Update for FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon

FIRST Tech Challenge National Registration 
As of  today, September 26th, FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon has 119 registered and paid teams. There are an additional 7 teams with temporary numbers making their way through national registration.
If you have not yet registered your team, or finalized your national registration, please do so soon. It helps us plan the number of needed leagues and tournament events. Really hoping to reach 200 teams. If you need help or assistance, please do not hesitate to email me.

LINK TO NATIONAL REGISTRATION PAGE with Registration Instructions. These instructions include how to invite coaches.
FIRST Storefront Instructions - Paying for the Registration and purchasing product in the FIRST Storefront

 Youth Team Member Registration System
(formerly known as STIMS - Student Team Information Management System) 
 Youth Team Member Registration System will replace STIMS as the application FIRST uses for Coaches to issue invitations to parents of team members, to be part of the team. Parents fill out an form and electronically sign a FIRST Consent and Release Form required to participate in meets and tournaments.  The Coach will generate a Youth Team Member Roster(formerly known as STIMS Roster showing all team members) listing the team members and a checkbox showing the student's parent/guardian has electronically submitted a FIRST Consent & Release Form.
PLEASE NOTE: The Youth Team Member Registration System has not yet launched. We expect launch in early October.

SIGN UP to Join a FIRST Tech Challenge League or Non-league Qualifying Tournament
Change to Launch Date: At kickoff I announced Sign-ups would start on October 1. I didn't realize that was a Sunday, an inconvenient day. I'm moving our launch date to Tuesday, October 3rd at 5:00 pm. 
What you need to know prior to signing-up for a league or tournament. 

•  Your team must be nationally registered and Paid ($275) prior to signing up for an Oregon FIRST Tech Challenge League or Non-League Qualifying Tournament. 
• You'll be asked to select your preference to Join a League or attend a  non-league qualifying tournament. It's one or the other, but not both. 
•  The Sign-up Form is going to ask for information about your team. #of students and demographic profile. Please be prepared to answer those questions. We need it for awards ordering and grant reports. 
•  There is a separate charge for being part of a League or competing at a Non-League Qualifying Tournament. Those payments are made to ORTOP (Oregon Robotics Tournament & Outreach Program). Please know that when you make a payment, you are helping to pay for more than just that event. Expenses for FTC Oregon include events and much more to make this happen. We have office space, storage space, insurance, staff, equipment purchases to name a few.   
• ORTOP has a sliding payment scale for FIRST Tech Challenge events. It ranges from the Full Cost of the Program (FCP) to a minimum amount. We understand that not all teams can afford to pay the Full Cost of the Program. Assess your situation and pay what you can afford. We try to find sponsors to pay what teams cannot afford to pay. 
• League Participation - includes all Meets and League Qualifying Tournament  
• Full Cost of Program - $400  <---------> $200 Minimum payment 
• Non-League Qualifying Tournament 
• Full Cost of Program - $300  <---------> $150 Minimum payment 
• If your team advances to the Super-Qualifier level 
• Full Cost of Program - $400 <----------> $200 Minimum payment 
• And if your team advances to the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Championship!!! 
• Full Cost of Program - $500 <-----------> $250 Minimum payment 

TEAM SUPPORT AWARD FUNDING UPDATE
ORTOP Team Support Award - Round One is closed. Applicants will be notified sometime on Friday, September 29th if your team(s) were or were not selected to receive an award.  
ORTOP Team Support Award - Round Two applications will be accepted until midnight Saturday, September 30th.  Click here for application information

National FTC Veteran and Rookie Grants - FIRST HQ is giving out grant credit to cover the $275 national registration. If your team has not yet paid for their $275 national registration, you are eligible to apply and receive a grant credit. Click here for more information 

BENSON BOT FEST - October 21st 
Save the Date  - Preference given to Rookie Teams for the Workshops
Volunteer Training for Head Referees, Referees, Scorekeepers, FTA, Inspectors
Time: Check-in at 9:00 am - runs to about 3:00 pm / Schedule of Event: TBA
*****Looking for 4 Veteran Teams to run a 30 second Autonomous Program into Teleop to give the Referees a chance to practice the new format change.  Autonomous does not need to accomplish much, just run for 30 seconds and shut down using the proper SDK protocol.  Email Cathy Swider to commit.

Start of a new season

Four items for you today

Resources from FIRST Relic Recovery Kickoff 
Our thanks to our teams at St. Mary's teams in Medford, Summit Robotics teams in Bend, Intel in Hillsboro for hosting FIRST Relic Recovery Kickoff events last weekend. And a thanks to and Hood River Valley HS teams for trying to host.

There was a ton of information communicated during kickoff. I have consolidated much of it on our FIRST Tech Challenge Team Resources page on www. ortop.org

Major Rule Change to FIRST Tech Challenge 
This is HUGE!!
"Starting in the 2017-2018 season, there will no longer be a hard stop following the autonomous period to transition to the driver controlled period of the match."
Read all about it and watch the video.... click here 

League Meet Schedules 
Most of our Leagues have submitted a date and location schedule. We are waiting on a few more. Here is the schedule as of today.  

BENSON Bot Fest - October 21st at Benson Polytechnic HS, NE Portland
Rookie Workshop/Scrimmage  

• For too many years to remember the FIRST Tech Challenge teams at Benson High School have hosted the Benson BotFest. This is a very valuable event for our community.   This event is for Rookie teams, rookie team members on veteran teams and rookie mentors/coaches to attend programming workshops, strategy workshops, have hands-on time with their robots and get the advice of seasoned veteran mentors/team members.  
• Veteran team/team members wishing to mentor/lead a workshop... contact Cathy 
• And for the 2nd year, this will be LEAGUE VOLUNTEER TRAINING and League-in-a-Crate Pickup.  We'll be holding training for Head Ref and Referees, Inspectors, FTAs and Scorekeepers. 
• Mark your calendars - There will be on online Sign-up posted on the FTC Team Resources Page and Workshop Page early next week.  

UPDATE  - Thursday, September 7th Hood River Kickoff - POSTPONED UNTIL A LATER DATE
Due to the increasing Eagle Creek Wildfire in the Columbia Gorge we are forced to postpone the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon - Kickoff Event at Hood River Valley High School scheduled for Saturday, September 9th.
 3 out of 5 area school districts have cancelled school and all activities due to increasing levels of hazardous air caused by smoke and evacuation notifications.  Out of concern for the safety of our team members and volunteers the event will be rescheduled for a later date.

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 News for you and your team!
1) RELIC RECOVERY KICKOFF
2) Other FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon News: $$$Team Support and Event Registration
3) FIRST Tech Challenge HQ News from Manchester, NH: Software Release and Android Control System documentation

IT'S FIRST TECH CHALLENGE KICKOFF WEEK!!! 

The wait is almost over!
The 2017-2018 FIRST Tech Challenge season RELIC RECOVERY Game Animation Video and Game Manual II will be released on Saturday, September 9th at 9:00 am Pacific Time.
Doors open for Live Kickoff events in Oregon starting at 8:30 am

How you can join in on the fun!

• Attend a live Kickoff event in Oregon (see list below) 
• or gather your team together to watch the FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Live Stream Event  from Medford. Including Relic Recovery Game Animation Video, Game Manual II Highlight Video by FTC Oregon Championship Head Ref Aaryn Curl!  &  presentation from  Matt Heverly from NASA!  Medford will go live at 8:50 am. 
• or distribute link information to team members to watch at their leisure 

Can't be there for the kickoff?  
If you miss the launch, no worries the Game Animation video, Championship Head Ref Aaryn Curl's Game Manual II highlight video will be available online. 

FOR ROOKIES and ROOKIE TEAMS:
Why is this all so important?  This Saturday, September 9th  is the day the FIRST Tech Challenge community learns the specific details of the 2017-2018 annual challenge. So far teams were given access to Game Manual I (non-specific challenge rules/guidelines and a video teaser for Relic Recovery.   On Saturday, the actual game field will be revealed and the annual challenge revealed via a game animation from the FIRST HQ in Manchester, NH via YouTube and Game Manual II will be released.
Also, at the live kickoff events, several are offering workshops and presentations to help your teams get off on the right foot. We will try to make as many of these presentations available online post-kickoff. 

LIVE Kickoff  EVENTS
Medford – 8:30 am – 2:30 pm 
St. Mary’s School, 816 Black Oak Dr, Medford, OR 97504 – EVENT FLYER 
FTC Relic Recovery Kickoff at St. Mary’s School in Medford on Sept 9th: Teams will get to watch the Relic Recovery animated video, followed by Game Manual II Highlight Video by Championship Head Referee Aayrn Curl, see the arena in person, listen to Matt Heverly from the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab and Mars Curiosity Rover driver talk about the methodical steps routinely used in solving an engineering challenge, brainstorm solutions in a breakout session, have lunch (yes, there are free lunches!) with other teams, and participate in practical educational sessions for old and new teams. Topics may include programming, control system, Vuforia, engineering notebook, presentations to judges, season organization, SolidWorks CAD, 3D printing, etc. Let us know if your team is interested in making a presentation. Every effort will be made to make it a worthwhile and action-packed day. Contact Kent Dauterman if you plan to come and how many are coming so that we can order the right amount of food. Just bring your positive energy and a good appetite.

Bend 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Summit High School, 2855 NW Clearwater Dr, Bend, OR 97703
FIRST Tech Challenge – Game Animation followed by Game Manual II Highlight Video by Championship Head Referee Aayrn Curl,  game/field viewing and discussion.
FTC Blocks Programming Workshop 10 AM – 3 PM, bring your lunch,(taught by Bruce Schafer, ORTOP).
We encourage veteran FTC programming students to attend the workshop so that you will be able to help mentor rookie teams throughout the season.
If you can – bring a laptop & a basic FTC Bot for the programming workshop.
Adult mentor & coaches networking discussion on Fundraising & Team Building

Hillsboro – 8:30 am – noonIntel Jones Farm Conference Center Auditorium, 2111 Northeast 25th Street, Hillsboro, OR 97124
FIRST Tech Challenge – Game Animation followed by game/field viewing, followed Game Manual II Highlight Video by Championship Head Referee Aayrn Curl and live discussion with Championship Head Referee Aaryn Curl. Presentations include Strategic Design: How to make the most of your season, and be as effective as possible by Shishir Pandit-Rao,  Being a Rookie Team Member by Rachel Weirnick & Rispa Vranka Wafula,  Championship Field Technical Advisor Update by Dale Jordan and Krishnan Duraiswami

Hood River - POSTPONED DUE TO THE EAGLE CREEK WILDFIRE Hood River Valley High School, 1220 Indian Creek Rd, Hood River, OR 97031
FIRST Tech Challenge – Game Animation followed Game Manual II Highlight Video by Championship Head Referee Aayrn Curl,  by game/field viewing and discussion. Breakout sessions: How to succeed in FTC Notebook/outreach,  Intro to Block programming, Do’s and don’ts of building a FIRST Tech Challenge robot.     EVENT FLYER

Gladstone 
Kraxberger Middle School – 17777 Webster Rd Gladstone Oregon 97027FTC Teams 8188 and 8132  is hosting a breakfast kickoff – Watch the Game Animation video, followed Game Manual II Highlight Video by Championship Head Referee Aayrn Curl and eat waffles served by the teams. Chat and brainstorm Relic Recovery strategy. Learn how Kraxberger teams fundraise via their tech recycle program.   Physical field will not be available at this site

OTHER FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon News 

• So far 71 Oregon teams have registered for this season.  Hoping for about 140 more.  Link to National Registration  
• Applications for ORTOP Team Support Awards for funding are still being accepted. This includes funding from the Oregon Department of Education.  
• Applications received by September 15th will be processed as ROUND #1.  
• Applications received after September 15 and by September 30th will be processed as ROUND #2, using any remaining funds. 
• FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon EVENT REGISTRATION -  Teams that are nationally registered can register for:
•  a LEAGUE October 1st  - 15th. This includes participation in 3 - 4 League Meets and one League Qualifying Tournament. 
• a Non-League Qualifying Tournament October 1st - 30th. This includes competing at one Non-League Tournament. 
• LINKS to Event Registration will be released via email to coaches and this blog. 
• FIRST Tech Challenge Oregon Event Fees  - links to pay for events will open on October 1st with event registration. 

NEWS from the FIRST Tech Challenge HQ in Manchester, NH 

Scheduled Software Release

There is a scheduled release of the new FIRST Tech Challenge software, for Wednesday, September 6th.  The new release will include usability and reliability improvements for the 2017-2018 season.  Features include a new "OnBot Java" programming tool that lets kids program using Java without the need for Android Studio.  The new software will also have some enhanced Vuforia features.  Note that teams are not required to upgrade to the newest software.  Updated software will be available from Google Play and on the public GitHub Repository (https://github.com/ftctechnh/ftc_app).

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 Online Document for Android Control System

FIRST Tech Challenge now has an online, "evergreen" document for the FIRST Tech Challenge Android control system.  This online document is a centralized repository with up-to-date information about configuring, using, and troubleshooting the FIRST Tech Challenge Android control system.  The community can access the documentation at the following address: https://github.com/ftctechnh/ftc_app/wiki.

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