Code of Conduct

1. Purpose and Expectations

Blaze Robotics Academy is committed to providing a safe, respectful, inclusive, and productive environment where students can learn, collaborate, compete, and develop as engineers.

All students, parents, guardians, coaches, volunteers, staff, and guests are expected to follow this Code of Conduct while participating in Blaze programs, team practices, competitions, events, and facility activities.

Participants are expected to:

  • Act with integrity, honesty, and reliability.

  • Behave respectfully and professionally.

  • Demonstrate maturity and restraint, especially in difficult or stressful situations.

  • Respect individual differences and differing opinions.

  • Participate authentically and actively.

  • Communicate respectfully through appropriate channels.

  • Attempt collaboration before conflict.

  • Demonstrate good sportsmanship and support fellow teams and competitors.

  • Be mindful of their surroundings and other team members.

  • Respect other teams, coaches, staff, volunteers, competitors, and members of the public.

  • Take responsibility for their equipment, tools, workspace, and actions.

  • Help solve problems rather than contribute to them.

  • Alert Blaze staff to dangerous situations, individuals in distress, or violations of this Code of Conduct.

Blaze teams are student-centered, with limited adult assistance. Safety is always a top priority.

2. Competition Team Participation Standards

2.1 Attendance and Participation

Students are expected to:

  • Attend team activities regularly.

  • Arrive on time.

  • Participate actively and constructively.

  • Notify the coach as early as practical about absences or late arrivals.

  • Review missed work and coordinate with teammates after an absence.

Blaze does not provide individual makeup instruction or makeup team sessions.

Repeated absences or tardiness may affect a student's:

  • Team role;

  • Competition participation; or

  • Continued team placement.

2.2 Teamwork and Communication

Students must:

  • Follow coach instructions.

  • Contribute constructively to team activities.

  • Communicate respectfully.

  • Support teammates.

  • Respect coaching decisions.

  • Work toward collaboration before conflict.

Parents and guardians must communicate respectfully through Blaze's designated communication channels. Parents and guardians may not interfere with coaching decisions or direct students during team activities unless invited by the coach.

2.3 Events and Team Roles

Students are expected to attend scheduled League Nights and tournaments whenever reasonably possible.

Blaze may identify required events or attendance deadlines in the team schedule. Families should promptly report expected absences.

Coaches may assign or adjust student roles based on:

  • Readiness;

  • Attendance;

  • Teamwork;

  • Safety; and

  • Competition needs.

Roles may include building, programming, driving, presentation, and other competition responsibilities.

No student is guaranteed a particular role or equal time in every role.

3. Safety and Facility Conduct

Students must:

  • Follow Blaze staff instructions, facility rules, and safety requirements.

  • Remain in approved areas.

  • Use only their assigned workspace.

  • Use only Blaze-approved robots, tools, parts, and fields.

  • Keep walkways clear.

  • Use equipment only for its intended purpose.

  • Report unsafe conditions, missing equipment, or damaged equipment to Blaze staff.

  • Return tables and chairs to their original positions.

  • Return boxes, tools, electronics, and other equipment to their designated locations after use.

3.1 VEX V5 Area Restriction

VEX IQ team members must stay out of the VEX V5 area and away from V5 tools and equipment unless specifically authorized.

Some V5 equipment and tools may be dangerous. IQ team members should remain in the IQ-designated areas and use only equipment assigned to their team.

3.2 Adult Supervision

VEX IQ team members must have an adult present on site at all times outside of regular coaching hours.

4. Equipment and Robot Use

4.1 Primary Competition Robot

Blaze will assign each team standard Blaze-owned equipment and materials sufficient to build and maintain one primary competition robot.

Students are responsible for designing, building, programming, testing, and improving the robot as part of the program.

The competition robot and Blaze-provided equipment are shared team resources. No individual student or family owns or has an individual claim to Blaze-provided components.

Blaze-owned equipment remains assigned to the team through its final official competition event, including the State or World Championship when applicable, and must be returned by the deadline provided by Blaze.

4.2 Family-Owned Components

Families may provide optional components with prior Blaze approval.

  • Components purchased directly by a family remain that family's property.

  • Components purchased by Blaze remain Blaze property.

  • Family-owned components must be approved and identified using a method accepted by Blaze before installation.

  • If ownership cannot reasonably be identified, the component will be treated as Blaze property.

4.3 Equipment Loss and Damage

Blaze does not charge for:

  • Ordinary wear and tear;

  • Routine part failure; or

  • Damage resulting from authorized use.

Documented repair or replacement costs may be deducted from the responsible student's Equipment Deposit when equipment is missing or damaged because of:

  • Misuse;

  • Negligence;

  • Intentional conduct;

  • Unauthorized modification; or

  • Failure to follow instructions.

If responsibility cannot reasonably be determined, the cost will be divided equally among students rostered when the loss or damage most likely occurred, or among the current roster if the timing cannot be determined.

Costs exceeding a student's deposit may be invoiced separately. Blaze will provide an itemized written explanation.

Equipment that is not returned by the stated deadline may be treated as missing unless Blaze approves an extension.

For a withdrawing student, the eligible Equipment Deposit balance will be refunded after all Blaze equipment in the student's possession has been returned and reviewed. The refund does not waive responsibility for loss or damage that occurred before withdrawal, including damage discovered after withdrawal.

4.4 Secondary Competition Robots

Secondary competition robots are limited and subject to Blaze approval and equipment availability. There is a non-refundable fee of $300 per team for a secondary robot.

5. Facility Usage Rules

5.1 Workspace and Equipment

Teams are responsible for maintaining a clean, organized, and safe workspace.

Students must:

  • Use only their assigned workspace.

  • Keep walkways clear.

  • Keep electronics off the ground and in safe locations.

  • Return electronics to their designated locations after practice.

  • Return boxes to the appropriate shelves.

  • Clean their workspace before leaving.

5.2 Food and Kitchen Use

  • Food and messy drinks are not allowed in the build area.

  • Food may be consumed in the designated area in front of the facility entrance.

  • Keep liquids sealed and away from electronics and robots.

  • Dispose of food waste and wrappers properly.

  • Robots and robotics equipment do not belong in the kitchen.

  • Label food and other items stored in the kitchen.

  • Do not touch food or personal items that belong to someone else.

  • Kitchen items are cleared out on Mondays.

6. Team Workspace Cleanliness

Every team is responsible for maintaining a clean and organized workspace. Good cleaning habits and responsibility are an essential part of participating on a robotics team.

At the end of every work session, teams must complete the following checklist:

  • Collect all parts from the table and floor under the workspace.

  • Place parts needed for the robot in the team's robot box.

  • Return parts no longer needed to the appropriate sorting bins.

  • Return all tools to the Tool Zone.

  • Place all trash in the trash bins.

  • Sweep under the table to ensure no parts or trash remain.

  • Return tables and chairs to their original condition.

  • Double-check the workspace to make sure nothing has been left behind.

The workspace must be returned to its original condition after use.

Cleanliness Consequences

If a team repeatedly leaves its workstation in disarray or fails to follow the workspace checklist:

  1. First offense: Warning.

  2. Second offense: Sort the unsorted box for one hour.

  3. Third offense: Sort the unsorted box until it is empty.

  4. Fourth offense: Team suspension for one week.

Additional cleaning fees may apply, and future use of the facility may be restricted if a workspace is repeatedly left untidy.

7. Unacceptable Behavior

The following behaviors are prohibited:

  • Discrimination of any kind.

  • Bullying, harassment, intimidation, or demeaning behavior.

  • Offensive or discriminatory speech, whether communicated in person or through social media.

  • Violence, threats of violence, or violent language directed toward another person.

  • Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or otherwise discriminatory jokes or language.

  • Posting or displaying sexually explicit, violent, or otherwise derogatory material.

  • Posting or threatening to post another person's personally identifying information.

  • Inappropriate photography or recording.

  • Inappropriate physical contact.

  • Misuse of property.

  • Trespassing or theft.

  • Intentional interference with another team or participant.

  • Unsafe or disruptive conduct.

  • Sustained disruption of team activities, community events, talks, or presentations.

  • Disrespectful behavior toward facility rules or expected local conduct.

  • Encouraging, advocating for, or assisting any prohibited behavior.

Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately.

8. Expected Competition Environment

Blaze expects competition teams to maintain a positive and professional environment.

Participants should:

  • Put safety first.

  • Support student-centered teamwork.

  • Respect event staff, volunteers, fellow competitors, and other teams.

  • Exhibit maturity and restraint during stressful competition situations.

  • Demonstrate good sportsmanship.

  • Respect different opinions and approaches.

  • Contribute positively to the team.

  • Take responsibility for parts, tools, equipment, and workspace cleanliness.

Participants should remember that Blaze facilities and competition venues may be shared with members of the public. Everyone is expected to behave respectfully toward other patrons and participants.

9. Corrective Action, Suspension, and Removal

When expectations or policies are not met, Blaze may take corrective action based on the circumstances and severity of the issue.

Possible actions include:

  • Coaching discussion;

  • Parent or guardian conference;

  • Role limitation;

  • Competition participation restriction;

  • Suspension;

  • Team reassignment; or

  • Removal from the team or program.

Serious or repeated violations may result in immediate suspension or removal without prior warnings.

Blaze may temporarily ban or permanently remove a participant from an event or the season, without refund, when appropriate.

Blaze reserves the right to restrict participation in future Blaze events when a participant violates this Code of Conduct or other team policies.

Blaze may involve appropriate authorities when necessary.

10. Reporting and Escalation

Students, parents, guardians, staff, volunteers, and other participants who experience or witness unacceptable behavior, unsafe conditions, or other team-related concerns should notify Blaze staff as soon as possible.

Concerns may be reported by phone at (425) 610-8618 or by email to Blaze staff.

For team-related concerns requiring further escalation, please refer to the Team Issue Escalation Process.

11. Acknowledgment

Participation in a Blaze Robotics Academy competition team, practice, event, or facility activity indicates that students and their families are expected to understand and follow this Code of Conduct.

Blaze reserves the right to update these policies as necessary to maintain a safe, respectful, and productive environment for all participants.