FTC FAQs
Event Selection FAQ
You will receive a login once you have paid your FIRST Chesapeake invoice. You can then enter your event preferences. If you have not received an invoice or need additional assistance please contact Ron Therrien at rtherrien@firstchesapeake.org
- To see the full list go to https://fcevents.maxxpotential.org
- The map on the Events page also shows which event you are closest to your team.
Please select 3 events in case your first choice is unavailable.
No, while teams are given priority to the closest location, you are free to compete at any of the events. Be aware that you may not get your first choice if you choose an event that is not closest to you since the event may fill up with teams that have priority.
On the detailed events pages, there is a “Teams/Events Details” button that will show you a team list as well match schedule, rankings, etc. once the events starts.
Event FAQ
A hybrid event is part remote event (Judging) and part traditional (matches). Teams use the remote events manual for the judging process and the traditional events manual for match play. The number of teams at and event and the number of team members allowed per team will be based on local health numbers. Please refer to the COVID Matrix for the most up to date information. Minimal essential staff and volunteers will work the event. The schedule allows for time between cohorts for a deep cleaning using a non-toxic disinfectant fogger. For more information on safety procedures, click here. The awards ceremony will be held online on Tuesday evenings.
Yes, for FTC there will be remote events scheduled during the season.
Alliance selection is based on the number of teams competing. For FTC playoffs are 2 v 2 and for FRC 3 v 3. There will be semi finals and finals this season.
FTC Each team will play 5 matches at each event they participate in.
FRC Each team will play at least 10 matches depending on the number of teams in the event.
For FTC teams are assigned with a randomized lottery system to either the morning or afternoon cohort.
Just like traditional events, we will run the match schedule with the number of teams present.
In order to ensure mask compliance for all, no food or drink is allowed inside the venue. Food vendors and restaurants are located within walking distance of all the venues. Teams are welcome to eat outside.
Yes, this is one of the reasons we are providing wrist bands so that teams may leave and return. Please keep in mind, the match schedule is very tight and we will not wait for you to return if you miss your match time. Teams may only reenter the event during their event time. No spectators will be allowed.
We anticipate that teams will have 5-10 minutes between matches.
Due to COVID 19 concerns, we are asking mentors who are not part of the drive team to remain in their designated pit area during matches.
To ensure limited contact between teams, mentors may not move between pits. If teams share a mentor and another mentor cannot be identified for competitions, please contact Ron Therrien, Director of Programs, at rtherrien@firstchesapeake.org to request that teams compete in consecutive cohorts. FIRST Chesapeake will make every effort to accommodate these requests if possible.
There will be no practice field at the FTC events and teams cannot bring one as there will be no space for it.
For FRC we are planning to have a practice field.
There is nothing preventing teams from talking electronically while in the pits but teams will also be able to communicate at the field, through the clear barrier while waiting for a match to start. Basically, there will be 10 minutes between matches so there should be plenty of time to chat after setting up at the field.
On a space available basis, teams can sign up to play a third event.
A virtual audience system has been created for team members and parents that cannot attend in person. The students at the venue will be able to see and hear the members at home.
Matches will also be broadcast live on FIRST Chesapeake’s live Twitch Channel at https://www.twitch.tv/firstchesapeake After the event, a recording of the events can be found on FIRST Chesapeake’s YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/firstchesapeake
Event Cancelation policies FAQ
FIRST Chesapeake refund policy FIRST Tech Challenge 2021
Due to possible health and safety restrictions, FIRST Chesapeake will not be allowing out-of-state teams to compete in 2021-2022 competitions. If health and safety reasons or local guidance cause an event to be canceled, teams will be refunded 50% of the cost of an individual event if alternate remote options become unavailable.
Based on CDC and local guidance at the specific venue’s location, FIRST Chesapeake will decide when to cancel the event. This only apples to that specific venue. Events at other venues will continue if local guidance at their location allows.
FIRST Chesapeake will notify all 1st and 2nd mentors via email as quickly as possible if an event is to be cancelled. Cancellations will also be posted on the event hotline 804.464.8945 and the FIRST Chesapeake website.
In the event of a postponement due to weather conditions, FIRST Chesapeake will make every effort to accommodate teams on the next available day at that location. Postponement and cancellation details will be on the event hotline 804.464.8945 and sent to all 1st and 2nd mentors via email by 5am the morning of the scheduled event.
Remote Judging FAQ
All judging will be done remotely on the opposite day as the robot matches. If you are in the morning event you will judge in the morning of the opposite weekend day. For example, if match play is on Saturday in the morning cohort, your judging will be in Sunday also in the morning cohort. We will do our best to put the judging time schedule on the event page under the Team/Event details button on the Wednesday prior to the event.
Awards will be given for each event (approximately 18 teams). The morning cohort is a different event from the afternoon cohort.
FTC: This year teams have the opportunity to submit a 5 minute video detailing information that would normally have been presenting in a team’s initial interview.
A dropbox link can be found in the cloud based scoring system the week of the event. Please note, it may not be available until the week of the event. Teams can then download their video using the link.
Please remember to put your team number in the title of the video.
The Engineering portfolio is submitted through the cloud based FTC Scoring.
Important: Only Mentor 1 or 2 have access to the FTC cloud scoring. In order to access the system, the mentor will need to have completed BOTH YPP Screening AND Consent and Release. Please do not wait until the Friday before the event to get YPP screened.
Championship FAQ
The number of teams qualifying at an event will be based on how many teams are at the event, the number of registered teams we have for the season and how many teams we are allowed to have at the championship events based on CDC and local guidance. Teams will qualify based on the rankings at the events they compete at. Most likely, at least 4 teams will qualify at each event but that can change based on how many teams we have registered. We also hold back a handful of wildcard slots that get allotted to teams based on performance over the two events they completed.
Championship events will cost $350
We are planning Championship to be a hybrid events but that can be re-evaluated based on CDC and local guidance as we get closer to the championship.
Health and Safety FAQ
- This season the Health Screening should be conducted at home prior to attending the event.
- Check-in will take place a Pit Admin. Signed Consent and Release forms will be collected for each member of the team including any mentors or adults
- The team will receive paper wristbands to wear signifying they have been screened
- A wristband is required for entry into the event
- Teams can only reenter the event during their scheduled competition times.
Do you have any of therese symptoms?
- Lack of smell or taste without congestion
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Elevated temperature/fever (oral>100.4 degrees F; axillary/temporal > 99.5 degrees F?
- Sore throat
- Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and/or abdominal pain
- Headache
- Chills, muscle pain, and/or fatigue
- Congestion or runny nose
Close contact/Potential Exposure
- Had close contact (within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes) with a person with a confirmed case of COVID-19 (if fully vaccinated and asymptomatic, this does not apply.)
- Had a recent COVID-19 test and are awaiting results
Note: These questions along with more details on FIRST Chesapeake’s COVID policy can be found on the website.
The team will be asked to leave and be disqualified from the competition
If your team has to withdraw from the competition due to a known COVID 19 exposure, you can register for another event if there is space available. These situations will be handled on a case by case basis by the Director of Programs.
- Handmade cloth masks
- Surgical masks
- Fitted masks
- Gators
- Bandanas
- Masks with valves
- If, after an event, you discover that you may have come in close contact with someone who tested positive in the days prior to your event, please contact your physician and Leighann Boland, Executive Director, at 804.514.7712 or lboland@firstchesapeake.org. FIRST Chesapeake will notify all event attendees of possible exposure using contact information from the Consent and Release forms. FIRST Chesapeake will never publicly identify any individual or team that self-reports a possible exposure.
- If, within 10 days of attending an event, you test positive for COVID 19, please contact Leighann Boland, Executive Director, at 804.514.7712 or lboland@firstchesapeake.org. While local health departments are tasked with contact tracing, it often takes days or weeks for all possible exposures to be notified. Since time is of the essence, FIRST Chesapeake will notify all event attendees of possible exposure using contact information from the Consent and Release forms. If requested, FIRST Chesapeake will provide contact information to the local health department. FIRST Chesapeake will never publicly identify any individual or team that self-reports a positive diagnosis.
Volunteer
The full list of roles can be found by going to the events page and selecting Volunteer from the menu and then selecting Volunteer Roles. Once on the Volunteer Roles page, you can see detailed descriptions of each role by clicking on the role name.
The Volunteer role table indicates which roles are in person based on the COVID level at the time of the event.
Yes, there are different roles for our hybrid events. Most of the roles will be remote roles that from your home. This year is a good opportunity to try something new! If, after reading all the roles you still have questions, please reach out to us at volunteer@firstchesapeake.org for help in finding the perfect role.
Discord is a free group chatting platform which was originally created for gaming but is now used by a much larger audience. Discord is divided into “servers”. A server can be public or private and has its own set of rules and groups. Discord has text, voice and video chat functionality and works on computers, tablets, and/or phones.
Go to www.discord.com and apply for a free account. You will need an invitation or a specific code to join the FIRST Chesapeake server because our server is private.
Each role will have slightly different training requirements. We are in the process of creating training documentation on using Zoom and Discord. Some roles will have a virtual meeting through Zoom prior to the event to go over procedures and answer questions.
No, we understand that volunteering from home may not be the best fit for every volunteer. We look forward to working with all of our volunteers in person once we can safely hold traditional events again.
The COVID decision matrix level (ie- Low, Moderate, Substantial, High) will be determined for each event one week prior to the event.
The level will be posted on the event page also one week prior to the event.