and practice at home, while others may take longer to incorporate a skill even with home practice.  We are working with your student for longer term success, confidence, and growth but that may change year to year with their exploration of what they like (striker vs goalie, coder vs builder, etc.).

Competition team fees can range from $800 to $1600 (or more) per person for the team.  This fee covers all expenses other than travel for their team.  The center is a 501c3 nonprofit that must cover the building, equipment, insurance, fees, etc.  We also leverage grants and sponsorships.  The goal is for our students to have all resources needed for their competition season including laptops, CAD, manufacturing equipment, CNC, off the shelf components, etc.  We do not require parents to fundraise, but we do ask for parents to help volunteer 8 hours per year.  A deposit is collected upon joining the team and parents can pay in full or pay using aa monthly payment option that varies between $100 - 150 per month.  The student is then on the team for the full year until the following tryout session (typically May - March).  Teams kick off in August and compete until their season ends with additional team events in the offseason.

The center wants robotics to be affordable to all families so we have two options!  First is we offer financial aid to qualified families making lower incomes.  These must be approved by our board and include financial documentation.  Second, we are a fundraising volunteer organization with FC Cincinnati / Levy Restaurants.  Parents who volunteer can run food stands at FC Cincinnati games and collect a credit towards their robotics fees.  There is no minimum or required amount of games.  Most families earn $125 - $225 credit for each game with a guaranteed amount of $125 per game.  Credits can be used for classes, camps, and team registration fees.  Contact us to apply for either of these great programs.

The Mason Center for Robotics is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has no employees.  Our center is run by dedicated professionals who work in industry full time including the founder and president Kris Hill.  Kris has degrees in Computer Science and spends his days working as a consultant in advanced manufacturing with aerospace and defense companies while raising two kids in Mason and has a granddaugher.  Our mentors and coaches are paid a small amount to help offset expenses and fees similar to what a soccer coach is paid for a soccer club however they also volunteer so much time and effort to our students!  

New in 2026 - 2027, we now have dedicated directors of programs (FLL, VEX, FTC).  This allows our coaches to focus on coaching their teams and directors to build the communities, knowledge, and resources needed for our students to succeed.  Coaches and assistant coaches now have leadership and educational support within the center.

We want to focus on building a future innovation center in Mason dedicated to providing advanced capabilities and research to our students learning through real world application.  To succeed we need to build a community that "owns" the center through collaboration with educators, businesses, and families just like you.  Hop on board the train and help us out!

The center is about growth first and foremost so what better way to grow then to get involved as a coach, assistant coach, or parent volunteer.  Students must learn hands off so parents who can help direct but don't know the answers are sometimes our best leaders!  This forces our students to explorer, research, fail, and adults find growth too!  Our most advanced students many times need help focusing, keeping on task, or someone to ask questions.

If you are in robotics already, you know that Mason Robotics is fragmented with family teams.  Everyone eventually forms a 501c3 due to costs and then competes.  By pulling resources together we can build something amazing in Mason.  If you run a team and want to pull resources together, please reach out through our contact page.  We will work with all teams in and around Mason to go after larger grants, sponsorships, and opportunities that fragmented teams cannot.  The school does not have the resources and the center provides the experience, resources, space, and community that is required for innovative growth.

There is a volunteer form at the top of this page.  Please indicate grade, school, and hours needed for volunteering.  We will work with you to get something setup and fill out forms or recommendations as required.

The Mason Center for Robotics is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which can accept sponsorships, direct donations, or in-kind donations.  We have an end of the season banquet with a silent auction and provide sponsorship packages via our Sponsorship page in the menu.  We are also registered in most 3rd party sites required for large company sponsorship matching programs, etc.  If you would like to learn more how your company can support the center, help us grow, or provide job shadowing or other programs for our students, please reach out via our sponsorship page.