Coaches Chat this Thursday at 7:00 pm 

Our October Coaches Chat is scheduled for next Thursday at 7:00 pm.  Please make sure to have one adult from your team attend.   

To join the meeting click here  

PNW FRC Mentor Meetup – Sunday December 6th, 2026 

Join us on Sunday, December 6th, at 12:00 PM at the FIRSTWA Fieldhouse in Kent for a PNW FRC Mentor Meetup. 

The goal of this meetup is to share perspectives on some technical topics while building stronger relationships among mentors and coaches from FRC teams across the Pacific Northwest. We’ll start with two panel discussions focused on technical topics, with time for Q&A after each session. After the panels, we’ll break into smaller, informal roundtable discussions where mentors can connect and share ideas on topics that are most relevant to their teams. 

We recognize that there’s no perfect time to schedule these meetups and that conflicts are inevitable. With the 2027 FRC kickoff approaching, we chose December 6th to bring mentors together before the new season gets underway. If you are coming from out of town, there are several hotels nearby. 

Water, soda, and light snacks will be provided. You’re also welcome to bring your own alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages. Because alcohol will be available, all mentors must be at least 21 years old. 

Panel Discussions 

Mentors from multiple teams will participate in the panels, bringing a variety of experiences and perspectives to each discussion. 

Panel 1: Improving Reliability in the Electrical System 

This discussion will focus on practical ways to improve electrical system reliability and prevent failures on the field. Topics will include battery best practices for storage, charging, use, and testing, as well as current limits. We’ll also discuss CAN bus and power wiring techniques to minimize failures and how to keep sensors and vision systems reliably connected and powered throughout a match. We’ll also talk about future considerations in preparation for the SystemCore. 

Panel 2: Workflow Efficiency: From Concept to Finished Robot 

How can we move from an initial concept to a competition ready robot efficiently without sacrificing quality or reliability? We’ll discuss design considerations that improve maintainability and ease of assembly, along with strategies for keeping the build process on schedule. Topics will include managing COTS parts, deciding what to keep in stock versus purchasing on demand, and using COTS components to save time and reduce manufacturing demands. We’ll also discuss how options for custom part manufacturing, including sponsors and fabrication services such as Fabworks and SendCutSend, as well as project management challenges like deadlines, design changes, and unforeseen roadblocks. Finally, we’ll discuss how organizing the build space can save time and help minimize mistakes. 

Roundtable: 

The current plan for the roundtable will be to break into smaller groups based on interest. You are encouraged to share some roundtable topics on registration form. 

How to Attend 

Please fill out the Google Form if you plan to attend. We encourage you to share this invitation with other mentors on your team so they can join the conversation, too. 

If you have questions or suggestions for the meetup, please contact Darren Collins at dcollins@tahomasd.us. 

We look forward to getting PNW mentors together to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and strengthen our robotics community before the 2027 season begins. 

2027 Boeing Manufacturing Student Development Program 

Have a student interested in the manufacturing side of aerospace? This Boeing program allows rising high school seniors to build real-world manufacturing and industrial maintenance experience in a paid, hand-on opportunity running from July 6th to August 19th 2027. Students may be assigned to either Everett, Renton, or Auburn sites and will learn skills such as mechanical assembly, electrical installation, blueprint reading, and Lean manufacturing. For more information, see https://boeing.avature.net/wamfgsdp (select “Current High School Junior” from the drop down at the bottom for full program description and application). 

Prerequisites: 

• Age 16+ 

• Rising senior, graduating in 2028 

• Knowledge of shop tools and safety practices via a class or club 

Application deadline: 11:59PM on 1/25/2027 

Important Dates

10-29: FRC Coaches Chat 

10-29: Unrestricted Regional and additional in district registration opens 

11-5: Inter district registration opens 

12-19:  Bunny Bots 

2nd round of preferencing is open until 9 am Thursday, Oct 22

The second round of preferencing is now open.  This is your opportunity to preference for your 2nd event (During the first round, even if you picked 2 events, you were only placed in 1 event).  Same process as last time, you will have until 9 am Thursday to submit your preferences and selections will be released on Friday, October 23. 

I strongly recommend you submit your preference selections by Thursday October 22nd just to make sure everything gets submitted in time. 

Some teams will end up on the waitlist.  You will hear from me on Friday with your options if you do. 

If you haven’t yet done so, select your kickoff event! 

All teams need to make a kickoff selection so FIRST knows how to get them thier kit.  Please do this now if you haven’t already done it. 

Oregon teams:  The issue with the Corvallis event was that it filled up because the capacity wasn’t changed with our new plan.  If you weren’t able to select it/couldn’t find it yesterday, go back in today and give it a try. 

MySite:  If you select to have your kit shipped to you, you are a MySite  Please understand, you kit will not be shipped until after kickoff.  Make sure this is the choice you want, once you go through the check out process, you cannot change it. 

Coaches Chat next Thursday at 7:00 pm 

Our October Coaches Chat is scheduled for next Thursday at 7:00 pm.  Please make sure to have one adult from your team attend.   

To join the meeting click here 

Important Dates

10-15: Second preferencing window opens 

10-22: Second preferencing window closes 

10-25 & 26: Block Party 

10-29: FRC Coaches Chat 

10-29: Unrestricted Regional and additional in district registration opens 

11-5: Inter district registration opens 

12-19:  Bunny Bots 

2nd round of preferencing opens at 9 am tomorrow

The second round of preferencing will open at 9 am tomorrow.  This is your opportunity to preference for your 2nd event.  Same process as last time, you will have until 9 am next Thursday to submit your preferences and selections will be released on Friday, October 23. 

I strongly recommend you submit your preference selections by Thursday October 22nd just to make sure everything gets submitted in time. 

All teams that selected preferences should be in an event 

All teams that were on a waitlist last Friday have been moved into events 

The next preferencing window opens at 10-15 at 9:00 am.  I recommend you don’t make any coaching changes on your dashboard until after the preferencing window has closed so it doesn’t affect your ability to get into your second preference. 

UW Mentorship Program 

FIRST Washington has an ongoing partnership with the University of Washington called the UW Mentorship Program. With this program, FTC and FRC teams are matched with students from the UW Electrical and Computer Engineering program who provide technical mentorship. These mentors volunteer between 2-5 hours per week and receive college credit for their work. The program runs on a quarterly basis. 

We are currently looking for teams outside the immediate Seattle area open to remote mentorship via an app like Zoom or Teams. One of the goals of this program is to expand the reach of mentors with programming, computer vision, and CAD experience to teams in areas where these skills can be more difficult to find. 

If this program sounds like a good fit for your team, let us know more information about your meeting dates and team needs by filling out this form so we can best match you to a mentor! 

Thank you! 

Alida Mendes MacCracken 

alidam@firstwa.org 

Important Dates

10-15: Second preferencing window opens 

10-17 & 18: WA Girls Gen 

10-25 & 26: Block Party 

10-29: FRC Coaches Chat 

10-29: Unrestricted Regional and additional in district registration opens 

11-5: Inter district registration opens 

12-19:  Bunny Bots 

FIRST Washington Grant closes today at 5:00 pm 

If you are interested in any funding from FIRST Washington this season, you need to fill out this grant form.   

A few things to remember: 

• You will have to fill out a grant application to be considered for any funding that FIRST Washington manages  

• The grant form will need to be filled out for each team you would like to be considered for funding  

• Grants will no longer be deducted from your FIRST Washington registration, they will be issued separately based on the info you submit in the grant application as well as your school requirements (if you are a school based team)  

If you have already filled out a grant application- please check to make sure you have hit the submit button and not just saved it. If it is not submitted, it will not be accepted!  There are several grants that are showing as saved and not submitted so please take just a minute to check.  

All teams that selected preferences should be in an event 

All teams that were on a waitlist last Friday have been moved into events 

The next preferencing window opens at 10-15 at 9:00 am.  I recommend you don’t make any coaching changes on your dashboard until after the preferencing window has closed so it doesn’t affect your ability to get into your second preference. 

Important Dates 

Now:  FIRST Washington Registration is Open 

Now: FIRST Washington Grant is open 

10-5: FIRST Washington Grant closes 

10-10 & 11: Bordie Blast Through Time 

10-15: Second preferencing window opens 

10-17 & 18: WA Girls Gen 

10-25 & 26: Block Party 

10-29: FRC Coaches Chat 

10-29: Unrestricted Regional and additional in district registration opens 

11-5: Inter district registration opens 

12-19:  Bunny Bots