FRC Reefscape Blog: Volume 21

Coaches Chat tonight- OSPI listening and brainstorming session

I just want to remind coaches about our FRC Coaches Chat tonight at 7:00 pm.  We will be focusing on brainstorming solutions to help make sure all teams can participate even with the loss of the OSPI funds in Washington.  All teams are welcome because  everyone can benefit from fundraising brainstorming whether you are impacted by the OSPI funding cuts or not!
Also, a reminder, if you have not filled out our Impact Survey related to the OSPI funding cuts, please do that ASAP.  It will help us to figure out how to deploy our resources and help us to be proactive with team support if we understand how this loss of funding affects your ability to participate.
Click here for the survey link if you did not fill it out last week.

FRC 2025 Season Retrospective Survey – Feedback Wanted

As we wrap up the 2025 FRC season, we are collecting feedback to better understand your team’s experience. This retrospective survey is an opportunity to let FIRSTWA know what went well, what challenges you faced, what support you need moving forward, and whether you’re interested in hosting events in future years. Please take a few minutes to fill it out by Friday June 6th. Thank you for being part of our community!
 

Important Dates

  • May 27th:  Coaches ChatOSPI listening and brainstorming session

FRC Blog: OSPI Update

2025 – 2026 OSPI FIRST Washington Grant Update

Action Requested:  After reading the note below, please take a moment to complete this very short [survey] by Friday, May 23 to help us understand the impact of the funding loss—and whether you may need support or be able to offer assistance to others.

 

Hello Teams,

Thank you to everyone who reached out to your State Senators and Congress Members, advocating for continued OSPI funding in the new State Budget. Your efforts are deeply appreciated.

Unfortunately, the current budget being reviewed at the Governor’s office includes no OSPI funding for Teams this upcoming season- meaning that the $1.475 million dollars from OSPI distributed to FIRST Washington teams and events last year is not available for the upcoming season.

That’s the tough news- but definitely not the end of the story.

Leadership at FIRST Washington is committed to the following:

  • Maintaining the number of students/teams who engage and participate in the FIRST Washington community and the competitive events hosted during the season- last season this was 10,500 students
  • Maintaining the excellent customer experience levels for Students, Teams, Coaches, Mentors, and Volunteers
  • Identifying what can be done in the short term to replace the OSPI funding 

 

We are currently assessing all available assets and cost saving measures and have also developed a robust fund-raising strategy for our upcoming Fiscal Year and season.

Our first immediate step is making an adjustment for the 2025/26 season that will help all teams in the Pacific Northwest.  We will be decoupling the District Championship (DCMP) registration fee from the overall season registration saving teams $1,200 on their season registration fees.  Here’s what that means for your team:

  • Season registration will be $11,800 per team, which includes the $300 increase from FIRST HQ.
  • Teams that qualify for the DCMP will receive a separate invoice for the $4,000 DCMP registration fee.
  • FIRST Washington will allocate some grant funding to assist teams who may struggle with additional DCMP cost.

Ensuring Teams have the resources needed for another successful season will require an all-hands effort and partnership with the entire FIRST Community- Volunteers, Mentors, Coaches, Schools, Corporate Donors, Foundations, and Individual Donors.

 

Here are a few next steps:

  1. Let us know if the loss of OSPI funding may prevent your school from participating in FIRST programs next year thorough the survey link above.
  2. Start planning and budgeting now for the 2025–2026 season – explore creative fundraising opportunities over the summer and identify any alternative funding that may be available within your school district- if applicable.
  3. Begin brainstorming ways our community can support one another—sharing fundraising strategies, offering mentorship, or other collaborative efforts.
  4. Attend the webinar on Tuesday, May 27 at 7:00 pm Click here to attend

We are reaching out not only to public school teams, but also to our community-based teams as well as teams in Oregon. Your experiences with self-funding and community support may offer valuable insights for school-based teams facing these new challenges.

We’ll continue to communicate in the coming weeks as we look for ways to move forward together. We are incredibly grateful to be part of such a dedicated and resilient community.

 

Thank you for all you do,

Adrienne Collins,

Director of Programs, FIRST Washington

Important Dates

  • May 27th: OSPI listening and brainstorming session

FRC Blog: Reefscape Volume 20

District Championship/Championship Event Briefing 3-18 at 7:00 pm

Our District Championship/Championship Event Briefing is scheduled for Tuesday, Mar 18 at 7:00 pm

If you think you may qualify for District Championships, I recommend that you attend this meeting though it will be recorded an posted to our website so if you don’t attend and qualify, you will still be able to access the information. 

Register to Volunteer at DCMP

 

We are three weeks out and we’re looking forward to an exciting District Championship Event at Eastern Washington University in Cheney April 2 – 5.  

If you’re planning to volunteer at DCMP but ONLY if your team qualifies, we advise you apply for the role you want and include a note in your application stating your team number, and that your assignment is conditional of your team making it. That will help us get a better understanding of who plans to volunteer. 

If you have the ability to volunteer whether your team qualifies or not, we highly encourage you to do so! 

Not sure where to start? Follow the guide below!

Are you a…. Coach/mentor/parent?

  • Robot Inspector: A great role for anyone interested in learning more about how the robot works, and what regulations have to be met to pass inspection.
  • Judge: A great role to learn more about the judging process! If you’re someone who always thinks “gosh! Why didn’t my team win BLANK award?!” this is a great role for you! Judging allows you to connect with students and fellow volunteers, and teaches you just how many variables go into the judging process. This is still only a two-day time commitment, just like any FRC event (Friday AND Saturday) and you need to include your team affiliation before we can confirm your assignment. 

Are you a…. Student?

  • Field Reset: This role allows you to be field side and get a front row seat for matches!
  • Audio/Visual Attendant: Are you interested in photography, videography, and have an attention for detail? This role is for you!

Thanks for all your help this season!

Competition Photos

Many teams are asking where to find event photos.  Our volunteer photographers upload them to our flickr account. Please be patient, most of our volunteers have full time jobs so it does take a few days for the photos to get uploaded. 

FRC Reefscape Blog: Volume 19

Thank YOU Week 2 Coaches!

Thank you to our week 2 coaches for being prepared and bringing your roster to the event to turn in.   

Remember, you need to turn in your roster and paper consent forms for any student/mentor who hasn’t signed and electronic consent form at every single event you attend.  Lets keep it up for our week 3 & 4 events!  

If you are having issues getting your roster printed or need help, feel free to reach out to me and I will be happy to work with you (to the extent that I can) or connect you with folks at FIRST that can help you. 

Lets make sure our volunteers can focus on the important work of making a great event for your hard working students, and not spend their time trying to find a way to print your roster for you. 

Register to Volunteer at DCMP

 

We are three weeks out and we’re looking forward to an exciting District Championship Event at Eastern Washington University in Cheney April 2 – 5.  

If you’re planning to volunteer at DCMP but ONLY if your team qualifies, we advise you apply for the role you want and include a note in your application stating your team number, and that your assignment is conditional of your team making it. That will help us get a better understanding of who plans to volunteer. 

 

If you have the ability to volunteer whether your team qualifies or not, we highly encourage you to do so! 

Not sure where to start? Follow the guide below!

Are you a…. Coach/mentor/parent?

  • Robot Inspector: A great role for anyone interested in learning more about how the robot works, and what regulations have to be met to pass inspection.
  • Judge: A great role to learn more about the judging process! If you’re someone who always thinks “gosh! Why didn’t my team win BLANK award?!” this is a great role for you! Judging allows you to connect with students and fellow volunteers, and teaches you just how many variables go into the judging process. This is still only a two-day time commitment, just like any FRC event (Friday AND Saturday). 

Are you a…. Student?

  • Field Reset: This role allows you to be field side and get a front row seat for matches!
  • Audio/Visual Attendant: Are you interested in photography, videography, and have an attention for detail? This role is for you!

Thanks for all your help this season!

District Championship/Championship Event Briefing 3-18 at 7:00 pm

Our District Championship/Championship Event Briefing is scheduled for Tuesday, Mar 18 at 7:00 pm

If you think you may qualify for District Championships, I recommend that you attend this meeting though it will be recorded an posted to our website so if you don’t attend and qualify, you will still be able to access the information. 

FRC Reefscape Blog: Volume 18

We Need Your Help!

Coaches, you need to turn in your roster and paper consent forms for any student/mentor who hasn’t signed and electronic consent form at every single event you attend. 

I’m rather disappointed in how many of our veteran teams did not come prepared with their rosters at our week one events.  This is understandable if you are a rookie team but it is unacceptable for a veteran team.  When you do this, you cause our volunteers to work harder because they go out of their way to ensure your team is able to participate in the event – Yes, that is true!

If your team does not bring a printed roster, we cannot let your team participate. That is not just a FIRST Washington rule, it’s a FIRST Inspires rule that we are all REQUIRED to follow.

From week 2 on, please come prepared.  I will be asking our Pit Admin folks not to print rosters for unprepared teams unless they are rookies.  If you forget your roster, you are welcome to visit a FedEx, Kinkos, your hotel, or a local library (or some other local business that allows printing) so that you can get your roster printed. 

If you are having issues getting your roster printed or need help, feel free to reach out to me and I will be happy to work with you (to the extent that I can) or connect you with folks at FIRST that can help you. 

Lets make sure our volunteers can focus on the important work of making a great event for your hard working students, and not spend their time trying to find a way to print your roster for you. 

Register as an Event Volunteer

It’s not too late to register as an event volunteer this season.

Volunteering at an event is a GREAT way to learn more about the program and peak behind the curtain.

Not sure where to start? Follow the guide below!

Are you a…. Coach/mentor/parent?

  • Robot Inspector: A great role for anyone interested in learning more about how the robot works, and what regulations have to be met to pass inspection.
  • Judge: ONLY at an event your team is NOT competing at – A great role to learn more about the judging process! If you’re someone who always thinks “gosh! Why didn’t my team win BLANK award?!” this is a great role for you! Judging allows you to connect with students and fellow volunteers, and teaches you just how many variables go into the judging process.

Are you a…. Student?

  • Field Reset: This role allows you to be field side and get a front row seat for matches!
  • Audio/Visual Attendant: Are you interested in photography, videography, and have an attention for detail? This role is for you!

If you go to apply for an event and you can’t find the role you want to fulfill, it means it’s full! Our greatest needs events right now are Bonney Lake and SunDome – the Week 3 slump is real!

Lastly, we are accepting volunteers for the District Championship in Cheney, WA this year! Don’t hesitate to apply. But if your attendance is dependent on your team making it, please add a comment in your application so we are aware of that.

Thanks for all your help this season!

District Championship/Championship Event Briefing 3-18 at 7:00 pm

Our District Championship/Championship Event Briefing is scheduled for Tuesday, Mar 18 at 7:00 pm

If you think you may qualify for District Championships, I recommend that you attend this meeting though it will be recorded an posted to our website so if you don’t attend and qualify, you will still be able to access the information. 

Week 1 Events Are Behind Us!

Our week 1 events are behind us and as a whole, they went VERY well! I want to thank the coaches and students for their part in the events running smoothly.

The competition field is a bit messy for loading robots on and off the field, students followed directions and very quickly fell into a rhythm that allowed us to do that efficiently and stay on time.

With the big changes to alliance selection, it has the potential to be very messy. I was at alliance selection for both events and from everything I saw, our alliance groups were on time, prepared, (mostly) knew what they were supposed to do and did an excellent job of following directions. In the PNW, alliance selection was absolutely painless (which was not the case everywhere) and that is in large part because of all of you so THANK YOU!!

FRC Reefscape Blog: Volume 17

District Event Briefing: 2/13 at 7:00 pm

Our District Event Briefing is scheduled for next Thursday, Feb 13 at 7:00 pm. We will be going over the general details for all of our district events so it is important that you have one adult attend. We will be working to ensure the links on the calendar match the links that we are sending out so we don’t have the confusion that we had on our last meeting.

Week 1 Events are Around the Corner! 

Week 1 Events: Oregon State Fair & Glacier Peak 

The information for the week 1 events will be posted on the event here by the end of the day Wednesday, Feb 12.

Additionally, the link and information will be emailed to the lead and alternate contact on the team. Make sure you look through this information and share it with your mentors and parents.

Reminder: Student Volunteers Need to Submit YPPs once they turn 18

OWe have many awesome FRC students who enjoy volunteering at FRC events. Please remind your students that they are required to submit a Youth Protection Policy bacakground check (YPP) once they turn 18 years old. Even if they are still a high school student, it is a FIRST Inspires policy for all adults.

For these students, it will be their first time ever submitting the background check, so they may need help! Please check in with your 18 y.o. students who intend to volunteer and walk them through the process.

Instructions for Submitting YPP Background check:
  1. Login to your FIRST Inspires account ( https://www.firstinspires.org/ )
  2. Then select the “Hello, NAME!” dropdown menu and then select Acknowledgement forms. This tab will list all outstanding paperwork that’s needed.
  3. Then select Youth Protection Policy Screening and use the US user guide for step-by-step instructions for submitting.

Important Dates