Charged Up Coach Email Volume 8: 10-11-22 – 2nd preferencing window closes on Thursday!

Greetings Coaches!

If you are new to this email this is the place where you will find all of the Pacific NW District specific FIRST Robotics Competition information. Coaches in the FIRST system for the current season will be added once teams are able to register for events. Every email from me will be numbered and that number lets you know which update it is, if you miss an update you can find it on our website.

Here is what I have for you today:

• 2nd Preferencing window closes this Thursday at 9:00 am
• Reminders
• Kickoff selection is open
• Drive base opt out is open until October 20
• Black Tote opt out is open!
• The next Coaches Chat will be Thursday, October 20
• Note for ORTOP – Oregon Teams ONly
• Onshape training with Kevin every Tuesday & Wednesday

 

Preferencing window opens Thursday at 9:00 am

The 2nd preferencing window opens at 9:00 am this Thursday. It is almost identical to the first preferencing window but you are no longer guaranteed your home event, so if you did not pick it the first time around and pick it this time, you are subject to availability at the venue.

Here is a guide that helps to explain how event preferencing works.

The 2nd event preferencing window closes at 9 am on Thursday, October 14. Teams should be notified of their event placement by the end of the day on Friday, October 15. Any team waitlisted will be moved off the waitlist or receive an email with their options on Monday, October 18.

Reminders:

Kickoff selection is open!

Make sure you go in and select your kickoff, we have several in both Washington and Oregon. Additionally, we have a new kickoff venue coming in Everett so if you are a north end team, watch for that event to show up in your dashboard.

If you don’t sign up for a kickoff, your kit will be shipped to you after kickoff and you will be responsible for the shipping costs.

If you don’t want to attend an event but don’t want your kit shipped to you, you can sign up for a kickoff event and then send a mentor to pick up the kit during the kit distribution window (make sure you understand that process and what needs to be done if it is not your main or alternate contactact who picks up the kit)

Kickoff Locations:

• Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
• Auburn High School, Auburn, WA
• Everett High School, Everett, WA
• Skyview High School, Vancouver, WA
• Wapato High School, Wapato, WA
• West Velley High School, Spokane, WA

Drive base opt out is open until October 20

If you do not  want the AndyMark drive base, you have until October 20 to opt out of the drive base and get the AndyMark voucher.

Black Tote opt out is open

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you need to read the blog from last week:  https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/blog/2022-second-event-registration-black-tote-opt-out-kit-and-kickoff-selection

The next FRC Coaches chat 7:00 pm Thursday, October 20

We will be having our next FRC coaches chat at 7:00 pm on Thursday, Oct 20th. On this chat we will:

1. Let you know how FRC registration is going
2. Talk about the invoicing process
3. Let you know about anything happening in the PNW District this fall.

This is a great way to keep up on important information and connect with other PNW Coaches. We do ask that each team try to have on adult attend.

Here is the meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88652899479?pwd=ZjNDVnMwNTY4aE9uRkcyNzhvSWYvdz09

I look forward to “seeing” you all there!

Note from ORTOP – Oregon teams only

 

ORTOP’s programs and teams are supported by many corporate sponsors, charitable foundations, and individual donors. Their generous contributions reduce financial barriers for FIRST teams in Oregon, and we want to share their funding with you!

ORTOP Team Support awards can be used for national registration, ORTOP season registration, robotics kits and materials, snacks, travel, and more. ORTOP’s Team Support awards are generally paid in cash to qualifying teams, to meet your team’s specific needs.

Donors often restrict their funding, in service to their mission. Please consider applying for Team Support if you qualify for any of these restricted funds:

·        Marie Lamfrom Foundation: girl-focused teams

o   A girl-focused team is a team in which girls (to include non-binary students) serve in multiple key leadership roles. Women as coaches and mentors are encouraged.

·        Pacific Power Foundation: teams in their service areas

·        Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation: teams in their Tribal Lands

·        Wildhorse Foundation: teams in their Tribal Lands

If your team serves youth who have historically been excluded from STEM opportunities, we encourage you to apply for Team Support awards made possible by several generous donors:

·        Intel Corporation

·        First Tech Federal Credit Union

·        Meyer Memorial Trust

·        MJ Murdock Charitable Trust

The first round of applications closed on August 15 for FIRST LEGO League and FIRSTTech Challenge, and these are under review. Applications remain open, and will be considered as received until all funding is distributed. You will answer several questions about your team and program, including budget.

Apply now!

Onshape with Kevin every Tuesday & Wednesday

Onshape CAD Tuesday with Kevin (Tuesdays 7pm to 8:30pm)

Onshape CAD Wednesday with Kevin (Wednesday 6:30pm to 8:00pm)

Online help learning about CAD using Onshape. This 90 minute session will help get you started and help solve your CAD issues using Onshape. Many of the techniques will apply to other CAD programs as well, but this one will specifically use Onshape. Learn about assemblies, importing parts from vendors like Rev Robotics and AndyMark, modifying parts, creating your own parts for 3D printing, and working with a team on a project. Onshape is free for every FIRST participant and runs on a wide array of hardware because it is web based. You will, however, want a three button mouse. Specifically, a mouse with a left and right button plus a center scrolling mouse button. You can get one for about $6 from Amazon prime. CAD programs work very poorly on laptops with finger pads (trackpads).

Onshape CAD will be applicable to both FTC and FRC. All are welcome.

 

The first week (9/13 and 9/14) both days will focus on getting you and your team setup to use Onshape in an efficient way, demos on what the program does, and a tour of where to find the tutorials and which ones to start with. I expect that Tuesday will be mostly a repeat of Wednesday.

All of these meetings start on 9/13/2022 and will be each week until December 14th. They all use the following Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82913817510?pwd=SEZPeC9UQmk2dkpWRFFsaXdkaWxvdz09

Meeting ID: 829 1381 7510

Passcode: NerdyTalk

We will make every attempt to record and upload these sessions to Youtube each week. Check our FIRST Washington Youtube channel and the ‘with Kevin’ playlist.

 

Have a great week everyone!