08.11 Team Eblast

2022-23 Team Registration Open! l 8/20 All Girls FTC Off Season Event l  FTC “POWER PLAY” Season Kickoff 9/10 l POWER PLAY Game Elements l Game Manual 1 Posted  l  2022-23 Fall Events  l  MDE Grant Update  l  More!

2022-23 TEAM REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Team registration for the 2022-23 season is open! The $295 season registration fee can be paid via the FTC Storefront accessible from the Team Dashboard through firstinspires.org.

It is key to register your team right away so that enough events are planned in support. Teams must be fully registered for the current season in order to register for FiM FTC events.

Returning Teams

Returning Teams (veterans) – Returning teams register with their existing team number. Check the MI Archive FTC Team List (tab 1 & 2) for a list of historical team numbers.

  • Take care of “Outstanding Tasks” on your Dashboard
    • Update the Team Profile, update team contacts as needed, Lead Coach/Mentor 1 and 2 must electronically sign the season’s FIRST Consent/Release form and check that their FIRST Youth Protection Screening is up to date.
    • Instruct any departing team contacts (Team Admin, Lead Coach/Mentor 1 and 2) to invite their replacements.
  • Veteran Team Registration Guide – contains screenshots of the process.

Dormant Teams: If you were the Team Administrator and/or Lead Coach/Mentor 1 of a team that has been dormant and you don’t see your team on your FIRST Account Dashboard anymore, email firsttechchallenge@firstinspires.org and ask them to reactivate your team. Copy me at tammy@firstinmichigan.org. Include your team number in the subject line of the email.

If a dormant team’s past Team Administrator and Lead Coach/Mentor 1 are no longer with the organization and you would like the team to be reactivated, email me at tammy@firstinmichigan.org and I can assist. Please include your team number in the subject line of the email.

New Teams

New Teams (rookies) – FIRST HQ once again has their FTC Rookie Team Grant available! This grant works with the FIRST in Michigan FTC Rookie Team Grant to 100% cover a newly forming FTC team’s first season registration fee and reusable kit of parts purchase.

Visit the CREATE A TEAM site page for the steps to get your new team rolling and to maximize available grants!

  • Reminder: DO NOT PAY for anything through the FTC Storefront until the grant award decisions have been received.
  • All veterans out of the same school who were past grant recipients must be registered for the current season before a newly forming team can be eligible for the FIRST HQ and/or FiM FTC Rookie Team Grant.

FTC “ALL GIRLS” OFF SEASON EVENT – 8/20 AT KETTERING; SIGN UP IS STILL OPEN

Our very first All Girls FTC Off Season Event will be held on Aug. 20 at Kettering Univerisity! The 2021-22 season game, FREIGHT FRENZY, will be played. The event will include match play, elimination rounds, and team recognitions. It will not include a judging component.

Students who were FTC team members in the 2021-22 FREIGHT FRENZY season are still eligible to participate! 

Sign-up for this event: Off Season FTC Event Registration Form (link). The event capacity is 24 teams and spots will be allocated on a first come-first served basis using the submission date/timestamp of the form.

Volunteers! As this is an off season event, it will not show up on your FIRST Dashboard as a volunteer option. Reach out directly to the Event Volunteer Coordinator by following this link: http://firstinmichigan.us/FTC/events/kettering-off-season/.

Patterned after the FRC All Girls events, the robot driver/operator and pit crew must be composed of middle school aged girls. Male team members can be in the pit but only in support/advisory role. Only girls can perform maintenance and repair on the robot. Special circumstances require approval by the Event Organizer. There are no restrictions on who can be drive coach.

Specific event questions should be directed to the Event Coordinator, Kim Weber at kmweber@charter.net. Thank you to FRC 1322, FTC 5954, FRC 5067, FTC 8063 and Kettering University for making this event possible!

FTC “POWER PLAY” SEASON KICKOFF 9/10

The 2022-2023 FTC season will officially kickoff on Sept. 10, 12:00PM (noon) with the reveal of the season’s new game, POWERPLAY!

There will be 14 kickoff events in various locations around the state! While attending a kickoff event is optional, these events offer workshops, info sessions, and ALL will feature a “reveal” of the POWERPLAY official playing field! Plus, kickoff events provide the priceless opportunity to connect with your local FIRST community for ongoing support.

If you don’t quite have a team formed yet, coaches and/or prospective coaches are welcome to sign-up to attend an area kickoff event. Great networking opportunity!

Visit the EVENTS FiM FTC site page for a list of area FTC kickoff events including sign-up information. Sign-up is done directly with the event host and not with FIRST in Michigan FTC. Check back to the site page for updates.

POWERPLAY GAME ELEMENTS

Teams can pre-order a partial or full set of POWER PLAY game elements directly from AndyMark, an official FIRST vendor. Great use for any remaining 2021-22 season funding!

POWERPLAY GAME MANUAL 1 AVAILABLE

POWERPLAY Game Manual 1 has been posted! This is a “must read” guide for all teams. Game Manual 2 will be released on Sept. 10.

Visit the Aug. 9 FTC HQ Blog for a summary of rule changes for the 2022-23 season.

2022-23 FiM FTC EVENTS

The FiM FTC EVENTS page has a preliminary list of fall season events (scroll past kickoff). Some shifting and adjustments are anticipated. Check back for updates.

Event registration is anticipated to open on October 4, 2022. For FTC, event registration is done at the local level with FIRST in Michigan via a google form shared with the Lead Coach/Mentor 1 and 2. Visit FTC EVENT PROCESS for details.

HOSTING A 2022-23 FTC EVENT

Hosting an FTC event is great FIRST outreach and really brings together your local FIRST community! If you’re interested in hosting, please fill out this 2022-23 FTC Event Host Interest Form (link). Options include hosting a qualifier, league meets, state championship, or spring event.

Information on hosting a FIRST in Michigan FTC event can be found in this google folder: FIRST in Michigan FTC Event Organization. Resources include equipment list, sample budget, planning guides, schedule, layouts, etc. The $100 event fee is remitted directly to the host and comprises the event budget.

99h STATE GRANT UPDATE

The 99h State Grant has been approved for both public and non-public school-affiliated FIRST teams for the 2022-23 season! This grant has traditionally included a Team Support award and Coaches Stipend award. The application will be available through the MI Dept. of Education’s NexSys grant system. The MDE gathered many lessons learned and has been working to fix past issues. Stay tuned to FiM FTC eblasts for details about this grant.

REV CONTROL HUB UPDATE

The REV Robotics Control is currently unavailable due to ongoing global supply chain disruptions. If you place an order for the Control Hub along with your 2022-2023 team registration or other robotics kit elements, all products on your team’s order, except the Control Hub, will be invoiced at the time of purchase. Control Hubs will be invoiced separately upon shipping.

FIRST HQ anticipates delivery of REV Control Hubs in mid Sept. Sign up to receive updates on Control Hub availability.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

To learn more about the FIRST in Michigan Progression of Programs, visit our FIRST in Michigan PK-12 Team/Class Pack Overview Guide.

Links to program information on the FIRST in Michigan (FiM) and FIRST HQ websites:

  • FTC teams are capped at 15 team members.
  • In Michigan, FTC is a middle school program with teams comprised solely of students in middle school grades.
  • Run a Team – Addresses many FAQs
  • Events – upcoming season events
  • Resources – Links to FIRST HQ resources, parts, and vendors, logos, etc.
  • Grants – information will be updated as grants become available; check back periodically
  • Team Eblast Archive
  • FIRST FTC HQ Blog – latest program announcements