Good morning FTC Teams, current and past Volunteers!
This is the thirteenth in the continuing series of Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics emails. Previous emails can be found on our website in the COMMUNICATION Archives.
https://www.ftcpenn.org/communications
Coaches, please liberally share this email with other coaches and parents.
Qualifier Registration Update and Guidance
Since opening up Qualifier Registration a month ago we had an immediate rush and flurry of applicants that has now slowed, but we are still experiencing a steady pace. Of the 150 registered FTC teams in PA, 135 have registered for and have been confirmed for their P1 or first choice.
Please check out the team list for each Qualifier to assure that your choice is correct, but more importantly review the Waitlist status for your additional choices (P2 – P6) are appropriate and keeps your team in line to fill the vacant slots. If you want to make changes based on your assessment of your team’s Waitlist status you may do so. See instructions below.
https://www.ftcpenn.org/ftc-events/2024-2025-season
Since our Qualifiers are paired up this season with two per weekend, a concern we have is for any teams that may have registered for both Qualifiers on the same weekend, but also expressed that they only want to compete in one Qualifier per weekend. From the application form the question was “Two Qualifiers in a Weekend?” Answers were either
- Competing in one Qualifier per weekend is good.
- Maybe. If there is an opening for my team, please send the offer and I’ll let you know.
Concern: if your P1 and P2 are the same weekend, but you only want to compete in one (with P1 already assigned) you will want to change you P2 choice and subsequent choices as we will take your original “No” as an absolute and pass over your team to offer the next slot to the next team on the list as dictated by the registration date and time slot.
Optionally, if you change your mind and now do want to be considered to compete in two, single weekend, Qualifiers in a row, you have the chance to change your “No” to “Maybe” in which case we will contact you to see if you may want to compete in the two consecutive, same weekend events.
Making changes is easy. Go back into our registration form and on the first, start page select the “New/Update Event Registration” radio button and then work your way down the form, and after making your P1 – P6 selections, the next page will ask if your submission is ‘New” or an “Update”. Please select Update to make the changes.
https://www.ftcpenn.org/event-registration
Waitlist Invitations – first offers go out next Friday
Per our Waitlist notification schedule, we will be offering open slots to the Sat Dec 14, 2024 South Central Pennsylvania Qualifier and Sun Dec 15th, 2024 Greyhound Sprint Qualifier next Friday, Nov. 15th, 2024, 4 weeks before these two events. Please expect an email from us with an offer if you are on the top of the Waitlists.
https://www.ftcpenn.org/event-registration/waitlist-invitations
Call for Volunteers
As was communicated in our last Season Blast #12, The success of PA FTC events is totally dependent on the number and quality of volunteers that give of their time and energy at our events.
We seek out and have a great need for Volunteers for all of our FTC PA events for the 2024-2025 Into the Deep! season. We are therefore reaching out to recruit those that have volunteered in the past, or want to join the incredible Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics volunteer team!
If you have already volunteered, thank you. If you have not, please do consider it.
This is a great opportunity for coaches, mentors and parents to get an insider’s perspective of how FTC events are conducted in our State and region. The perspectives and guidance gained will also translate into helping your own team and students to be successful. If you are already registered to volunteer then thank you!
Volunteer roles are defined in the link provided below. We welcome volunteers in all capacities, but especially in key roles such as Judging, Referees and Inspectors.
For guidance on volunteering at a PA FTC Event please go to the following link or see instructions below. https://www.ftcpenn.org/volunteer
General Instructions:
We use the FIRST Event Volunteer Registration system for all of our events. Volunteering for an event is one of the options on your personal FIRST Dashboard on the http://www.firstinspires.org website
To access the FIRST Event Volunteer Registration system:
Browse to the link above, click LOG IN in the upper right-hand corner. If you already have a FIRST account, enter your FIRST username and password, and click LOG IN.
If you do not have a FIRST account, click Register in the upper right-hand corner, then fill out the account form.
Once on your personal Dashboard, select Volunteer Registration and then Event Volunteering.
To narrow the available events to Pennsylvania FTC events, under Event Filters select FTC, United States, Pennsylvania; optionally enter dates and/or event name information, and then click Apply Filters. Select an event on the right-hand side (Southwestern Pennsylvania Qualifier) and click Volunteer. Follow the prompts to select the roles you are interested in.
https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/volunteer/general-volunteer-resources
has great guidance, including a Volunteer Registration Step by Step Guide. if you have further questions about the Volunteer Registration system.
Youth Protection:
As with all FIRST and FTC PA events for many years now Youth Protection is paramount and mandatory at all of our events. As such, volunteers are required to comply with Youth Protection protocols as is necessary to assure compliance with Pennsylvania Child Protection Services Laws. Please go to the following link for detailed information and how to ensure your compliance and let us know if you would like additional guidance or instruction. We would be more than happy to assist you!
https://www.ftcpenn.org/volunteer/youth-protection
Thanks to you all for your consideration and let us know if you have any questions. We are so excited for his season and to see all of our teams and friends once again.
All the best,
Tom Zawislak, Dave Hackett and Lena Kang – Volunteer Administrator