Hi,
This email addresses event registration for FRC teams only. FTC and all FLL programs register for events with their local Michigan program directors. FRC registers for events through the firstinspires.org dashboard.
EVENT PREFERENCING
This Thursday at noon FIRST event registration opens. Since two events are included with your registration fee, FIRST requires you to preference your event choices two separate times. The list you make tomorrow is just for one of your two events. It is destroyed after first- event preferencing ends. You must make a second, brand new list in a few weeks for your second event.
YOUR TEAM MUST BE “EVENT READY” TO REGISTER / PREFERENCE FOR AN EVENT
Your team must be “event ready” in order to preference which event you want to sign up for. This means:
- Your team profile must be updated
- Both Lead 1 and Lead 2 mentors must have passed the Youth Protection Screening.
No money is due to place your preference and register for an event. Payment and event selection are totally separate. The registration fee is not due until Nov 14.
CHOOSING AN EVENT
We assigned a “home event” to each team. You are not required to sign up for it, but if you want it, you are guaranteed a spot there.
WHAT IS A HOME EVENT?
Your home event is not an event you can choose or change. It is simply the event geographically closest to you, as determined by the computer. If you want it, you are guaranteed a spot there during first-event preferencing only. If you do not choose your home event during first-event preferencing, you can still sign up for it, but the spot will not be guaranteed. There are no guaranteed spots during second event preferencing.
HOW TO REGISTER FOR YOUR “HOME EVENT”?
If you want to be guaranteed a spot at your home event, then during first-event preferencing, select ONLY your home event. Do not put any other events on the list. You will get a spot.
WHAT IF MY HOME EVENT VENUE IS HOSTING A SECOND EVENT AT THE SAME VENUE AND I WANT THAT ONE INSTEAD?
You can have it!! The computer just isn’t capable of assigning two events to a single team. Simply choose ONLY the #2 version of your home event and waitlist for it. Do not add any others. We will manually move you in once first event assignments have finished running.
Be sure to note the dates of the #1 and #2 versions of the double events:
– Kettering #1 and #2 are both Thurs night, Fri, Sat events, on two different weekends.
– Lakeview #1 and #2 are both on the same weekend! One is Thurs night, Fri, Sat. The second one is Sat night, Sun, Monday! We are super excited to try this.
– Troy #1 and #2 are separate weeks but the first one is a Fri, Sat, Sun event and the second one is Thurs, Fri, Sat.
We are extremely grateful to our double event hosts. It means we have 3 less fields to build!
FIND YOUR HOME EVENT HERE OR ON THE FIM WEBSITE
STEPS TO REGISTER / PREFERENCE
Log into the FIRST Dashboard
- Go to Event Options
- Select View Team Events
- Select Add Preference
- Select Event(s) (Note: Home Event is guaranteed, this is the Event listed on the top of the list*).
- Select Add Preference
- Your first event preference will always default to “Allow Waitlist”
- You can preference as many events as you would like. (Select the events you would like for your first event – only enter ones you can attend).
- You can change the preference level selection by changing the number in the drop-down menu or by dragging and dropping events into the order you would like.
- You can change the Waitlist Preference selection on any of your events with the selection in the drop-down menu. You will always show “Allow Waitlist” for one event. The system will not allow you to select “Do Not Waitlist” for all events.
HOW DOES THE COMPUTER DETERMINE WHO GETS WHAT EVENT?
Here is how the process works. Every team is assigned a lottery number randomly. For first-event preferencing the lottery runs starting with lottery number one. During the second-event preferencing the computer runs in the opposite order with the highest lottery number going first.
- The first pass the computer makes is to assign the home event to all the teams that chose their home event
- Next the computer goes through using the lottery order starting at the team with the lottery number one. It looks at your preference list. If your number one event is open, you get a spot. If it’s not open it moves to your second event and so on down the list. If you have only one event on your list and it’s currently closed (either because it’s full or because the spots are on reserve for rookies who haven’t signed up yet, then you go on the waitlist for that event. That’s why we suggest that if you feel strongly about a certain event, preference only that event.
- If all events on your list are currently closed, you will go on the waitlist for your first event.
Only steps 2 and 3 happen again for Round 2 when you submit your new list for your second event. Step one is removed as there is no home event for Round 2.
All Michigan teams will get two events even if it means adding additional events to the roster. We hold back a lot of spots initially for new teams we don’t know about yet. They need to be able to get into their home event too.
When we have a better feel for how many of the reserved sports we actually need, we start releasing the spots we won’t need. The spots are then filled in the order of the waitlist. We will usually circle back to make sure you still want that spot. But again, in the end EVERY Michigan team will get two district events.
You may notice that we have only 5 district event weekends this season. That is because we are required to have a week off before the Houston Championship.
DRIVE BASE OPT OUT
While in the dashboard to select events, veteran teams that do not want their drive base this season can OPT OUT and instead receive a $450 voucher to AndyMark. To do this, select the “Drive Base Opt Out” from the “Team Options” under the “Parts and Products” drop down.
SELECT A KICKOFF
While in your dashboard, be sure to go to Kit and Kickoff under Event Options to select which kickoff you would like to attend to pick up your kickoff kit. Teams that don’t want to attend a kickoff have the option of paying an additional $200 to have the kit shipped directly to them. The kit will arrive sometime after kickoff but the delivery date is not guaranteed.
I will be sending more information in a separate email with additional info on grants and other gems coming up this season! As always, reach out with any questions.
Best Regards,
Gail Alpert
President, FIRST in Michigan
248-425-4148
