Our first Qualifying Tournament of the season is just about a month away! Which four teams will be the first to qualify for State?
Our staff and planning committees are hard at work preparing for these events. When you check in at your first event, your team will receive a set of coach and driver buttons, with your team number on the bottom. Please hang on to those buttons for use at future Qualifying Tournaments.
We are also looking ahead to next season, if your team would like to host an event next season, please reach out to me or to Dan Leathers at dleathers@firstindianarobotics.org.
Our next Coaches Corner call is this Thursday, November 16 at 7:00pm ET. Judge Advisor Betsy Baxter will be on hand to answer questions. Details are below.
As a reminder, if you missed a team blast, all of our emails are posted on our blog at: firstindianarobotics.org/blog/
If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to me anytime. I can be reached via email at tthompson@firstindianarobotics.org or you can schedule a call with me using this link.
All the best,
Trisha
November Coaches Corner
Our next Coaches Corner will be Thursday, November 16 at 7:00 PM ET/6:00 PM CT. This month we have another can’t miss session with Judge Advisor Betsy Baxter. Betsy will be on hand to offer advice on winning awards this season and answer any judging related questions you may have.
FIRST Indiana Robotics is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: FTC November Coaches Corner
Time: Nov 16, 2023 07:00 PM Indiana (East)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85013272819?pwd=a2VoMnpQYS83dXZYQ0NFTHlMNSs3dz09
Meeting ID: 850 1327 2819
Passcode: 931699
Qualifying Tournament Information
You can pay your QT Registration fees by credit card or generate an invoice at https://pay.firstindianarobotics.org/
Select “FTC Qualifying Tournament Registration”
Type in your team number
Click “Add to Cart” (If you have multiple teams, you can change the team number and add multiple registrations to your cart.)
From here you can checkout via credit card, or select “Print an Invoice” (You can also download a copy of our W-9 from this screen) You can print a paper copy of your invoice, or print to pdf to email a copy.
Checks should be made out to FIRST Indiana Robotics, and can be mailed to:
1701 E Edgewood Avenue
PO Box 17493
Indianapolis, IN 46227
Please include a copy of your invoice with the check, and write your team number on the check to ensure correct recordkeeping.
For more information about the events, and to see which teams are attending which events, visit our website at:
Kentucky State Championship
Yes, you read that right! Our friends across the river would like to invite any interested Indiana FTC teams to participate at their State Championship February 16/17 at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. This does conflict with our final Qualifying Tournaments in Greenwood, and you cannot advance to Worlds from participating in this event, but it is a fun opportunity for a team to travel and meet some new teams. You can find more information here: https://ftcinkentucky.sharepoint.com
Team Member Safety at Events
Safety and security are very important in the FIRST® Community. As we prepare for our events to begin, here are some ways you can do your part to maintain a safe and secure event:
Know and follow your team’s safety plan.
If you see something unusual, worrying or not safe during the event, or if something or someone makes you feel uncomfortable, tell Pit Admin or a trusted adult. See Something, Say Something!
If there is an emergency, listen to any announcements and follow the instructions in a calm manner.
Know where your team plans to meet if there is an evacuation or need to take shelter.
If you cannot find your team during an emergency, look for another adult who has team or event clothes on and other students with them. Tell them you are separated from your team and need help.
If you have a phone, keep it charged and with you. Make sure you have saved the contact information of the adults who can help you during an emergency.
Tell mentors and coaches where you will be when you are not with the team, for example if you are going to another part of the event or the restroom.
Know what to do if you are lost or feeling uncomfortable.
Make sure to report any medical or safety concerns to Pit Admin or a trusted adult.
You will see signage with this information around events this season, as well as in your team packets. You can access more team safety information and guidelines at: https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/ftc/team-management-resources
See Something, Say Something: We all need to watch out for each other. If you see something out of the ordinary or worrying, tell Pit Admin or a trusted adult right away. Tell your team members to do the same and explain how to report problems, either to you as their coach or mentor or directly to event officials. Instilling a culture of safety is a value that every individual in the FIRST community must embrace as we pursue FIRST’s mission and vision. By working together, we can help everyone stay safe and healthy at FIRST events.
Expanding the FIRST® Toolbox with Artificial Intelligence
In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in access to Artificial Intelligence (AI); especially generative language model-based tools like Google Bard and ChatGPT. This has sparked a question among the FIRST community: can teams use these tools to help develop solutions? The answer is yes!
Hear from FIRST Chief Operating Officer Chris Rake about how FIRST teams can use AI >>
State Championship and Advancement News
The State Championship is scheduled a little later this year; it will be held Saturday, March 9 at the University of Indianapolis. It is important to note that the payment deadline for World Championship teams is March 21st, and that registration amount is $2500.
We expect to learn how many teams from Indiana will advance to Houston in late December. There were 196 FIRST Tech Challenge teams at the 2023 FIRST ENERGIZE Championship, that number will increase to 224 for the 2024 FIRST IN SHOW Championship, and will further increase to 256 for the 2025 Championship.
FIRST Mentor Network
Is your team in need of mentors?
Did you know that you can set up a FIRST Mentor Network profile in your dashboard and then your team will be visible to potential mentors in your area.
Visit the FIRST Mentor Network site – https://info.firstinspires.org/mentor-network
After setting up your profile, start posting links to it on social media. Create a one-pager and share with your local chamber of commerce. Share it with your local sponsors to encourage mentorship. Take a flyer with you to local outreach events and hand out to adults. Create a poster with a QR code encouraging people to sign up to be mentors. Use – canva to create your poster- printing is inexpensive.
Follow Us
You can find all FTC & FIN news at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FIRSTINRobotics
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firstinrobotics/
We encourage coaches, parents, team members and fans to follow us on social media to keep up with all the latest information!