In this weeks Blog-

Event Assignments for FLL Challenge finalized!

FLL Explore Event Registration and Locations- Updated!

Coaches Chat 11/18

Gracious Professionalism

FLL Challenge Participation Rules

Make sure you read the entire blog!

Event Assignments for FLL Challenge!

Event assignments are finalized for teams that are fully registered and paid. 

If you have not yet received an assignment, then you have not fully registered with FIRST or FIRST Washington or secured your FIRST Washington invoice. I have assumed all teams that have not completed all registration steps (and are not in communication already with me or accounting) are not participating this season. 

I will be sending one last email to unpaid teams today about securing payment by end of day tomorrow 11/14. 

FLL Challenge Events-

1st weekend:

Chimacum (Saturday) Chimacum SD– Cancelled

Beaver Lake (Saturday & Sunday) Beaver Lake MS

Spokane (Saturday & Sunday) Freeman

Wapato (Saturday & Sunday) Wapato HS

Tacoma 1 (Sunday) Bellarmine Prep

Seattle (Saturday & Sunday) Robert Eagle Staff MS

Everett (Saturday & Sunday) Heatherwood MS

2nd Weekend:

Federal Way (Saturday & Sunday)

Snohomish (Saturday & Sunday)

Issaquah (Sunday) Issaquah HS

Oak Harbor (Sunday) Oak Harbor HS

Olympia (Sunday) Jefferson MS

Tacoma 2 (Sunday) Bellarmine Prep

Shoreline CC (Saturday & Sunday)

Event Registration for FLL Explore!

The FLL Explore event registration form is posted on the FIRST Washington website. Teams are only confirmed in an event once they are fully registered and paid with both FIRST Inspires and FIRST Washington.

If you have not already done so, and are planning to participate in December, please complete all necessary steps asap! There is still plenty of space in all December events! 

Snohomish –
Glacier Peak High School
December 13th: 12pm- 3pm

Spokane-
Freeman Middle School
December 6th: 12pm-2pm

Bellevue-
BSD  Steamnasium
December 6th: 9am-11am New!

Yelm- 
December 13th: 1pm New!

Oak Harbor December 14th

Snohomish –
Glacier Peak High School
March 14th: 12pm- 3pm

Sammamish-
Sammamish High School
March 21st or 22nd- date not decided yet. 

Bonney Lake-
Bonney Lake High School
March 7th: 12:45pm-3pm

Cheney-
Eastern Washington University
April 11th

FLL Coaches Chat

Join us for the November Coaches Chat! We will be talking about the upcoming December Qualifier and Festival events! 

Please Keep Gracious Professionalism at Heart  

As your team prepares for their competition this 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 – 

• All match results are final. ***no amount of arguing or pestering will change them 😉 

• There are no video replays of matches. 

• 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 your competition is a VOLUNTEER. Maybe you’re running late and you get frustrated with the person running team check in; or the 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 volunteers if they are not treated with respect and kindness 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! 

FIRST Participation rule reminders for FLL Challenge-

• All work presented at an official event is the work of the children on the team.
• A competitive team consists of a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of ten (10) children. Proper adult supervision is required as described in the FIRST® Youth Protection Policy.
• A team must be registered and fully paid in their national registration system to sign up for official events. Additional regional/local event fees may apply.
• All team members attending an event are required to participate in the judging session and be present as a team at the Robot Game matches.
• If a student participates on more than one team, the student must choose which team they will participate on during an event. Students are not allowed to be part of more than one team at any given event.

Competitive Team Awards/Advancement

A competitive team must meet these additional criteria to be eligible for awards and/or advancement at an official event:

• Teams are only eligible for awards and advancement at their initial qualifying event within each tournament level.
  • For example, teams are only eligible for awards and advancement at the first qualifier they compete in each season.
• Team members’ work must conform to the parameters and rules outlined in the Challenge overview, Engineering Notebook and Robot Game Rulebook.

Consequences

FIRST® gives authority to volunteers staffing FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge official events to interpret and implement the Participation Rules, guided by global FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge training materials.

• Teams, coaches, and supporters at official events are expected to demonstrate the Core Values and Gracious Professionalism®.
  • Individuals interfering with, excessively instructing, prompting, or heckling a team or volunteer may be asked to leave.
  • Severe infractions of these rules may result in a team’s dismissal from the event. FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge official event volunteers are provided training to identify and respond to these situations (See FIRST® Youth Protection Policy).
• Individuals and/or teams who fail to abide by the Participation Rules may be ineligible for awards at a tournament.

Remember- Kids do the Work!

Washington State FLL Challenge Rules and Guidelines

Important Dates & Deadlines

• November 18th- Coaches Chat
• December 6/7 – First weekend of Qualifiers
• December 13/14 – Second weekend of Qualifiers
• January 24/25 – Semifinals
• February  1st – Western WA State

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