FRC REBUILT Blog: Volume 7

Event Preferencing closes at 9 am Thursday 

    Event preferencing for you first event  

    📖 For full details, check out the FRC Event Preference Guide. 

    Don’t miss your chance—make sure your team is event ready before September 25 so you can take advantage of the first preferencing window! 

    Not sure if you are event ready?  Click here to see your status. 

    ****Important****  If you pick an event other than your home event, you may end up on the waitlist once events are posted Thursday afternoon/Friday morning.  This is normal.  I will be working with FIRST to move everyone into events on Friday and Monday.  Please do not email me if you end up on a waitlist, I will not respond to your email. If you are still on a waitlist Tuesday, October 7, you will receive an email from me by the end of the day letting you know what your options are. 

      FRC Coaches Chat 

      📅 Tonight, September 30 @ 7:00 pm 

      At least one adult per team should attend. Topics include: 

      • How to preference for events (and when/how you’ll know your placement) 
      • Important season dates and deadlines 
      • Invoicing timeline and season costs 

      To attend this meeting click here —please forward to any adult who should attend. 

      Important Dates

      FRC REBUILT Blog: Volume 6

      Event Preferencing opens Thursday! 

        Be Event Ready Before Preferencing Opens 

        At the beginning of every season, coaches need to log into their FIRST dashboard to update consent forms and acknowledgements. Make sure you do this early so you don’t get held up when the FIRST Preferencing Window opens later this month. 

        To be event ready, both Lead Mentor 1 and 2 must: 

        • Sign consent and acknowledgement forms on their dashboard 
        • Be current with their Youth Protection Screening (YPP) 

        Please note:  FIRST has updated their system and if you haven’t logged in since that update, you will be asked to reset your password.  I recommend doing that earlier this week so that you are prepared when you log in to preference for your first event. 

        You will not be able to preference if both Lead 1 and 2 are not current with these requirements. Don’t wait until the last minute—when everyone submits screenings at once, the process takes longer! 

        📖 For full details, check out the FRC Event Preference Guide. 

        Don’t miss your chance—make sure your team is event ready before September 25 so you can take advantage of the first preferencing window! 

        Not sure if you are event ready?  Click here to see your status. 

          Events are posted on firstinspires.org

           

          To make it easier, here is the event schedule for 2026: 

          Week 1       
          3/5/2026  3/7/2026  Oregon State Fairgrounds 
          3/6/2026  3/8/2026  Bonney Lake 
          Week 2       
          3/13/2026  3/15/2026  Wilsonville 
          3/13/2026  3/15/2026  Glacier Peak 
          Week 3       
          3/19/2026  3/21/2026  SunDome 
          3/20/2026  3/22/2026  Sammamish 
          Week 4       
          3/26/2026  3/28/2026  Clackamas Academy 
          3/27/2026  3/29/2026  Auburn 
          Week 6       
          4/8/2026  4/11/2026  DCMP, Cheney, WA 

          FRC Coaches Chat 

          📅 Tuesday, September 30 @ 7:00 pm 

          At least one adult per team should attend. Topics include: 

          • How to preference for events (and when/how you’ll know your placement) 
          • Important season dates and deadlines 

          To attend this meeting click here —please forward to any adult who should attend. 

          Register with FIRST Washington

          Please register with FIRST Washington by September 26. This ensures: 

          • We know your team plans to participate this season (otherwise we may not have confirmation until after preferencing closes). 
          • We have the correct contact information for invoicing. 
          • You gain access to FIRST Washington Grants (most funding goes to Washington teams, but some Oregon teams have received funding in past years as well). 

           FIRST Washington Registration Form 

          Not sure if you are registered with FIRST Washington?  Click here to see your status 

          Important Dates

          FRC REBUILT Blog: Volume 5

          Make sure you are ready to preference next week! 

            Be Event Ready Before Preferencing Opens 

            At the beginning of every season, coaches need to log into their FIRST dashboard to update consent forms and acknowledgements. Make sure you do this early so you don’t get held up when the FIRST Preferencing Window opens later this month. 

            To be event ready, both Lead Mentor 1 and 2 must: 

            • Sign consent and acknowledgement forms on their dashboard 
            • Be current with their Youth Protection Screening (YPP) 

            You will not be able to preference if both Lead 1 and 2 are not current with these requirements. Don’t wait until the last minute—when everyone submits screenings at once, the process takes longer! 

            📖 For full details, check out the FRC Event Preference Guide. 

            Don’t miss your chance—make sure your team is event ready before September 26 so you can take advantage of the first preferencing window! 

              FRC Coaches Chat

               

              FRC Coaches Chat 

              📅 Tuesday, September 30 @ 7:00 pm 

              At least one adult per team should attend. Topics include: 

              • How to preference for events (and when/how you’ll know your placement) 
              • Important season dates and deadlines 

              To attend this meeting click here —please forward to any adult who should attend. 

              Register with FIRST Washington 

              Please register with FIRST Washington by September 26. This ensures: 

              • We know your team plans to participate this season (otherwise we may not have confirmation until after preferencing closes). 
              • We have the correct contact information for invoicing. 
              • You gain access to FIRST Washington Grants (most funding goes to Washington teams, but some Oregon teams have received funding in past years as well). 

               FIRST Washington Registration Form 

              Important Dates

              FRC REBUILT Blog: Volume 4

              Event schedule is posted on firstinspires.org 

                Make sure you are event ready so you can preference later this month 

                At the beginning of every season, coaches need to log onto their dashboard to update their consent and other acknowledgements.  Make sure you do that early so you don’t get held up when the FIRST Preferencing window opens later this month. 

                 

                 

                  Events are posted on firstinspires.org

                   

                  To make it easier, here is the event schedule for 2026: 

                  Week 1       
                  3/5/2026  3/7/2026  Oregon State Fairgrounds 
                  3/6/2026  3/8/2026  Bonney Lake 
                  Week 2       
                  3/13/2026  3/15/2026  Wilsonville 
                  3/13/2026  3/15/2026  Glacier Peak 
                  Week 3       
                  3/19/2026  3/21/2026  SunDome 
                  3/20/2026  3/22/2026  Sammamish 
                  Week 4       
                  3/26/2026  3/28/2026  Clackamas Academy 
                  3/27/2026  3/29/2026  Auburn 
                  Week 6       
                  4/8/2026  4/11/2026  DCMP, Cheney, WA 

                  FRC Coaches Chat 

                  Our first FRC coaches chat of the season is schedule for Tuesday, Sept 30 at 7:00 pm.  Please make sure to have one adult attend this meeting.  Here is what we will be discussing (at a high level) on this meeting: 

                  • How to preference for events (and when/how you know what event you were placed in to) 
                  • Important dates and deadlines for the season 

                  To attend this meeting click here 

                  BunnyBot rules have been posted!

                   

                  For those teams planning to participate in BunnyBots, you can find the rules here:  https://www.frc3218.org/bunnybots  If you have any questions, reach out to Jason Vander Hoek jason_vander_hoek@sumnersd.org

                  Important Dates

                  FRC REBUILT Blog: Volume 3

                  Block Party has been cancelled

                    If you are planning to attend an off season event, register now before more events are cancelled due to low attendance! 

                     

                    Off-Season Event Registration  

                    Looking for a fun way to have new members experience an event, try out a new mechanism, or network with other teams? Register to attend an off-season event this fall! 

                    Off-season events are hosted and run by individual FRC teams, not FIRST Washington. This means each event’s participation requirement(s), fees, and timelines may vary. All events will utilize the Reefscape game. 

                    Block Party hosted by Team 2910 – Sept 6 & 7 – event cancelled due to low registration numbers 

                     

                    Oregon Girls’ Generation / FIRST Chance hosted by Team 1425 – Oct 4 & 5 

                    Oregon Girls’ Gen is a girl-focused event, run as a one-day competition. Oregon FIRST Chance is a one-day event for all students and aimed at providing an opportunity for students new to FRC to attend a pre-season event.

                    Location: Wilsonville High School in Wilsonville, OR

                    Registration information coming soon!

                    For questions, contact Tom Sommerville Jr at tom.sommerville@gmail.com

                     

                    Uplift Challenge hosted by Teams 4125 and 8532 – Oct 10 & 11 

                    Save the date for the Uplift Challenge! This off-season event is open to teams in schools of 500 students and below. Teams in small schools have unique challenges and strengths. This is a chance for us to come together, share ideas, learn about new resources- and of course, have an-off season competition.

                    Location: Umatilla, OR

                    Fee: $100

                    Register for Uplift Challenge

                    For questions, contact Heidi Sipe at sipeh@umatillasd.org

                     

                    2025 Bordie Blast: Bordie at Sea hosted by Team 2412 – Oct 11 & 12 

                    Load-in Friday Oct 10th

                    Location: Sammamish High School in Bellevue, WA

                    Fee: $300 (additional $100 for a second robot if space permits)

                    Register for Bordie at Sea

                    Volunteer sign-up form

                    Event Website

                    For questions, contact Kim Herzog at HerzogK@bsd405.org

                     

                    Washington Girls’ Generation hosted by Team 2046 – Oct 18 & 19

                    The goal for Girls’ Generation is to provide an inclusive experience for underrepresented communities in STEM. In that spirit, we welcome all to participate.

                    Optional load-in Friday Oct 17th

                    Location: Tahoma Senior High School in Maple Valley, WA

                    Fee: $300

                    Register for WA Girls’ Gen

                    Volunteer sign-up form

                    Event Website

                    For questions, contact Darren Collins at dcollins@tahomasd.us

                     

                    StormSurge hosted by Teams 2811 and 9567 – Oct 25

                    Location: Skyview High School in Vancouver, WA

                    Fee: $250 (one robot), $350 (two robots)

                    Register for StormSurge

                    For questions, contact Luke Glassett at lukeglassett@gmail.com

                     

                    Annual Bunnybots OR and WA 

                    2nd Annual Bunnybots WA- hosted by team 3218

                    • Location: Bonney Lake HS
                    • Contest date: Dec 20th, 7:30 am – 5:00 pm
                    • 1-day contest
                    • load in 7:30-9:30
                    • 1st matches at 10 am
                    • email jason_vander_hoek@sumnersd.org 
                    This will be a new robot, built with recycled parts.
                    contest rules based on typical FRC rules
                    Rules released Sept 1. https://www.frc3218.org/bunnybots

                    Annual Bunnybots OR

                    • Contest date: Dec 13th
                    Both contests will cost $150 per bot. and have room for about 20 bots.
                    Here is footage from last year’s game

                     

                      PNW FRC Registration is open! 

                      PNW FRC registration is open.  For those of you who have already registered, THANK YOU!!  For those who haven’t, please take a moment to register if your team plans to participate this year.  For FRC teams, this is the best way for us to know you plan to participate prior to when team preferencing ends the beginning of October. 

                      This form also gives you access to the FIRST Washington Registration grants that are used to lower your registration. 

                      Just a reminder that the District Championship fees have been decoupled from the season registration fees so the season registration fee is now $11,800.  Teams that qualify for District Championship will be charged an additional $4000.  We hope to have some funding available to defray the District Championship registration grants. 

                      Registration form link:  https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/3913797ab2d24190ae51da675f49b3b5  

                      Important Dates

                      FRC REBUILT Blog: Volume 2

                      Registration for Off Season Events open! 

                        Off-Season Event Registration 

                        Looking for a fun way to have new members experience an event, try out a new mechanism, or network with other teams? Register to attend an off-season event this fall!

                        Off-season events are hosted and run by individual FRC teams, not FIRST Washington. This means each event’s participation requirement(s), fees, and timelines may vary. All events will utilize the Reefscape game.

                         

                        Block Party hosted by Team 2910 – Sept 6 & 7 – Event may be rescheduled or cancelled.  Host will confirm status by 8-20. 

                        Location: Mill Creek, WA

                        Fee: $400 (additional $100 for a second robot if space permits)

                        Register for Block Party

                        For questions, contact Steve Kaneb at steve.kaneb@gmail.com

                         

                        Oregon Girls’ Generation / FIRST Chance hosted by Team 1425 – Oct 4 & 5 

                        Oregon Girls’ Gen is a girl-focused event, run as a one-day competition. Oregon FIRST Chance is a one-day event for all students and aimed at providing an opportunity for students new to FRC to attend a pre-season event.

                        Location: Wilsonville High School in Wilsonville, OR

                        Registration information coming soon!

                        For questions, contact Tom Sommerville Jr at tom.sommerville@gmail.com

                         

                        Uplift Challenge hosted by Teams 4125 and 8532 – Oct 10 & 11 

                        Save the date for the Uplift Challenge! This off-season event is open to teams in schools of 500 students and below. Teams in small schools have unique challenges and strengths. This is a chance for us to come together, share ideas, learn about new resources- and of course, have an-off season competition.

                        Location: Umatilla, OR

                        Fee: $100

                        Register for Uplift Challenge

                        For questions, contact Heidi Sipe at sipeh@umatillasd.org

                         

                        2025 Bordie Blast: Bordie at Sea hosted by Team 2412 – Oct 11 & 12 

                        Load-in Friday Oct 10th

                        Location: Sammamish High School in Bellevue, WA

                        Fee: $300 (additional $100 for a second robot if space permits)

                        Register for Bordie at Sea

                        Volunteer sign-up form

                        Event Website

                        For questions, contact Kim Herzog at HerzogK@bsd405.org

                         

                        Washington Girls’ Generation hosted by Team 2046 – Oct 18 & 19

                        The goal for Girls’ Generation is to provide an inclusive experience for underrepresented communities in STEM. In that spirit, we welcome all to participate.

                        Optional load-in Friday Oct 17th

                        Location: Tahoma Senior High School in Maple Valley, WA

                        Fee: $300

                        Register for WA Girls’ Gen

                        Volunteer sign-up form

                        Event Website

                        For questions, contact Darren Collins at dcollins@tahomasd.us

                         

                        StormSurge hosted by Teams 2811 and 9567 – Oct 25

                        Location: Skyview High School in Vancouver, WA

                        Fee: $250 (one robot), $350 (two robots)

                        Register for StormSurge

                        For questions, contact Luke Glassett at lukeglassett@gmail.com

                         

                        Annual Bunnybots OR and WA 

                        Email 

                        2nd Annual Bunnybots WA- hosted by team 3218

                        • Location: Bonney Lake HS
                        • Contest date: Dec 20th, 7:30 am – 5:00 pm
                        • 1-day contest
                        • load in 7:30-9:30
                        • 1st matches at 10 am
                        This will be a new robot, built with recycled parts.
                        contest rules based on typical FRC rules
                        Rules released Sept 1. https://www.frc3218.org/bunnybots

                        Annual Bunnybots OR

                        • Contest date: Dec 13th
                        Both contests will cost $150 per bot. and have room for about 20 bots.
                        Here is footage from last year’s game

                         

                          PNW FRC Registration is open! 

                          PNW FRC registration is open.  For those of you who have already registered, THANK YOU!!  For those who haven’t, please take a moment to register if your team plans to participate this year.  For FRC teams, this is the best way for us to know you plan to participate prior to when team preferencing ends the beginning of October. 

                          This form also gives you access to the FIRST Washington Registration grants that are used to lower your registration. 

                          Just a reminder that the District Championship fees have been decoupled from the season registration fees so the season registration fee is now $11,800.  Teams that qualify for District Championship will be charged an additional $4000.  We hope to have some funding available to defray the District Championship registration grants. 

                          Registration form link:  https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/3913797ab2d24190ae51da675f49b3b5  

                          Booster Policy Update 

                          We have revised our Booster policy as of June 30, 2025 and it will be effective as of July 1, 2025. 

                            Please review and sign off on the current booster policy here: CLICK HERE TO ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT 

                           *Please also note that effective July 1, 2025 the link to our team donation page has been updated: 

                           https://www.aplos.com/aws/give/WAFIRSTBoosters/TeamDonationForm 

                           Going forward please share this link with anyone who wants to donate directly to your team! 

                           Please feel free to reach out to us at accounting@firstwa.org with any questions! 

                          Important Dates