HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
MAY THIS YEAR BE CONE-TASTIC!!!
Last Chance to Change or Add Qualifiers!
You may know that our January and February qualifiers are full...like, bursting at the seams beyond full! Thanks to our partnership with AZFIRST and Microchip, we are excited to announce a 9th qualifying tournament for Arizona teams. This event will take place at the Microchip facility in Chandler on January 28 (same day as the Copper event in Queen Creek).
Any teams that would like to switch into this event because the date or location is better, or to add a 3rd event to your season schedule, please email Christine AND ftc.arizona@gmail.com. This event has 6 spots left!
It's pretty exciting that we have so many teams that want to play!
Microchip Technology Inc.
2355 West Chandler Blvd.
Chandler, Arizona, USA 85224
January 28, 2023
We were also able to add a few additional spots to the February 4 Desert Vista Qualifier! 2 spots left, let us know if your team would like to compete there.
ARIZONA CHAMPIONSHIP - SCHEDULE UPDATE
The Arizona FTC Championship will take place on February 25 at the NAU Fieldhouse in Flagstaff. In previous years, we've had our driver/coach meetings Friday evening. This allows us to start the competition earlier on Saturday.
We find that the majority of teams have arrived at Championship Friday night in past years to set up pits and get inspected to take some of the craziness of Saturday morning.
Championship is also a longer tournament - we give teams 6 qualifying matches instead of 5, and play additional matches (division playoffs and championship finals), as well as give additional awards (Compass, Promote, Dean's List Finalists). Having judging Friday evening would allow us to start matches earlier and end the tournament earlier to allow teams to travel home.
At December's Anthem qualifier, we were under a time constraint at the venue that meant we had to do judging Friday night. Team's that weren't able to be there in person on Friday were able to complete their interview remotely via the FTC scoring system.
We will be adopting this model for the Arizona Championship February 24 and 25. Any teams that are unable to make it to Flagstaff Friday evening would do their judging interview remotely on Friday or between 7:30 and 8:00 AM on Saturday. Please plan your travel accordingly as we play our last five qualifiers over the next few weeks and teams qualify for the Arizona Championship. Below is the tentative schedule for the Arizona Championship:
Friday 2/24:
- 4:30 PM - Pits open, inspection begins
- 5:30 PM - Driver & adult coach/mentor meeting
- 6:30 PM - Judging interviews begin
- 8:00 PM - Pits close
Saturday 2/25:
- 7:00 AM: Pits open, inspection continues
- 9:00 AM: Opening Ceremonies
- 9:15 AM: Qualification Matches
- 11:45 AM: Lunch
- 12:30 PM: Qualification matches
- 1:45 PM: Alliance Selections
- 2:00 PM: Division Playoffs
- 3:15 PM: Championship Finals
- 3:45 PM: Award Ceremony
- 4:30 PM: Event ends
Gameplay Pro-Tip – Beacon Size
The FIRST® Tech Challenge Game Design Committee has recently received questions regarding “micro” beacons; meaning that the beacons, although meeting size requirements, are small and sometimes difficult to see during gameplay. The intent of the beacon construction rules is to have teams build beacons that are clearly visible during gameplay to be properly scored by the referees during a match. If a beacon is constructed too small for a referee to see it, it will not be considered scored, and cannot be disputed after the match concludes. It is important to note that the referees must be able to see the beacon.
Please see forum post https://ftc-qa.firstinspires.org/qa/216 for additional information/explanation.
LUNAR LEGACY INVITATIONAL
The Lunar Legacy Robotics Invitational will bring together robotics teams from three programs from all over to celebrate the exploration of space, Flagstaff's role in space flight, and the legacy that is being passed to the next generation of innovators.
Location: Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Dates: May 19-21, 2023
Friday: check in and practice matches (evening)
Saturday and Sunday: Robotics competitions, field trips, space themed engineering challenges
FLL: SUPERPOWERED
FTC: POWERPLAY
We will run tournament style matches and playoffs in addition to having some creative fun with your 2022-2023 robots.
There will be awards and the chance for teams to explore in Flagstaff. Tentative opportunities include a field trip to Lowell Observatory and guest speakers that work in the field of space exploration.
Cost: $200 per FLL or FTC team
Once your team is registered will will send you an invoice with payment information.
Greetings from FIRST Tech Challenge India!
We are pleased to inform you that InfinityX has been appointed as the FIRST Tech Challenge India Program Delivery Partner by FIRST HQ, USA from past 4 years and therefore brings the FIRST Tech Challenge India Championship 2022-23, the biggest international robotics competition for school students in India.
It gives us immense pleasure to inform you that this year finally we are opening our boundaries for International Teams to participate in FIRST Tech Challenge India Championship 2022-23.
All the teams from around the globe are invited to participate and have a marvelous experience in India!
For more information email at teams@firsttechchallenge.in
