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FLL UNEARTHED Blog: Volume 6

by | Sep 30, 2025 | FLL, FLL Challenge, FLL Explore, Newsletter

In this weeks Blog-

Registration info!

Invoices

Event Info

Coaches Chat Recording

Make sure you read the entire blog!

Season Info

Registration Info!- closes end of September!

Reminder- Registration in Washington is a 2 step process! 

1. Register your team with FIRST Inspires (Team registration fee, Challenge set, Robot- if needed)

Right now we only have 522 as of 9/24 Challenge teams registered and paid with FIRST Inspires.

2. Register your team with FIRST Washington (Event participation fee- $350)

Right now we only have 389 Challenge teams registered with FIRST Washington.

Only 351 Challenge teams have completed both registrations! That means only 351 teams are ready to attend an event this season! Last season we had 482 that participated!

Both of these registrations are required to participate in Washington for both Explore and Challenge. Please register asap!

Registration and information-

Challenge– https://firstwa.org/challenge-registration/

Explore– https://firstwa.org/explore-registration/

 

Are you registered?

If you have recently registered with FIRST Inspires (after 9/24) this will not reflect that. FIRST Inspires report we use to verify registration has been down since 9/24. They hope to have it fixed soon! 

FLL Challenge?

↓↓↓↓↓↓

Click Here to Check!

FLL Explore?

↓↓↓↓↓↓

Click Here to Check!

Invoices

Invoices for the FIRST Washington FLL Challenge ($350) and FLL Explore ($50) fees go out in early October. They will be emailed out to the person you listed on your FIRST Washington registration under “person who should receive FIRST Washington invoice”

Thanks for your patience!

Event Info

FLL Challenge- 

Overview-

  • Teams are assigned events based on location.
  • Once a team has paid their FIRST Washington fee and they have been assigned an event, if they would like to change events there will be an opt out form to fill out to request another event.
  • Teams will then be placed on a waitlist and moved into that event after all teams have been placed or after a certain date, whichever comes first, if there is still space.
  • If there is not space in the event they chose, they may move back into their original event, space permitting, or be assigned to an event with available space.

 

Challenge Registration- Details- Make sure you read!

  • Teams will no longer be filling out a registration survey- YAY
  • Teams will still need to be paid to see their placement- invoices will go out soon to those that filled out the FIRST Washington registration. If you did not fill it out, you will not receive an invoice and will not be placed or able to participate until you do.
  • Teams will be assigned a home venue/event that is within 50 miles
  • The 50 miles is point to point distance, not driving distance
  • This is based on Venue Zipcode and Team Zipcode
  • Teams have the ability to opt out of their home event using the opt out form and go on a waitlist. Teams may only ask to opt out by filling out the form- no email communication will be accepted.
  • Waitlist teams are not guaranteed a spot in the event they choose, or a spot in the event they opted out of.
  • Waitlist teams are placed on a first come first served basis in the event they choose if there is available space, and will be notified after the placement window closes if there is space in the event they chose.
  • If there is not space- they can move back to their home event, space permitting, or move into an event with available space, but there is no guarantee an event with available space will be within 50 miles
  • Teams requesting to change the day of the week only and not the venue they are competing at will have a seperate form to fill out. Make sure you pay attention to which form you need! 

FLL Explore- 

Overview-

  • Teams fill out an event registration form
  • You can choose 2 event preferences from a list. Please make sure both locations and dates work for you! 
  • Once teams have-
    • Registered with FIRST
    • Registered with FIRST Washington
    • Paid the FIRST Washington invoice ($50)
    • Filled out the event registration
  • Teams will be placed in one of their 2 event preferences.
  • Events are in December and March, teams may choose 1.

Event Venues

I am still in the process of getting all the event venues secured. As soon as I have a schedule I will get it out to you all! 

FLL Coaches Chat

To view the recording and slides from last weeks coaches chat click here

Important Dates & Deadlines

  • Open Now – FIRST Washington Registration
  • Early October – Invoices go out
  • December 6/7 – First weekend of Qualifiers
  • December 13/14 – Second weekend of Qualifiers
  • January 24/25 – Semifinals
  • February  1st – Western WA State

More From FLL

FRC REBUILT Blog: Volume 7

by | Sep 30, 2025 | FRC, Newsletter

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

      FTC DECODE Blog: Volume 7

      by | Sep 30, 2025 | FTC, Newsletter

      Home League Assignments have been made 

      You can find your home league assignment on the FIRST Washington site here:  https://firstwa.org/ftc-competition-info/ below the event listings.  It is sorted both by team and by league. 

      Your League Tournament and Super Qualifier assignments are also posted in the report but here it is for easy reference:   

      League 

      League Tournament 

      Super Qualifier 

      Agnesi 

      Curie 

      Asimov 

      Bardeen 

      Feynman 

      Asimov 

      Brattain 

      Tesla 

      Capek 

      Giblett 

      Watt 

      Asimov 

      Hopper 

      Curie 

      Asimov 

      Knuth 

      Pasteur 

      Capek 

      Lamarr 

      Feynman 

      Asimov 

      Lovelace 

      Watt 

      Asimov 

      Maxwell 

      Hawking 

      Capek 

      Noddack 

      Wu 

      Asimov 

      Ritchie 

      Pasteur 

      Capek 

      Salk 

      Wu 

      Asimov 

      Spencer 

      Tesla 

      Capek 

      Turing 

      Hawking 

      Capek 

      Not happy with your league assignment?  No problem!  You can fill out this form to preference into another league.  If you choose this option, here are a few things to note: 

      • Leagues pair with League Tournaments and Super Qualifiers.  If you move to a different, league it may also change your League Tournament and Super Qualifier so make sure you understand all of the event dates related to your choices. 
      • If you have multiple teams and would like to change leagues, it may be harder to accommodate your request. Please submit the form for all of your teams in one go along with your preferences (the more leagues you can request the better). If we are not able to move all of your teams in a block, we will reach out to you (at the email provided) and see what we can work out. 

      ***Please note:  If you do not respond, we will opt to not move your teams rather than splitting them up without talking to you first. 

      Event preferencing will close at 5 pm October 8.  Any requests submitted after that will not be considered. 

      Invoicing and payment timeline 

      Your team must be registered with both FIRST and FIRST Washington to participate in competitions. Here is a look at the timeline for invoicing and payment: 

      • Invoices will go out the week of October 6th.   
      • Your registration needs to be secured October 17 (Registration can be secured by check, credit card or PO from your school) 
      • Both FIRST HQ and FIRST Washington registration must be secured prior to your first league event. 

      FTC Coaches Chat 

      You can find the recording of last weeks coaches chat here:  https://firstwa.org/webinars/  

      If you missed attending the coaches chat in person, make sure to look through the presentation and watch the video. 

      Important Dates & Deadlines

      • Open Now:  FIRST Washington Registration
      • 9-26:  Registration deadline to receive a grant and be placed in your home league 
      • 10-1:  League assignments posted by 
      • 10-1:  League preferencing window opens 
      • 10-8:  League preferencing window closes 
      • 10-10:  Final league assignments posted 
      • 10-16:  FTC Coaches Chat 
      • 11-20:  FTC Coaches Chat 

                      FLL UNEARTHED Blog: Volume 5

                      by | Sep 23, 2025 | FLL, FLL Challenge, FLL Explore, Newsletter

                      In this weeks Blog-

                      Coaches Chat

                      Invoices

                      Registration info!

                      Make sure you read the entire blog!

                      Season Info

                      FLL Coaches Chat

                      Our first FLL Coaches Chat of the season is tonight at 7pm!

                      Hope to see you all there!

                      We will be focusing primarily on FLL Challenge, but will have some Explore info as well!

                      To view the recording and slides from the coaches chat click here

                      Registration Info!- closes end of September!

                      Reminder- Registration in Washington is a 2 step process! 

                      1. Register your team with FIRST Inspires (Team registration fee, Challenge set, Robot- if needed)

                      Right now we only have 506 Challenge teams registered and paid with FIRST Inspires.

                      2. Register your team with FIRST Washington (Event participation fee- $350)

                      Right now we only have 278 Challenge teams registered with FIRST Washington.

                      Only 256 Challenge teams have completed both registrations! That means only 256 teams are ready to attend an event this season!

                      Both of these registrations are required to participate in Washington for both Explore and Challenge. Please register asap! 

                      Registration and information-

                      Challenge– https://firstwa.org/challenge-registration/

                      Explore– https://firstwa.org/explore-registration/

                       

                      If you are interested in a FIRST Washington grant- this grant closes September 26th. Make sure you fill out the FIRST Washington registration before that date!

                      Are you registered?

                      FLL Challenge?

                      ↓↓↓↓↓↓

                      Click Here to Check!

                      FLL Explore?

                      ↓↓↓↓↓↓

                      Click Here to Check!

                      Invoices

                      Invoices for the FIRST Washington FLL Challenge ($350) and FLL Explore ($50) fees go out in early October.

                      Thanks for your patience!

                      Important Dates & Deadlines

                      • Open Now – FIRST Washington Registration
                      • September 23rd – Coaches Chat
                      • September 26th – FIRST Washington Grant closes
                      • Early October – Invoices go out
                      • December 6/7 – First weekend of Qualifiers
                      • December 13/14 – Second weekend of Qualifiers
                      • January 24/25 – Semifinals
                      • February  1st – Western WA State

                      More From FLL

                      FTC DECODE Blog: Volume 6

                      by | Sep 22, 2025 | FTC, Newsletter

                      Get registered by Friday! 

                      Register Now! 

                      Home League Assignments will be posted next week 

                      To be placed into a league, you must be registered with FIRST Washington.  Click here to register 

                      • Remember, you do not have to pay a registration fee to register with FIRST Washington, we will send you an invoice next week 
                      • Bonus: The FIRST Washington registration form also gives you access to grants that reduce your registration cost. 

                      To be able to see what league you are placed in, you must be registered with both FIRST Washington and FIRST HQ (firstinspires)  You register with firstinspires by logging into your dashboard on firstinspires.org  

                      • Please note:  FIRST HQ is requiring every coach will be asked to reset their password when they log in.  If you have not logged in recently, you will want to log in to reset your password.  If you have not registered with FIRST HQ, log in asap because it will take additional time to reset your password. 
                      • You will need to pay the registration fee to register with FIRST HQ 

                      As of Monday morning we have 

                      • 143 teams registered with FIRST 
                      • 138 teams registered with FIRST Washington 

                      Last season, 181 teams participated. We are getting closer but still need approximately 25% of you to finish registering 

                       

                      Check Your Registration Status 

                      Not sure if you are registered? Check here: 
                       FTC Team Status 

                      Please note: this report is updated manually every morning and may take up to 24 hours to reflect new registrations with FIRST HQ. 

                      FTC Coaches Chat 

                      You can find the recording of last weeks coaches chat here:  https://firstwa.org/webinars/  

                      If you missed attending the coaches chat in person, make sure to look through the presentation and watch the video. 

                      FTC League Assignments 

                       We will be working hard this weekend to place teams in leagues.  (Reminder you MUST be registered with FIRST Washington to be placed in a league and registered with both FIRSTWA and FIRST HQ to see your assignment) 

                      Home League Assignments will be posted by October 1.  Here is what will be posted: 

                      • Your League Assignment 
                      • Your League Tournament Assignment (formerly Interleague) 
                      • Your Super Qualifier Assignment (Should you qualify) 

                      Don’t like the schedule for the league you are in?  No problem!  We will also be opening a preferencing system October 1 so you can choose to preference into another league. 

                      • Please note:  If you coach multiple teams, we cannot guarantee all teams will be placed into the same league if you enter the preferencing system. 

                      The preferencing window will close October 8 and final league assignments will be posted by October 10th. 

                      Important Dates & Deadlines

                      • Open Now:  FIRST Washington Registration
                      • 9-26:  Registration deadline to receive a grant and be placed in your home league 
                      • 10-1:  League assignments posted by 
                      • 10-1:  League preferencing window opens 
                      • 10-8:  League preferencing window closes 
                      • 10-10:  Final league assignments posted 
                      • 10-16:  FTC Coaches Chat 
                      • 11-20:  FTC Coaches Chat 

                                      FRC REBUILT Blog: Volume 6

                                      by | Sep 22, 2025 | FRC, Newsletter

                                      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