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FLL UNEARTHED Blog: Volume 20

by | Jan 21, 2026 | FLL, FLL Challenge, FLL Explore, Newsletter

In this weeks Blog

Semifinals

State Funding! Urgent Request!  

State Championship

Coaches chat recording and slides posted

Make sure you read the entire blog!

Season Info

First weekend of Semifinals done!

Thanks to all who participated and volunteered at our first weekend of Semifinal events for FLL Challenge! We had 12 teams advance to the Western WA State Championship! To see the list of advanceing teams, click here

The second weekend of Semifinal events is this weekend! Good luck to all teams participating!

URGENT Action Alert-Requesting Reinstatement of State Funding for the next Washington FIRST Robotics Season

Hi FIRST Washington Community! 

  

As most of you recall, our robotics community in Washington lost critical state funding last year, funding that was paired with additional philanthropy to ensure all teams have support purchasing equipment, paying registration fees, and funding travel.   

  The Supplemental Session of the Washington State Legislature is now in session, and we need you to contact your state legislators in the next few days. 

  

We are building a case to request that funding be reinstated for the coming year and need your team’s help in requesting that your legislators submit the attached budget requests. 

 Please watch for an important communication from FIRST Washington President Fred Krug tomorrow. 

Eastern WA State Championship!

This Saturday is the Eastern WA State Championship! Good luck to the teams participating! To see the list of teams, click here

The Champions award winner will advance to the World Festival in Houston, Texas April 29-May 2.

Coaches Chat Recording and Slides posted

The recording and slides form last weeks coaches chat are posted on the FIRST WA website here

Important Dates & Deadlines

  • January 24/25 – Semifinals
  • January 24- Eastern WA State
  • February  1st – Western WA State

More From FLL

FRC REBUILT Blog: Volume 21

by | Jan 21, 2026 | FRC, Newsletter

FIRST Force Scrimmage – 2026

 Once again, FIRST Force will hold an FRC scrimmage at Corvallis High School in Corvallis, Oregon on February 22, 2026.  

This is a great opportunity for all teams to test and tune your robots, practice driving, and see what other teams are planning before the first competition. FIRST Force has even purchased a half-field of game pieces for this event.

Registration is free for teams who were new to FIRST® in 2025 or 2026 and for FIRST Force member teams.  A $100.00 registration fee for all other teams helps provide materials to build game elements and game pieces.. 

Read more about the event in Scrimmage Nuts and Bolts. 

Complete the registration form to make sure your space is reserved.  You can also contact denise@firstforceteams.org if you have any questions.  

We look forward to seeing you at scrimmage in February. 

 

URGENT Action Alert-Requesting Reinstatement of State Funding for the next Washington FIRST Robotics Season – Washington Teams Only 

  Hi FIRST Washington Community! 

  As most of you recall, our robotics community in Washington lost critical state funding last year, funding that was paired with additional philanthropy to ensure all teams have support purchasing equipment, paying registration fees, and funding travel.   

  The Supplemental Session of the Washington State Legislature is now in session, and we need you to contact your state legislators in the next few days. 

  We are building a case to request that funding be reinstated for the coming year and need your team’s help in requesting that your legislators submit the attached budget requests. 

 Please watch for an important communication from FIRST Washington President Fred Krug tomorrow.  

Important Dates

FTC DECODE Blog: Volume 21

by | Jan 21, 2026 | FTC, Newsletter

Compass Award Submissions 

Each team may submit a mentor for the Compass Award.  For more information on the Compass Award, please see page 48 of the game manual here:  https://ftc-resources.firstinspires.org/ftc/game/manual  

To submit a mentor for the Compass award, please fill out this form by 5:00 pm January 24th.  the winner will be announced at the FTC State Championship competition January 31.  Late submissions will not be accepted. 

All teams are eligible to submit a mentor for the Compass Award, you do not need to be qualified for the State Championship to be considered. 

URGENT Action Alert-Requesting Reinstatement of State Funding for the next Washington FIRST Robotics Season

Hi FIRST Washington Community! 

  

As most of you recall, our robotics community in Washington lost critical state funding last year, funding that was paired with additional philanthropy to ensure all teams have support purchasing equipment, paying registration fees, and funding travel.   

  The Supplemental Session of the Washington State Legislature is now in session, and we need you to contact your state legislators in the next few days. 

  

We are building a case to request that funding be reinstated for the coming year and need your team’s help in requesting that your legislators submit the attached budget requests. 

 Please watch for an important communication from FIRST Washington President Fred Krug tomorrow. 

Important Dates & Deadlines

  • 1-31:  State Championship 

FRC REBUILT Blog: Volume 20

by | Jan 13, 2026 | FRC, Newsletter

Next Coaches Chat is scheduled for January 27 at 7:00 pm 

    Wow, this game looks exciting and challenging!!  I LOVE that they have “excavated” pieces of prior seasons and compiled them to create this game.  It looks like our teams will have some great challenges!! 

    Our January coaches chat will be an opportunity for coaches to come together to: 

    • Talk about the work their team is doing 
    • Problem solve with other coaches 
    • Chat about how the season in general is going for them 

    We may not have any formal presentation but if we do it will be short.  This time is for all of you.  Feel free to come if you like and if you are busy building the robot and can’t come, that is no problem!   

    This chat may not be recorded/uploaded.  I think the value in this will be the dialog so we may not post the recording after. 

    We need Judges 

     
     Western Washington coaches, mentors & parents:  We are in dire need of FLL Judges at our Covington Semi Final this weekend!  It takes a village to run and staff all of our events (we run over 75 competitions in a season!) Please consider signing up to judge either Saturday or Sunday if you are able and share this information with your mentors and parents! 

    You can sign up from your dashboard or click the links below to go directly to the event to sign up 

    Covington Semi Final Saturday 1-17 

    Covington Semi Final Sunday 1-18 

     

    All FRC Coaches, mentors & parents:  We are doing our FTC Dean’s List judging remotely starting 1-19 and running through 1-25.  We are still looking for judges for the following sessions: 

    Monday, 1-19:  5:45 pm – 8:15 pm 

    Tuesday, 1-20:  5:45 pm – 8:15 pm 

    Wednesday, 1-21 5:45 pm – 8:15 pm 

    Thursday, 1-22:  5:45 pm – 8:15 pm 

    Friday, 1-23:  5:45 pm – 8:15 pm 

    Saturday, 1-24:  8:45 am – 11:15 am 

    Saturday, 1-24:  11:45 am – 2:15 pm 

    Saturday, 1-24:  2:15 pm – 5:45 pm 

    Sunday, 1-25: 11:45 am – 2:25 pm 

     

    Though these interviews are remote, the process is very similar to FRC and will give coaches some great insight as to what the process looks like in the judge room.  If you are available, please sign up for the Washington Dean’s List Interview event on your firstinspires dashboard or follow this link  In the comments section, please note the days/times you are available.  We ask that judges fill an entire block so if you aren’t available for the entire time, don’t list that particular day/time. 

     

    Important Dates

    FTC DECODE Blog: Volume 20

    by | Jan 13, 2026 | FTC, Newsletter

    Asimov and Capek Super Qualifier events are this weekend! 

    Whether your team is competing or not, feel free to either tune in to the stream, here are the links: 

    Asimov:  https://ftcwa.live/asimov 
    Capek: https://ftcwa.live/capek 

    If you would like to come watch in person, the events are being held at: 

    Tahoma High School 

    23499 SE Tahoma Way.  

    Maple Valley. WA. 98038 

     

    Good luck this weekend to all those participating!!! 

    We need your help! 

    We are in dire need of judges for our FLL Semi Finals this weekend in Covington!  For those of you who are not competing (or those who can’t get enough of FIRST and want to volunteer on the day they aren’t competing) please consider signing up to judge either Saturday or Sunday.  We want to give all of our participants a great experience and it takes our entire community to make that happen. 

    Thank you all for your support, we could NOT do this without you!!! 

    You can either sign up for the event from your dashboard or follow these links to go directly to the event: 

    Covington Semi Final Saturday 1-17 

    Covington Semi Final Sunday 1-18 

    Dean’s List Interview Schedule and Links Released 

    FTC Dean’s List interview schedules and meeting links were sent to coaches this week. If you have not already done so, please confirm your student(s) can make their scheduled interview time and forward them their meeting link. For any questions or issues, please reach out to Alida at alidam@firstwa.org. 

    Recording of last week’s Coaches Chat is posted online 

    You can find the recording and slide deck online here:  https://firstwa.org/webinars/  

    Important Dates & Deadlines

    • 1-31:  State Championship