09.01.23 Team Eblast

Sept. 9 FTC Season Kickoff  l  Kickoff Sign Up  l  FiM C/R Form Update  l  Youth Team “Express Enrollment” Roll Out l  Grants  l  Program Information

SEPT. 9th FTC SEASON KICKOFF!
The 2023-24 FTC season CENTERSTAGE kickoff is Sept. 9th with the HQ broadcast at 12pm (noon) and the reveal of the season’s new game, CENTERSTAGE! It’s not too late to sign up for a local kickoff event. See below for the opportunity to network with area teams, acquire some new knowledge and/or skills, and see the official CENTERSTAGE playing field up close and in person! There is no cost to attend a local FTC kickoff event.
SIGN UP FOR A KICKOFF EVENT NEAR YOU!

There will be 16 kickoff events in various locations around the state! While attending a kickoff event is optional, these events offer workshops, info and training sessions, and ALL will feature a CENTERSTAGE official playing field on site revealed once the HQ broadcast ends. Plus, kickoff events provide the priceless opportunity to connect with your local FIRST community for ongoing support.

TO SIGN UP: Visit the FiM FTC EVENTS 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.

If you don’t quite have a team formed yet, coaches and/or prospective coaches/team members/mentors are welcome to sign-up to attend an area kickoff event. It’s a great way to jumpstart the season and partake in in-person learning and networking opportunities!

FiM CONSENT/RELEASE FORM UPDATE

Good news! FiM was able to work with FIRST HQ to negate the need for the additional FIRST in Michigan (FiM) Consent/Release Form (previously done via SmartWaiver)! For the 2023-24 season, across programs, the HQ Consent/Release (C/R) form will be the sole required C/R form. 

This will mean that we return to using the required HQ Team Dashboard produced roster and not the “display name” roster used the past 3 seasons. More info will be forthcoming on how the HQ roster will be turned in to event hosts as we move towards the fall competition season.

Note: Teams must have established a Lead Coach/Mentor 1 AND Lead Coach/Mentor 2, both FIRST Youth Protection background screened (initiated through their FIRST Account), before the Team Dashboard Roster can be accessed through the Team Dashboard.

YOUTH EXPRESS ENROLLMENT LAUNCH SEPT. 21 (ish)

FIRST HQ has “soft” launched the new Youth Team Registration “Express Enrollment” path. This is a quicker (clocked at less than 6 minutes) way to officially register students onto your team. Please wait for the official launch which is anticipated to be Sept. 21-ish before sharing this method with team parents/guardians. The soft launch that is currently available does not handle returning team members. The traditional Youth Team Registration path is still available.

Once officially registered on the team, team members will appear on your Team Dashboard Roster with an indication that their HQ C/R form has been signed. Note: It is required that all team members are officially registered to your team prior to participating in a FiM FTC official event (league meets, qualifiers/league tournament).

Idea: Plan a “register your student” team meeting for parents/guardians to get all of your team members registered with the opportunity to address questions. Have a dedicated laptop or mobile device on hand to help those who might encounter access issues.

GRANTS

Visit the FiM FTC GRANTS page for available team grant info. Check back periodically for updates. An expanded Dow Team Grant has just been posted, closes Dec. 3.

FTC PROGRAM INFORMATION
Links to program information and resources: