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

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.   

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.   

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

• February 1:  FTC State

Coaches Chat is TONIGHT

Coaches chats are an opportunity for us 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 “more info” to join!

FTC Invoices have been Sent

The first round of invoices was sent to the contact listed on the FIRST Washington registration form last night.  Any team registered by October 1 received an invoice.  We will be working on getting a second batch out soon for those who registered late. 

I do want to remind everyone that if you did not register by they grant deadline (September 27) then you were not considered for a grant so your invoice will be for the entire registration amount. 

We have shifted the deadline to secure your FIRST Washington registration to October 25th since invoices went out later than planned. 

Final League Assignments are Posted

For some of you, events start in about 10 days.  To participate in events you must: 

• Have your FIRST Washington registration secured 
• Be registered with FIRST Inspires 
• Be event ready which means you lead and alternate coaches must 
• Have signed their consent forms 
• Passed their youth protection screening 

Important Dates & Deadlines

• February 1:  FTC State

Final League Assignments are LIVE

League home assignments are posted on the firstwa website here.

Remember, you will need to be registered with both FIRST and FIRST Washington to participate in your league events.

Coaches Chat Tuesday, October 15th

Coaches chats are an opportunity for us 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 

FTC Invoices will be Sent Soon! 

We are working to get invoices out by the end of the week or beginning of next week.  We have shifted the deadline to secure your FIRST Washington registration to October 25th since invoices are going out later than planned. 

Important Dates & Deadlines

• February 1:  FTC State

League Assignments are LIVE! 

League home assignments are posted on the FIRST Washington website here. Assignments were based on teams submitting both their FIRST Inspires AND FIRST Washington registration as of 9:00am on September 30th.

If you were not registered with FIRST Washington or FIRST Inspires as of September 30th, you were not placed in a home league. To be placed in a league, reigister with firstinspires and FIRST Washington.  We will updated the league list once a day in the morning based on the registration information from the night before.

New this year! Your team can preference into another league using this form.

• This form is meant to only be used in cases where you want to opt out of your pre-assigned Home League. If you want to remain in your Home League, do not submit this form. 
• All of our event dates are published on the FIRSTWA Calendar 
• We will attempt to place teams into their top preferences, but that is subject to event capacity. 
• Teams are limited to selecting leagues within 75 miles of your team. Any selections further away than that will be removed.  
• The form does not enforce this, it will be handled manually before assigning leagues 
• You must select at least two (2) leagues that you would like to move to, but may select up to five (5).  
• If we are not able to place you into any of your preferences, you will be placed into your original home league. 
• If you have multiple teams and want them to be kept together, we recommend you stay in your home league. We will not guarantee that your teams will be placed in the same league if you enter the preferencing system. 
• Reach out to Adrienne Collins (acollins@firstwa.org) and/or Kevin Emery (kemery@firstwa.org) with any questions or concerns. 

The preferencing window will close on Wednesday, October 9. Final league assignments will be posted by the end of the day Friday, October 11. 

OnShape with Kevin this Fall

Kevin is doing his onShape workshops a little differently this season.  Instead of having live workshops, he has pre-recorded a series to allow people to move at their own pace.

If you have students who would like to learn CAD for FTC, here is a playlist of a series of videos for learning how to use OnShape.

If you have questions, feel free to reach out to Kevin Ross at kevinro@firstwa.org. 

Important Dates & Deadlines

• February 1:  FTC State