Competition Tips & Meet the Field Day Saturday

Photo courtesy of FIRST Tech Challenge Twitter

Don't be SPOOKED by the upcoming competition season - Come to Meet the Field Day!

Meet the Field Day in Arizona is this Saturday!! Even if your robot is still a box of parts, there will be teams and volunteers that can help you out. Meet the Field Day is more than just a scrimmage - it's a chance to network with other teams, get help, learn new skills, ask questions about the game, try your robot out on the real competition field, and make a lot of progress on your robot. 

Teams can Meet the Field at: 

• Chandler - Valley Christian High School
• Tucson - San Miguel High School
• West Valley - Canyon View High School
• White Mountains - Mogollon High School
• Flagstaff - Coconino High School

Please RSVP for Meet the Field Day by Friday morning to let your host know you're coming!

Tip of the Week: Communication
With over 100 teams competing in Arizona and New Mexico, our planning committee has a lot to keep track of. As much as we love you all, we don't have all your team numbers memorized! Please remember to include your team number when communicating with us, whether you have a question about the game, need information about paying for your events, or other issues you may be having. We can help you much faster if we can look at your team's records right away. 

Please contact us early and often if you're having an issue with your payment. Don't wait until the day before payment is due to reach out! We are flexible, and will take evidence that you have generated a purchase order by the deadline, but if you don't communicate with us, we can't work something out. With so many teams on the wait lists already, teams who don't pay or communicate by the payment deadline are in danger of losing their spots at events! 

If you have an urgent matter, please contact Susan, Patti or Christine directly. 


Rookie Grant applications close TOMORROW!

Last chance to start a new team at your school or community with a rookie grant! Visit the FIRST Tech Challenge Grants page to the right to apply. 

Qualifying Tournaments Start Next Week!

We can't wait to see how your crews have tackled the Rover Ruckus challenge at our first qualifying tournament in the White Mountains next Saturday! We know that getting ready for competition can seem like a daunting task, but remember - you never feel ready!! You'll learn more in one day at the tournament than you have in the entire 2 1/2 months since kickoff. 

Feeling overwhelmed? Check out this outstanding website put out by FIRST Tech Challenge that's all about preparing for your events. Tips include: 

• What to do prior to your event
• Preparing for inspection
• Preparing for judging
• What to do when you get to the event
• What to print

The tournament is the payoff and celebration for all your hard work! We can't wait to see you there! 

REMINDER: PAYMENT FOR ALL EVENTS IS DUE NOVEMBER 16, and TEAMS MUST BE REGISTERED WITH FIRST BY NOVEMBER 1 TO BE ELIGIBLE TO COMPETE THIS SEASON!!

Advancement, Tournament Lists & Reminders

Meet the Field Day is Coming!
Get your team ready to compete by attending one of our numerous Meet the Field Day events in Arizona and New Mexico! Meet the Field Day is a chance to practice on a full field, collaborate and network with other teams, and get help with your mechanical design and programming.

Meet the Field Day in Arizona takes place in numerous locations across the state on November 3. CLICK HERE to see the locations and times and to RSVP.

Meet the Field Day in Albuquerque will take place on 8 Saturdays starting October 27 at Nex+Gen Academy. Planned Dates: October 27, Nov 3, 17, Dec 1, 8, 15, Jan 5, 12  Noon to 5PM, mornings optional by advance request. Please text prior to coming with your team number to Ford Davis at 505-400-5529. Feel free to reach out to Ford for directions or to schedule a time to come in the morning by emailing ford.davis@nexgenacademy.com. 

IMPORTANT DEADLINES:
Registration deadline with FIRST: November 1
Tournament payment deadline: November 16
Dean's List Nomination Deadline: the 15th of the month BEFORE your tournament

Advancement to Arizona & New Mexico Championship
This year we're planning a 2-division dual-state Championship once again. Advancement will be based on performance at your 1st three qualifying tournaments and follow the guidelines stated in the Game Manual Part 1. In addition to the teams hosting qualifiers, 38 additional teams will be invited to compete at the Championship. 

The number of teams advancing from each qualifier is based on the total number of teams competing at events and the number of teams competing at a particular event. Here are the projected numbers for advancement this season: 

• 12-16 teams competing: 2 teams advance
• 17-19 teams competing: 3 teams advance
• 20-24 teams competing: 4 teams advance

With almost 100 teams competing in our region this season, earning a spot at the Championship will be very competitive! Here are some tips that can help you field the best possible team at competition: 

• Integrate the FIRST Core Values into everything your team does so it's part of your team's culture - a team that really "gets it" shines at competition naturally. 
• FIRST is way more than robots - get your team involved in the community and in your school! 
• Set deadlines for the robot build and stick to them.
• Have a clear strategy for game play - sometimes it's best to do one thing very well than try to do every aspect of the game. 
• Attend Meet the Field Day - you'll be amazed at how much your robot will improve in just a few hours. 
• Keep an excellent Engineering Notebook from the very beginning - the Engineering Notebook is a required piece to all of the awards that allow a team to advance to the next level of competition. 
• Practice your judging presentation prior to arriving at competition. 
• Collaborate with other teams in your area. 
• Take time to develop your own team image and identity and then celebrate it at competition. 

We can't wait to see all the amazing things your team will do and to celebrate your accomplishments at the tournaments! 

Check out the Tournament Team List under Quick Links to see which teams you're competing with at your events! 

November Dean's List Deadline is Monday!

Rookie Grants Close October 31!
If you know a school in your area that's interested in starting a team, it's not too late to apply for a rookie grant! Please send any interested schools to the Grant page to apply. 

Pitsco Parts Giveaway
Now through March, teams can sign up to win a different Tetrix part every two weeks! Visit Pitsco's website for more information. 

November Dean's List Deadline is MONDAY!!!!
The nomination deadline is the 15th of the month PRIOR to your qualifying tournaments at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. That means we're less than two weeks away for the deadline to submit a nomination for the White Mountain and Gilbert Tournaments! The nomination deadlines are: 

• October 15 - White Mountain & Gilbert
• November 15 - Glendale, Tucson, Phoenix
• December 15 - Queen Creek, Alamogordo, Albuquerque, Chandler
• January 15 - West Valley

For more information on the Dean's List, please visit the FIRST Tech Challenge Dean's List page. 

RSVP for Meet the Field Day
Arizona Meet the Field Days are all on November 3, 2018 at numerous locations around the state. Teams can sign up for Arizona Meet the Field Day by clicking here and filling out the brief RSVP form. 

Alamogordo's Meet the Field Day will be on October 14 from 11 am to 3 pm. Contact Christina Leon for more information.

Albuquerque's Griffin Robotics team will host numerous Meet the Field Dates from late October through next semester at Nex+Gen Academy. Contact Ford Davis for more information.

Qualifying Tournament Registration
Teams may now register for any available spots, regardless of how many events they are confirmed for. There are still plenty of spots available in New Mexico! Next week, any remaining spots will be available to out of region teams on a case by case basis. 

Individual team invoices have been sent to all teams registered and confirmed for tournaments. Please contact us ASAP if your team did not receive your invoice for your events. Payment for all events is due November 16, 2018. Teams that fail to meet the payment deadline may be dropped from their events. 

EVENT LIST

White Mountain Qualifying Tournament – November 10, 2018

Mogollon High School Performing Arts Center, 3375 Buckskin Canyon Rd. Heber, AZ 85928

Gilbert Qualifying Tournament – November 17, 2018
Gilbert Christian High School, 3632 E. Jasper Ln. , Gilbert, AZ 85296

Glendale Qualifying Tournament - December 1, 2018
Cactus High School, 6330 W. Greenway Rd., Glendale, AZ 85306

Tucson Qualifying Tournament - December 8, 2018
San Miguel High School, 6601 S. San Fernando Rd. Tucson, AZ 85756

Phoenix Qualifying Tournament - December 15, 2018
Bioscience High School, 512 E. Pierce St., Phoenix, AZ 85004

Queen Creek Qualifying Tournament – January 12, 2019
American Leadership Academy Ironwood Campus, 850 W. Combs Rd. San Tan Valley, AZ 85140

Alamogordo Qualifying Tournament – January 12, 2019
Alamogordo High School, 103 Cuba Ave, Alamogordo, NM 88310

Albuquerque Qualifying Tournament - January 26, 2019
Nex+Gen Academy, 5325 Montgomery Blvd, Albuquerque, NM 87109

Chandler Qualifying Tournament - January 26, 2019
Valley Christian High School, 6900 W. Galveston St., Chandler, AZ 85226

West Valley Qualifying Tournament - February 9, 2019
Canyon View High School, 6024 N. Perryville Rd., Waddell, AZ 85355

Meet the Field Day and Dean's List

IMPORTANT! MAJOR RULE CHANGE ANNOUNCED!

Be sure to pay attention to these and all rules as you design your robot and strategy. 

FIRST Tech Challenge Dean's List
The FIRST Dean's List is a way to recognize outstanding student leaders on FIRST Tech Challenge teams. Each team may nominate up to two students who are in 10th or 11th grade for the FIRST Dean's List. 

The nomination deadline is the 15th of the month PRIOR to your qualifying tournaments at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. That means we're less than two weeks away for the deadline to submit a nomination for the White Mountain and Gilbert Tournaments! The nomination deadlines are: 

• October 15 - White Mountain & Gilbert
• November 15 - Glendale, Tucson, Phoenix
• December 15 - Queen Creek, Alamogordo, Albuquerque, Chandler
• January 15 - West Valley

The nominees become Dean's List Semi-Finalists. All nominees are interviewed in person at the qualifying tournament selected when the nomination is made by at least 2 judges. Semi-finalists are recognized during the closing ceremonies at the qualifiers, but no announcement of Finalists are made at the qualifiers. 

The notes from the interviews and nomination essays for all the Semi-Finalists from all the Qualifying Tournaments are passed to a selection committee. The Finalists are selected from the entire pool of Semi-Finalists, and announced at the Arizona & New Mexico Championship in February. 

For more information on the Dean's List, please visit the FIRST Tech Challenge Dean's List page. 

Meet the Field Day
With just over a month until our first events, it's time to Meet the Field! This is an opportunity for teams to practice on a full field, network with other teams, get help with build and programming and calibrate programs. 

Arizona Meet the Field Days are all on November 3, 2018 at numerous locations around the state. Teams can sign up for Arizona Meet the Field Day by clicking here and filling out the brief RSVP form. 

Alamogordo's Meet the Field Day will be on October 14 from 11 am to 3 pm. Contact Christina Leon for more information.

Albuquerque's Griffin Robotics team will host numerous Meet the Field Dates from late October through next semester at Nex+Gen Academy. Contact Ford Davis for more information.

Qualifying Tournament Registration
Currently there are 94 Arizona and New Mexico teams registered for qualifying tournaments! Spots are filling up fast - we have only 2 spots left at White Mountain, 1 at Queen Creek, 7 at Albuquerque, and 7 at Alamogordo. Teams may now register for any available spots, regardless of how many events they are confirmed for. The week of October 17, any remaining spots will be available to out of region teams on a case by case basis. 

Individual team invoices will be sent out starting Monday, October 8. Payment for all events is due November 16, 2018. Teams that fail to meet the payment deadline may be dropped from their events.