TOPICS IN TODAY’S E-BLAST
Team Volunteer Requirements for the 2026 Season
Lottery for a $500 Third Event
Kettering Pre-Competition Events
1. TEAM VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENT FOR ALL TEAMS
(LOTTERY AND NON-LOTTERY TEAMS)
Each team must provide volunteers to staff two roles for two days at each event they attend. Students, PARENTS, FRIENDS, ALUMNI, and SCHOOL STAFF, all count toward this. 2026 Rookies need to staff only role both days at their events.
Any Role Except Judging
Your team volunteers can pick any open role except Judging. We don’t allow team coaches, students, mentors, parents, or anyone related to the team, or related to students on the team, to be in the FRC Judges room. Please make sure they don’t sign up to be a Judge.
However, if you have sponsors who want to be a Judge and don’t work directly with your team, we’d love to have them!
Set Up and Tear Down
Volunteering as a team for set up and tear down works well for small teams that can’t spare anyone during the event itself. Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator (VC) at your event(s) to make arrangements to help with set up or tear down instead. You can find the VC contact info by clicking on your event here: https://firstinmichigan.
By the way, you don’t have to volunteer at the events you are attending. Any FIM event counts.
2. LOTTERY FOR A $500 THIRD DISTRICT EVENT SPOT
Lottery Date/Time
We will have a lottery on Tuesday, February 3 at 5:00 pm for teams that want to pick up a third event for $500.
List of Open Spots
Below is a list of the current spots we have open. These may change if a team wants to switch events (not add an event) before the lottery. A final list of open spots will be sent out shortly before the lottery.
Week 2 – Lake City (1 spot open)
Week 2 – Milford (1 spot open)
Week 3 – Berrien Springs (5 spots open)
Week 3 – Muskegon (7 spots open)
Week 3 – Traverse City (1 spot open)
Week 6 – Escanaba (2 spots open)
How to Get Into The Lottery
If you are interested in one of these $500 spots, here are the steps to take:
1. Register for the lottery first (required to be in the lottery):
2. Provide the names of your volunteers for your two events by filling out this form, so we can verify they are in the system: (required for lottery teams)
https://docs.google.com/forms/
Do points earned at a third event count?
No. Because not everyone will get 3 events, only the points earned at the first two events you attend will count.
Example: If you signed up initially for events on weeks 3 and 5 and then win a lottery spot for a week 1 event, only the points earned for Weeks 1 and 3 will count. Points earned at the third event you play will not count.
Winning the Impact Award at your third event will qualify you for States.
Switch Events Before the Lottery
Again, if you want to switch out of one of your 2 current district competitions (not add a third) and move into one of these open spots before the lottery, just let me know by filling out a switch event form and emailing me.
3. KETTERING PRE-COMPETITION EVENTS
Please visit this page to see the Kettering Pre-Competition offerings:
