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FTC Into the Deep Blog: Volume 14

by | Dec 12, 2024 | FTC, Newsletter

Reminders to teams participating this weekend 

Coaches should be receiving emails with specifics on your Interleauge event, but I wanted to give some general reminders here:

  • You must bring your team roster and signed consent forms to your Interleague. These are required by FIRST HQ for every event that your team attends. The events will not have the ability to print these for you so you must print them off ahead of time and turn them in when you check in your team.
  • Please bring safety glasses for your students, mentors and spectators. Safety glasses should be worn around the field area as well as in the pits.
  • Bring an extension cord and power strip so your team can tie into the power available in the pit area.
  • Reminder, this is an all day event where judging happens in the morning. You may want to tell spectators come either when matches start or after lunchtime, there won’t be much for them to see in the morning.
  • Please do not arrive early. You will not be allowed to enter the building early even if the weather is bad. Our volunteers are busy getting the event set up and ready for you – they have a very limited window to prep the venue, so please give them the time and space they need! 

Next FTC Coaches Chat, Tuesday, December 17 at 7:00 pm 

Our next coaches chat is scheduled for Tuesday, December 17th at 7:00 pm.  Coaches chats are an opportunity for use to share important information with all of you as well as help you connect with other coaches.  We recommend each team have one coach attend.  Click here for meeting link. 

There are no upcoming events at this time.

Last Call – Dean’s List Nominations are Due December 15th 

We will once again be having remote Dean’s List Interviews in January (More info on the Interview window will be sent to coaches after submissions close in December)

Lead and Alternate Coaches can nominate their students from their firstinspires dashboard until December 15th.

Don’t wait until the last minute, get your nominations in today.

Nomination Guide

After Your Season is Over? Volunteer at Events!

For many of you, your competition season will end after your Interleague event. But that doesn’t need to be the end of your FIRST. A fantastic way to improve your team is to volunteer at an event!

If you are a coach, judging at an event (for any program) can help you understand the judging process and how to direct your students to be stronger in the judging room.

Students can learn a lot from watching other robots and connecting with students from other teams.

We have 3 events after the first of the year. 2 Semi Final events in Maple Valley (Jan 11 & 12) and State in Seattle (Feb 1) Please consider signing up as a volunteer to support those events!

If there is an FLL or FTC event in your school district and your team isn’t already supporting it, please consider mobilizing your team to help out! We understand this time of year is busy, but many of our FLL and FTC hosts depend on fellow FIRST teams to help fulfill volunteer roles.

You can always reach out to us if you want more guidence about how to help out. Email Mara Kealey at marak@firstwa.org.

Volunteer Roles Needed: FTC

  • Judges
  • Scoring Referees
  • Queuers
  • Field Resetters
  • Scorekeepers

Volunteer Roles Needed: FLL

  • Judges
  • Referees
  • Queuers
  • Field Resetters
  • Scorekeepers
How to Register
There are no upcoming events at this time.
There are no upcoming events at this time.

Important Dates & Deadlines

FTC Into the Deep Blog: Volume 13

by | Dec 4, 2024 | FTC, Newsletter

Turing League Meet 2 AND Spencer League Meet 2 are RESCHEDULED for December 8th

We appreciate all the teams in these Leagues for their patience as we work to reschedule events postponed by extreme weather.

Turnig League Meet 2 will take place on December 8th – All event details besides the date change (location, time. participating teams, etc.) remain the same.

Spencer League Meet 2 has also been rescehduled for December 8th – All event details besides the date change (location, time. participating teams, etc.) remain the same.

We understand notification of the Spencer LM2 reschedule is short notice, but the school district was out of power and unreachable (due to the holiday) until yesterday.

If you are a team participating in either of these events, please reach out to your League Host.

Next FTC Coaches Chat, Tuesday, December 17 at 7:00 pm 

Our next coaches chat is scheduled for Tuesday, December 17th at 7:00 pm.  Coaches chats are an opportunity for use to share important information with all of you as well as help you connect with other coaches.  We recommend each team have one coach attend.  Click here for meeting link. 

There are no upcoming events at this time.

Dean’s List Nominations are Due December 15th 

We will once again be having remote Dean’s List Interviews in January (More info on the Interview window will be sent to coaches after nominations close in December)

Lead and Alternate Coaches can nominate their students from their firstinspires dashboard until December 15th.

Don’t wait until the last minute, get your nominations in today.

Nomination Guide

General Interleague Event Info 

Coaches should be receiving emails with specifics on your Interleauge event, but I wanted to give some general reminders here: 

  • You must bring your team roster and signed consent forms to your Interleague.  These are required by FIRST HQ for every event that your team attends.  The events will not have the ability to print these for you so you must print them off ahead of time and turn them in when you check in your team. 
  • Please bring safety glasses for your students, mentors and spectators.  Safety glasses should be worn around the field area as well as in the pits. 
  • Bring an extension cord and power strip so your team can tie into the power available in the pit area. 
  • Reminder, this is an all day event where judging happens in the morning. You may want to tell spectators come either when matches start or after lunchtime, there won’t be much for them to see in the morning. 

Fundraising for Your Team

Many of you have booster accounts with us and either have fundraising links set up (through give lively, benevity, etc…)  It is imperative that you make sure your team number gets put on any and all donations we receive whether by check or electronically.  We support over 1000 teams and many of them have booster accounts.  We have NO WAY of knowing a donation from James Smith should go to your team unless they tell us your team number (not your team name or school name or coach name or mentor name or student name or parent name – hopefully you are getting the point) We are a VERY small staff that must do many different tasks to support all teams in the PNW and Washington and when we have to take time to chase down donations, it prevents us from doing other things we need to do to support all of you!

If your team number is not listed on your donation, you are at risk of those funds not being deposited into your booster account because we just have no way of knowing how to contact the donor or who the funds are for.  Please help us help you by making sure your instructions to your sponsors are clear when it comes to making donations to your FIRST Washington booster account.

We Want Your Feedback! 

FIRST Washington strives to support coaches in building sustainable and supported teams. We’d love to hear from you how we’re doing. Please take time to fill out the survey below to let us know how this season is going and how you feel about your team’s sustainability.

The survey is anonymous and will not collect your name/email or team number. All questions are optional, and any that you complete will help. Thank you for supporting an improved experience for all teams! 

Feedback Survey

Volunteer with FTC or FLL!

We have 27 FTC and FLL Challenge events in December alone, and we need over 1,400 volunteers to run them! Please organize your team to register today! Volunteering at FLL and FTC events is NUMBER ONE way your team can support FIRST growth in your community, and you’ll have a blast doing it! 

For coaches and mentors, Judging (at events your team is NOT competing at) is a great way to learn about the judging process.

And for FTC students, volunteering in any role is a great way to work towards any service hour requirements for graduation.

If there is an FLL or FTC event in your school district and your team isn’t already supporting it, please consider mobilizing your team to help out! We understand this time of year is busy, but many of our FLL and FTC hosts depend on FRC teams to help fulfill volunteer roles.

You can always reach out to us if you want more guidence about how to help out. Email Mara Kealey at marak@firstwa.org.

Volunteer Roles Needed: (both programs)

  • Referees
  • Judges
  • Queuers
  • Field Resetters
  • Scorekeepers
How to Register
There are no upcoming events at this time.
There are no upcoming events at this time.

Important Dates & Deadlines

FTC Into the Deep Blog: Volume 12

by | Nov 26, 2024 | FTC, Newsletter

Last weeks coaches chat posted on the firstwa website 

Last weeks coaches chat has been posted here on the firstwa.org Webinars page.  The focus was on the upcoming Interleague events and what to expect.  If you missed the coaches chat, make sure to look through the slides and watch the recording so you can be prepared for your Interleague Championship event. 

 

Dean’s List Nominations are Due December 15th 

We will once again be having remote Dean’s List Interviews in January (More info on the Interview window will be sent to coaches after nominations close in December)

Lead and Alternate Coaches can nominate their students from their firstinspires dashboard until December 15th.

Don’t wait until the last minute, get your nominations in today.

Nomination Guide

Volunteer with FTC or FLL!

We have 27 FTC and FLL Challenge events in December alone, and we need over 1,400 volunteers to run them! Please organize your team to register today! Volunteering at FLL and FTC events is NUMBER ONE way your team can support FIRST growth in your community, and you’ll have a blast doing it! 

For coaches and mentors, Judging (at events your team is NOT competing at) is a great way to learn about the judging process.

And for FTC students, volunteering in any role is a great way to work towards any service hour requirements for graduation.

If there is an FLL or FTC event in your school district and your team isn’t already supporting it, please consider mobilizing your team to help out! We understand this time of year is busy, but many of our FLL and FTC hosts depend on FRC teams to help fulfill volunteer roles.

You can always reach out to us if you want more guidence about how to help out. Email Mara Kealey at marak@firstwa.org.

Volunteer Roles Needed: (both programs)

  • Referees
  • Judges
  • Queuers
  • Field Resetters
  • Scorekeepers
How to Register
There are no upcoming events at this time.
There are no upcoming events at this time.

Important Dates & Deadlines

Inclement Weather Alert: 11/21/24 Cyclone Bomb

by | Nov 21, 2024 | FTC

In response to the Bomb Cyclone weather event that impacted much of western Washington on Wednesday, November 20th, we are currently gathering information about FTC League event venues that may be struggling to regain electricity.

This situation could impact whether certain league events in western Washington can proceed as scheduled for the weekend of November 23rd and 24th. 

We aim to inform participating teams as soon as possible regarding the status of their league events. You can track your event status via the report below. 

*If you are using a mobile phone, please view in landscape mode for better readability.

PLEASE NOTE: Events outside western Washington or the Bomb Cyclone-affected region should be assumed to proceed as scheduled unless otherwise notified.

The safety of our teams and volunteers is our top priority at FIRST Washington. Given the geographic diversity of our region and the variability of weather conditions, we trust our event hosts to make informed decisions about whether to proceed with an event, in alignment with their school district’s policies. 

Coaches are encouraged to assess weather conditions in their area, prioritize the safety of their participants, and follow their school district’s policies (if applicable) when deciding whether to attend a scheduled event. 

Please note that we cannot guarantee a make-up event if an event is cancelled due to inclement weather. Additionally, if a team chooses not to attend their scheduled event, no alternative event will be offered. 

Here is what we have done to make communication as easy as possible: 

  1. We have added an Inclement Weather report so you can quickly check the status of your event. 
  2. FIRST Washington will email all assigned teams about any event changes as soon as we are made aware. 
  3. FIRST Washington will also email all assigned volunteers about any event changes as soon as we are made aware.

We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we navigate these weather challenges. Thank you for prioritizing safety and making it a top priority for all participants, volunteers, and staff.  

November Coches Chat

If you missed our coaches chat, you can access the recording and slides here! 

Recording and Slides

FTC Into the Deep Blog: Volume 11

by | Nov 15, 2024 | FTC, Newsletter

Next FTC Coaches Chat is Tuesday, November 19 at 7:00 pm 

Our next coaches chat is scheduled for Tuesday, November 15 at 7:00 pm.  Coaches chats are an opportunity for use to share important information with all of you as well as help you connect with other coaches.  We recommend each team have one coach attend.  Click here for meeting link.

We will be focusing on the Interleague events during this meeting.

There are no upcoming events at this time.

Dean’s List Nominations are Due December 15th 

We will once again be having remote Dean’s List Interviews in January (More info on the Interview window will be sent to coaches after nominations close in December)

Lead and Alternate Coaches can nominate their students from their firstinspires dashboard until December 15th.

Don’t wait until the last minute, get your nominations in today.

Nomination Guide

Event Results

Since all leagues have now had their first event, I wanted to point out where to go to see event results and rankings.  You can find them here:  https://ftc-events.firstinspires.org/#allevents 

Go to the week your event was held and select your league for results. 

Volunteer with FTC or FLL!

We have 27 FTC and FLL Challenge events in December alone, and we need over 1,400 volunteers to run them! Please organize your team to register today! Volunteering at FLL and FTC events is NUMBER ONE way your team can support FIRST growth in your community, and you’ll have a blast doing it! 

For coaches and mentors, Judging (at events your team is NOT competing at) is a great way to learn about the judging process.

And for FTC students, volunteering in any role is a great way to work towards any service hour requirements for graduation.

If there is an FLL or FTC event in your school district and your team isn’t already supporting it, please consider mobilizing your team to help out! We understand this time of year is busy, but many of our FLL and FTC hosts depend on FRC teams to help fulfill volunteer roles.

You can always reach out to us if you want more guidence about how to help out. Email Mara Kealey at marak@firstwa.org.

Volunteer Roles Needed: (both programs)

  • Referees
  • Judges
  • Queuers
  • Field Resetters
  • Scorekeepers
How to Register
There are no upcoming events at this time.
There are no upcoming events at this time.

Important Dates & Deadlines

FTC Into the Deep Blog: Volume 11

by | Oct 23, 2024 | FTC

Coaches Chat Recording

The slides and recording from last weeks coaches chat have been posted here on firstwa.org.  If you missed the chat, make sure to watch the video, there is a lot of important information in there about inspection changes and more.   

Click Here

FTC Invoices Need to be Secured by FRIDAY

Invoices have been sent to all FTC teams registered with FIRST Washington by 10-18.  As of yesterday, less than half of our teams have paid their invoice.  Make sure you get your invoice paid ASAP so it doesn’t affect your game play. 

***Important note***  If you are using booster account funds to pay your invoice – Send an email to accounting@firstwa.org Please include your team number along with your invoice.  We have 1000 teams that we support, your life will be much easier if you and your invoice will get taken care of faster if you list your team number. 

League Meets Begin this Weekend

By now, all lead and alternate contacts on your team should have received an email from your League coordinator.  If you have not yet received any communication, feel free to reach out to me and I will get you connected with your league coordinator.

Many of you are probably not feeling ready for your first event.  This is completely normal!!  No team feels fully prepared for their first event.  Even if you don’t feel you are ready for your first event attend it anyway!!!  

You will receive TONS of support from the veteran teams in your league and your students will leave the event with some great ideas and be inspired to work on the robot to prepare it for the next league meet.   

 If for some reason you are unable to attend your event, please email me (acollins@firstwa.org) and Kevin Emery (kemery@firstwa.org) so we can work with you to see uf we can help you overcome your challenge or let the league coordinator know.  

There is nothing worse than hosting an event where you are missing a team and wondering if you should run the match schedule without that team or hold the event to wait for them so please communicate with us if you have any issue attending your first meet. 

Use your Team Number and Program for any Communication

For some reason, much the communication that we are receiving (by we, I mean programs, finance etc…) does not include your team number.  With 1000 teams in our eco-system, it is critical that you put your Program and team number on everything.  What does this include? 

  • Any communication to your program staff 
  • Any communication to your league coordinator 
  • Any communication to the finance staff (boosters@firstwa.org, accounting@firstwa.org  
  • Any funds entering your booster account whether by check, through benevity or other methods. 

We want to give you the fastest, most timely service we can but when we have to spend time tracking down a team number from a name (either mentor, parent, coach or team name) it takes us extra time and may cause funds to be delayed getting into your account or even accidentally be put in the wrong account.  Help us help you by giving us the critical information we need to support you.   

There are no upcoming events at this time.
League Info

Please Keep Gracious Professionalism at Heart

As your team prepares for their first competition of the season, take a moment to remind your students to keep the spirit of Gracious Professionalism and the FIRST Core Values at the core of everything they do.

This means competing with integrity, showing respect for others, and offering help when it’s needed, even to your opponents. Strive for excellence not just in your technical performance but also in how you collaborate, problem-solve, and treat every person participating in this competition. So, a few reminders –

  1. All match results are final. ***no amount of arguing or pestering will change them 😉
  2. There are no video replays of matches.
  3. Only students should visit the question box. If a coach/mentor wants to accompany a student as emotional support, that is totally fine! But the student should be asking the questions, NOT the adult. This is a learning opportunity for them, not an opportunity for adults to question match results.

Remind your students and fellow adults that every single person running league competitions is a VOLUNTEER. Maybe you’re running late and you get frustrated with the person running team check in. Or the Head Referee makes a call you don’t personally agree with.

Everyone running your competition is donating their time and talents to ensure your students have the best possible experience.

As Gracious Professionalism teaches us – that doesn’t always mean things will be easy or you will agree with the outcome. But every experience is an opportunity to learn, and it is the responsibility of coaches and mentors to set a strong example for their students.

Your team will have a better experience competing if the event your attending is well staffed, by well-trained, enthusiastic volunteers. But it becomes difficult to retain volunteeers if they are not treated with respect and kidness by students, or fellow adults.

So, please be intentional with your team and take a moment to remind them of these tenants. Lets let this season be about more than just winning—make it about inspiring each other and having fun!

Important Dates & Deadlines