2008 Email Blast Archive
June 16, 2009
Hello Teams,
Topics covered in this email are:
1. Team Registration
2. Season Kick-off
3. Qualification Competitions
4. FTC Workshops at Tempest 'N' Tampa
5. Florida FTC Forum
6. Florida FTC Twitter Account
7. FIRST Exhibit at the PTC Users Conference
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1. Team Registration
Team registration is open for the 2009-10 season. Visit the team registration page for more information: https://my.usfirst.org/ftc/tims/site.lasso
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2. Season Kickoff
Season kickoff is Saturday, September 12, 2009. We will setup the playing field for the new game and offer a workshop on a topic relevant to the new game. Details are TBD.
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3. Qualification Competitions
FTC teams are hosting four qualification competitions in November, December and January. The host team and the top performing teams from qualifying competitions receive invitations to the State Championship. We would like to add a competition in south Florida and perhaps another competition anywhere in the state. Please let me know if your team is interested in hosting a qualification competition on one of these dates:
November 21
December 5 (Prefer to avoid this SAT Test date)
January 16
January 23 (Prefer to avoid this SAT Test date)
February 6
Priority for date selection will be given to a competition in south Florida.
The four qualification competitions on the books are:
November 14th at Hillsborough High School in Tampa
December 12th at Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange
January 9th at Countryside High School in Clearwater
January 30th at the University of South Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland
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4. FTC Workshops at Tempest 'N' Tampa
We will offer workshops for students and coaches at the FRC off-season competition, Tempest 'N' Tampa (TNT). A full FTC field for the 2009-10 game will be setup for teams to explore and test their robots.
TNT is held in the Sun Dome on the campus of the University of South Florida in Tampa. The dates are October 23 & 24, 2009. Details about the FTC activities at TNT will be available in September. Visit the event web site for general event information: http://www.roboticsboosters.com/tnt/
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5. Florida FTC Forum
We setup a new forum for teams in Florida to receive official news, and discuss the FTC season. We encourage all coaches and students to join this forum. Visit http://flftc.forumotion.com/ to sign-up for an account. Please append your username with your FTC team number. For example: RobotWrangler4200.
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6. Florida FTC Twitter Account
Receive information about the Florida FTC program before it is published elsewhere. Subscribe to http://twitter.com/FLFirst
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7. FIRST Exhibit at the PTC Users Conference
Florida FTC teams participated in a 3-day exhibit at the 2009 PTC Users Conference held in Orlando on June 7 - 9, 2009 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel. Teams played the game FACE-OFF!, shared their FIRST experiences with conference visitors, checked out the amazing exhibits, received lots of free stuff from exhibitors, and spent an hour visiting with FIRST Chairman, John Abele.
We thank the following teams for participating in the conference:
109 Domino Effect
1369 Minotaur
1902 Exploding Bacon
2425 Hydra
2800 Rogue Robotics
2845 Duct Tape
2868 Mechanical Flightless Waterfowl
I hope everyone has a safe and fun summer.
Michael Coleman
FTC Affiliate Partner for Florida
August 18, 2009
Hello Teams,
Topics covered in this email are:
1. FTC Florida Kickoff
2. Qualifying Competitions
3. FTC Game Hint #1
4. FTC at FRC offseason competition, Tempest 'N' Tampa
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1. FTC Florida Kickoff
The FTC Florida Kickoff will be held in Orlando on Saturday, September 12, 2009. The tentative start time is 1:00 p.m. with doors opening to teams at 12:15 p.m.
At the kickoff, teams will watch the kickoff video and game animation, explore the playing field for the game, and attend a workshop on how to use the "game sensor." More information will be provided in a few weeks. The location for the kickoff is: 4-H Orange County UF/IFAS Extension Education Center, 6021 South Conway Road, Orlando, FL.
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2. Qualifying Competitions
We are looking for teams to host two qualifying competitions. Our first priority is to add a qualifying competition in south Florida. Next, we would like to add one competition along the I-4 corridor between Tampa and Daytona Beach. The host team for a qualifying competition receives an invitation to attend the FTC Florida Championship held on February 27, 2010.
FTC teams are hosting competitions on the following 4 dates:
- November 14th at Hillsborough High School in Tampa
- December 12th at Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange
- January 9th at Countryside High School in Clearwater
- January 30th at the University of South Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland
Open dates for the two new qualifying competitions are:
- November 21
- December 5 (Prefer to avoid this SAT Test date)
- January 16
- January 23 (Prefer to avoid this SAT Test date)
- February 6
Please let me know as soon as possible if your team is interested in hosting a competition. We need to finalize the competition dates by the end of September.
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3. FTC Game Hint #1
FIRST posted the 1st game hint on the FIRST Tech Challenge blog: http://www.firsttechchallenge.blogspot.com/
The FTC Florida Forum has a thread to discuss the game hint: http://flftc.forumotion.com/ Look in the 2009-10 General Game Discussion section of the forum.
View what teams are saying about the game hint on Chief Delphi: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78105
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4. FTC at FRC offseason competition, Tempest 'N' Tampa
We will offer workshops for students and coaches at the FRC off-season competition, Tempest 'N' Tampa (TNT). A full FTC field for the 2009-10 game will be setup for teams to explore and test their robots. We will hold a scrimmage if 6 or more teams arrive with robots ready to play the game.
TNT is held in the Sun Dome on the campus of the University of South Florida in Tampa. The dates are October 23 & 24, 2009. Details about the FTC activities at TNT will be available in September. Visit the event web site for general event information: http://www.roboticsboosters.com/tnt/
I am looking forward to seeing teams at the season kickoff on September 12th!
Michael Coleman
FTC Affiliate Partner for Florida
September 2 , 2009
Topics covered in this email are:
1. Season Kickoff
2. Qualification Competitions
3. Build-it/Practice Day
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1. Season Kickoff
The FTC Florida Kickoff will be held on Saturday, September 12th at 1:00 p.m. We will play the Guess the Game Element Game, watch the kickoff video and game animation, reveal the playing field for the new game and hold a Q&A session about the game. Teams attending the kickoff will receive a game element and jump start their brainstorming by exploring a complete playing field.
We may offer a workshop on using the "game sensor" during the kickoff. The workshop is contingent upon me receiving certain items in advance of kickoff.
Teams attending kickoff can RSVP by sending an email to michael.coleman@flfirst.org containing their team number and the number of attendees.
The location for kickoff is:
Orange County UF/IFAS Extension Education Center
6021 South Conway Road
Orlando, FL 32812
Doors open at 12:15 p.m. and kickoff begins at 1:00 p.m.
If you are not able to join us in Orlando, the details for the new game will be published on the FIRST web site at 5:00 p.m. EST on September 12th.
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2. Qualification Competitions
We have room on our schedule for two more qualification competitions. Please let me know in the next few weeks if your team is interested in hosting a qualification competition. Teams hosting qualifiers receive an automatic invitation to attend the Florida State Championship.
The schedule for the 4 qualification competitions is found here: www.flfirst.org/Events.shtml
Registration for qualification competitions will open in a few weeks.
3. Build-it/Practice Day
Send an email to michael.coleman@flfirst.org if your team would like to host a Build-it/Practice day. This event is an opportunity for teams to work on their robot, receive help from experts and play the game on an official field. This is an informal event. All we need are space for a playing field and a pit area for each team.
Michael Coleman
FTC Affiliate Partner, Florida
Florida FTC Online:
Web Site: www.flfirst.org
Forum: flftc.forumotion.com
FTC Twitter: twitter.com/FLFirst
Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=168549705513
September 8 , 2009
Hello Teams,
Topics for this email are:
1. ROBOTC Programming Training
2. Qualifying Competition in Tallahassee
3. Season Kickoff
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1. ROBOTC Programming Training
The University of South Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland is offering three ROBOTC training classes:
Beginning ROBOTC - September 26, 2009 / 9:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
The first programming course offered in this sequence will introduce the beginner programmer, with little or no experience, to the programming environment as it relates to FIRST’s ROBOTC programming language syntax and structure. Individuals will learn fundamental reasoning and logic skills needed to develop programs through hands-on exercises and basic program development with such topics as pseudo code, flow charting, and reserved words. Individuals will also learn how to build a basic Lego robot, how to write and debug simple programs, and how to download and run programs.
Intermediate ROBOTC - October 10, 2009 / 9:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
The second programming course in this sequence will permit programmers, with some experience, to improve their programming capabilities by creating more complicated ROBOTC programs and Lego robots that utilize advanced commands and strategies such as motor synchronization, closed loop control, and PID speed control.
Advanced ROBOTC - October 17, 2009 / 9:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
The third programming course in this sequence will have the experienced programmer developing programs to navigate through several challenging playing fields. The individual will master the use of advance commands and techniques such as sensors, loops and conditional statements, threshold values, and value storage. The course will also discuss how robot design and programming interact with each other to produce an effective robot.
Cost is $25 per participant per session. Participants registering for all three classes receive a 10% discount on the 2nd and 3rd classes.
Visit poly.usf.edu/RobotC/ for more details about the classes and to register.
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2. Qualifying Competition in Tallahassee
Our northern most Florida FTC team is interested in hosting a qualifying competition. At this point in the season there is only one team in north Florida and we need to be confident that at least 12 teams will attend the competition. Please reply to this email if your team is interested in attending qualifying competition in Tallahassee.
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3. Season Kickoff
The FTC Florida Kickoff will be held this Saturday, September 12th at 1:00 p.m. We will play the Guess the Game Element Game, watch the kickoff video and game animation, reveal the playing field for the new game and hold a Q&A session about the game. Teams attending the kickoff will receive a game element and jump start their brainstorming by exploring a complete playing field.
Teams attending kickoff can RSVP by sending an email to michael.coleman@flfirst.org containing their team number and the number of attendees.
The location for kickoff is:
Orange County UF/IFAS Extension Education Center
6021 South Conway Road
Orlando, FL 32812
Doors open at 12:15 p.m. and kickoff begins at 1:00 p.m.
If you are not able to join us in Orlando, the details for the new game will be published on the FIRST web site at 5:00 p.m. EST on September 12th.
Michael Coleman
FTC Affiliate Partner for Florida
Florida FTC Online:
Web Site: www.flfirst.org
Forum: flftc.forumotion.com
FTC Twitter: twitter.com/FLFirst
Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=168549705513
October 7, 2009
Hello Teams,
Topics covered in this email are:
1. Tempest N Tampa
2. Looking for volunteers to beta test a new wireless FTC control system
3. Qualifying Competitions
4. Build-it Day
5. Coach and Mentor recognition
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1. Tempest N Tampa
Tempest N Tampa (TNT) is a FIRST Robotics Competition off season event held in the Sun Dome on the campus of the University of South Florida in Tampa. TNT will also showcase FTC, FLL and Vex Robotics Competition events. Activities for FTC teams are as follows:
- Hot Shot! Scrimmage run by Team 2868. This activity is dependent upon the number of robots attending TNT.
- Build-it Time: Technical experts will help teams with their mechanical, electrical and software questions.
- Workshops: Topics include: Using the HiTechnic IR Sensor to play the Hot Shot! game; Community Networking; Judging Tips and ProEngineer.
- The Hot Shot! playing field will be available for team practice.
FTC events will start around 9:00 a.m. and run until mid-afternoon on Saturday, October 24th. The schedule of events will be published a week or more before TNT.
Teams attending TNT need to email the following information to michael.coleman@flfirst.org by Wednesday, October 14th.
- Team Number
- Number Attending
- Will you bring a robot that is ready to participate in a scrimmage?
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2. Looking for 14-teams to beta test a new wireless FTC control system
Florida was selected to beta test a new wireless control system for FTC robots. Beta test teams will use the new system at the qualifying competition held at Hillsborough High School on Saturday, November 14th. Teams attending this competition will have the choice of participating in the beta test or using the standard Bluetooth system that will be used at all other FTC events. Other than using two different wireless communication systems, this competition will be run just like any other qualifying competition. Beta test teams will receive the electronics and training at a workshop offered at Tempest N Tampa. The electronics will be returned to Michael Coleman at the conclusion of the qualifying competition.
Expectations for beta test teams are: 1) Attend the workshop at TNT; 2) Practice with the system during meetings; 3) Use the control system at the qualifying competition on November 14th; 4) Provide feedback to FIRST through Michael Coleman; and 5) return the system to Michael Coleman on November 14th, at the conclusion of the competition. Beta test teams are also encouraged to attend the Build-it Day hosted by Middleton High School in Tampa on November 7th. This will be a terrific opportunity to test the new control system during match play.
Send an email to michael.coleman@flfirst.org by Wednesday, October 14th if your team would like to help FIRST test the new wireless control system.
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3. Qualifying Competitions
Registration for qualifying competitions will open within 7-days. We are using an all-in one, online registration form, so that we can balance the number of competitions each team attends. On the registration form, teams will specify the number of events they would like to attend and rank the competitions in priority order. Teams need to discuss the competitions during their next meeting since registration opens soon and it will be open for approximately one week. At the close of registration, most of the competition slots will be assigned. A few slots at the competitions in January and February will be reserved for rookie teams that may register later in the season. The qualifying competitions are as follows:
November 14, 2009 at Hillsborough High School in Tampa. 14-team capacity.
December 12, 2009 at Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange. 14-team capacity.
January 9, 2010 in St. Petersburg. 14-team capacity.
January 23, 2010 in Palm Bay. 14- team capacity.
January 30, 2010 at USF Polytechnic in Lakeland. 20-team capacity (two playing fields).
February 6, 2010 at Middleton High School in Tampa. 14-team capacity.
Registration fees will be within the range of $25 to $100 per competition and are determined by the Host Team.
The six qualifying competitions offer a total of 90 opportunities for teams to compete. We are slightly ahead of last season's registration pace. As of October 7, 2009, there are 35 registered teams in Florida.
Teams need to register with FIRST prior to registering for a qualifying competition. If you are not able to register your team with FIRST at this time, let me know why you can't register and I can make an accommodation.
Five teams from each qualifier will receive invitations to attend the FTC Florida Championship. These teams are the Host Team, Inspire Award Winner, 2-members of the Winning Alliance and a randomly selected team from the following group: 2-members of the Finalist Alliance and all Judged award winners.
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4. Build-it Day
The Middleton High School teams are sponsoring a Build-it Day on Saturday November 7th. This is an opportunity for teams to get together and help each other, receive help from technical volunteers and practice on an official playing field. If there is interest, we will run an informal scrimmage at the end of the day. The location is: 4801 N. 22nd Street, Tampa, FL. Event details will be provided in an email at the end of October.
Teams attending the Build-it Day need to email the following information to michael.coleman@flfirst.org.
- Team Number
- Number Attending
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5. Coach and Mentor recognition
We are compiling a list of coaches and mentors to send to FIRST so that they can send us recognition certificates and coach/mentor pins. These will be distributed to teams at our qualifying competitions. Please use the attached Excel file to send the list of coaches and mentors for your team in the proper format to michael.coleman@flfirst.org. We need this information as soon as possible so that we can distribute the certificates and pins at the qualifying competitions.
Thanks,
Michael Coleman
FTC Affiliate Partner for Florida
Florida FTC Online:
Web Site: www.flfirst.org
Forum: flftc.forumotion.com
FTC Twitter: twitter.com/FLFirst
Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=168549705513
October 15, 2009
Hello Teams,
Topics covered in this email are:
1. New FTC wireless control system beta test
2. Qualifying tournament registration is open
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1. New FTC wireless control system beta test
I spent 1.5 days at FIRST HQ this week testing a new wireless control system for FTC robots. I am extremely impressed with the new system and I am looking forward to using it at our qualifying tournament on November 14th. Teams attending this qualifier may use either the standard Bluetooth Field Control System (FCS) or the new FCS. Teams can volunteer to be beta testers by responding to the question on the qualifier tournament registration form: "Would you like to beta test the new FCS?" Six teams have pre-registered for the beta test program.
We will offer workshops at Tempest N Tampa on October 24th and during the Build-it Day on November 7th for teams to gain experience with the new system. See the FTC Florida News email dated October 7th for more information.
Teams volunteering for the beta test program will receive registration priority for the tournament on November 14th.
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2. Qualifying tournament registration is open
We are offering six (6) qualifying tournaments this season with a combined total of ninety (90) team tournament slots! Thirty (30) teams participating in qualifying tournaments will receive invitations to attend the State Championship. We opened a 7-day registration window this afternoon. Teams completing the online registration form by Noon on Thursday, October 22nd will be used to fill the following team slots:
November 14, 2009 at Hillsborough High School in Tampa: 14 of 14 team slots
December 12, 2009 at Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange: 14 of 14 team slots
January 9, 2010 in St. Petersburg: 14 of 14 team slots
January 23, 2010 in Palm Bay: 8 of 14 team slots
January 30, 2010 at USF Polytechnic in Lakeland: 12 of 20 team slots
February 6, 2010 at Middleton High School in Tampa: 8 of 14 team slots
We are holding back twenty (20) team slots from the last three tournaments to accommodate late registering rookie teams and for teams that didn't qualify at their first event(s). Rookie teams registering with FIRST after October 22nd will receive registration priority for the remaining team slots. We expect the final twenty (20) teams slots to be assigned by the end of December.
The online qualifying tournament registration form is found here: http://flfirst.org/tinc?key=9OfKRsDc&formname=2009QualifierRegistration
Registration fees will be paid directly to the qualifying tournament's host team or organization. Registration fees will range from $25 to $100 per event. The registration fees are as follows:
November 14, 2009 at Hillsborough High School in Tampa: $75
December 12, 2009 at Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange: TBD
January 9, 2010 in St. Petersburg: TBD
January 23, 2010 in Palm Bay: $35
January 30, 2010 at USF Polytechnic in Lakeland: $75
February 6, 2010 at Middleton High School in Tampa: TBD
Tips for using the online registration form:
- Up to 5 teams may register using the same form if they all have the same main contact and their tournament preferences are identical.
- Specify the total number of qualifying competitions your team(s) would like to attend.
- Rank all 6 competitions in order of preference. A preference of "1" is your highest priority selection. A preference of "6" is your lowest priority selection.
- Rookie teams that haven't received their final 4-digit team number may use their temporary team number.
- A home email address is preferred. Many corporate and school email servers reject group email messages.
Thanks,
Michael Coleman
FTC Affiliate Partner for Florida
Florida FTC Online:
Web Site: www.flfirst.org
Forum: flftc.forumotion.com
FTC Twitter: twitter.com/FLFirst
Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=168549705513
October 27, 2009
Hello Teams,
Topics covered in this email are:
1. Minotaur Madness Build-it Day - November 7, 2009
2. Qualifying Tournament on January 23, 2010
3. RoboMania State Qualifying Tournament - November 14, 2009
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1. Minotaur Madness Build-it Day - November 7, 2009
Middleton High School's Robotics team in Tampa is hosting Minotaur Madness, an FTC Build-it Day. The focus of the day is for teams to turbo-charge the building of their robots. Technical volunteers will be on-hand to assist teams with building and programming. The Hot Shot! playing field will be setup for practice and a match or two if teams are interested. This is a great opportunity to prep your team and robot for their first competition. Please send an email to Michael Coleman (michael.coleman@flfirst.org) by Friday October 30th with your team number and number of people attending. A flyer for this event is attached.
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2. Qualifying Tournament on January 23, 2010
The Qualifying Tournament scheduled for January 23, 2010 has been cancelled. I am searching for a replacement tournament host in the Melbourne area. Please let me know if your team is interested in hosting a qualifying tournament on either January 16th or January 23rd. In exchange for hosting the tournament, the host team receives an automatic invitation to attend the state championship. Our priority is to hold a competition in the Melbourne area because we have a financial sponsor if the event is held here. If we are not able to hold an event in Melbourne, I would like to hold an event in another city so that teams have more opportunities to compete.
In general, the tournament host provides the facility, volunteers, volunteer food, Hot Shot! practice field and trophies. I provide the playing field, scoring system, referee shirts, volunteer training materials and I volunteer at the event. The tournament host receives an automatic invitation to attend the state championship, receives the team registration fee (between $25 & $100 per team) and they may use the event as a fundraiser by selling breakfast, lunch, snacks, drinks, etc.
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3. RoboMania State Qualifying Tournament - November 14, 2009
We have two open competition slots for the RoboMania state qualifying tournament held in Tampa on November 14, 2009. Please send an email to michael.coleman@flfirst.org if you are interested in attending this competition. I highly recommend signing up for this competition since we may have fewer competition slots this season than originally planned due to the cancellation of the competition on January 23rd.
Thanks,
Michael Coleman
FTC Affiliate Partner for Florida
Florida FTC Online:
Web Site: www.flfirst.org
Forum: flftc.forumotion.com
FTC Twitter: twitter.com/FLFirst
Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=168549705513
November 5 , 2009
Hello Teams,
Topics covered in this email are:
1. Minotaur Madness Build-it/Practice Day
2. Field Control System Software
3. FIRST Consent and Release Form
4. Coach and Mentor Recognition
5. Qualification Tournament Assignments
6. Tournament Tips
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1. Minotaur Madness Build-it/Practice Day - Saturday, November 7, 2009
Minotaur Madness Build-it/Practice Day is quickly approaching. FTC teams are invited to bring their robots to this free event at Middleton High School in Tampa for a day of taking robots to the next level. Technical volunteers will be on-hand to help teams with software, electrical and hardware problems or to provide design inspiration. I attended a scrimmage at FIRST HQ this past weekend. Teams arrived with a robots in a variety of states including: a box of parts all the way up to an almost functioning robot. We spent much of the day helping teams with their robots and conducting robot inspections. At the end of the day we played practice matches until the lights were turned off. Every team left the scrimmage with much improved robots and a sense of direction. I expect teams attending Minotaur Madness will have the same experience.
A flyer for Minotaur Madness is attached.
It isn't too late to RSVP for this event. Send an email to michael.coleman@flfirst.org if you would like to join on Saturday, November 7th.
The schedule and location are:
8:00 - 9:00 a.m. - Teams arrive
4:00 p.m. - Event ends
Volunteers will be available to help teams, conduct mock-robot inspections and the Hot Shot! playing field will be available for practice.
Middleton High School
4801 N 22nd St
Tampa, FL 33610-6207
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2. Field Control System Software
Teams need to download and practice using the 2009 Field Control System (FCS) software. Robots participating in matches at all competitions will be controlled by their own team's computer running the FCS software. The FCS should be used for practice at home to prepare for competitions. Download the FCS here: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/content.aspx?id=14925
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3. FIRST Consent and Release Form
Students, coaches and mentors attending FTC tournaments are required to complete and turn-in the attached Consent and Release Form during team check-in.
Also remember to bring safety glasses for all the members of your team including: coaches, mentors and guests that would like to visit the pit area. Everyone around the playing fields or in the pit area are required to wear closed toed shoes.
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4. Coach and Mentor Recognition
If you haven't sent me your list of coaches and mentors there is still time. The list will be used to print FIRST recognition certificates and order 2009 Coach/Mentor pins. Please use the attached Excel file to send the list of coaches and mentors for your team to michael.coleman@flfirst.org.
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5. Qualification Tournament Assignments
Qualification tournament assignments will be emailed to teams in a few days. We delayed assigning teams to all but the first tournament due to the cancellation of the competition on January 23rd. I am very happy to report that we have found a new tournament host and we will hold a qualifying tournament in Melbourne on January 23rd!
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6. Tournament Tips
- Robot Self Inspection - Conduct a robot self inspection using the robot inspection form located in section 9 of the Hot Shot! Game Manual prior to each tournament.
- Scouting - Teams should devote a significant amount of time watching qualification matches at tournaments. Knowing the strategies, strengths and weaknesses of robots is valuable information that will help teams develop strategies tailored to their alliance partner and opponents.
Michael Coleman
FTC Affiliate Partner for Florida
Florida FTC Online:
Web Site: www.flfirst.org
Forum: flftc.forumotion.com
FTC Twitter: twitter.com/FLFirst
Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=168549705513
January 6, 2010
Hello Teams,
Topics covered in this email are:
1. FTC Demonstration during National Engineers Week At Lockheed Martin in Orlando - February 17, 2010
2. FTC Florida Coach of the Year Award
3. Tournament Results
4. FTC Florida Forum
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1. FTC Demonstration during National Engineers Week At Lockheed Martin in Orlando - February 17, 2010
Lockheed Martin in Orlando is celebrating National Engineers Week on Wednesday, February 17, 2010. We are setting up an FTC Hot Shot! playing field and we would like to have up to 6 FTC teams participating in a demonstration. Participating teams will receive the following benefits:
- Free lunch
- A little souvenir to take home
- A ~30 minute tour of the Lockheed Martin STS machine shop
- A ~30 minute tour of the Lockhed Martin STS manufacturing area (currently building vehicle simulators)
- An opportunity to play the Hot Shot! game
- A terrific opportunity for Community Outreach that counts towards several Judged Awards at FTC tournaments
Lockheed Martin can accommodate up to 6 FTC teams consisting of no more than 5 members (students and mentors combined). Each team is required to be accompanied by at least one adult.
Please send an email to Michael Coleman (michael.coleman@flfirst.org) if your team is interested in participating in this fantastic opportunity.
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2. FTC Florida Coach of the Year Award
We are introducing a Coach of the Year award at this year's FTC Florida State Championship. ALL coaches of FTC teams in Florida are eligible for nomination for this award. It is NOT just for teams participating in the State Championship. Each team may submit one (1) essay nominating one (1) coach. The essay should be two pages or less, 12 pt font, and 1" margins (sides, top and bottom).
The deadline for submitting nomination essays is February 19, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Email the nomination essays to: Pete Grotsky at grotskyp2@asme.org.
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3. Tournament Results
Award results for Florida FTC Qualifying tournaments are found here: www.flfirst.org/2009CompetitionResults.shtml
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4. FTC Florida Forum
We recommend visiting the FTC Florida Forum for resources, information, helpful tips and networking. flftc.forumotion.com
Michael Coleman
FTC Affiliate Partner for Florida
Florida FTC Online:
Web Site: www.flfirst.org
Forum: flftc.forumotion.com
FTC Twitter: twitter.com/FLFirst
Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=168549705513
January 25, 2010
Hello Teams,
Topics covered in this email are:
1. FTC Florida Coach of the Year Award
2. Tampa Bay Renaissance Festival
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1. FTC Florida Coach of the Year Award
We are introducing a Coach of the Year award at this year's FTC Florida State Championship. ALL coaches of FTC teams in Florida are eligible for nomination for this award. It is NOT just for teams participating in the State Championship. Each team may nominate one coach from their team by submitting one (1) essay nominating one (1) coach. The essay should be two pages or less, 12 pt font, and 1" margins (sides, top and bottom).
The deadline for submitting nomination essays is February 19, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Email the nomination essays to: Pete Grotsky at grotskyp2@asme.org.
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2. Tampa Bay Renaissance Festival
The Tampa Bay Renaissance Festival invited FTC teams to participate as guest inventors during their Italian Carnivale weekend. This year's theme is DaVinci Inventions. The festival is February 20th & 21st. See the attached document for additional information. Please direct questions to Tim Liss at TimLissMRF@Yahoo.com.
Team Duct Tape had a very good time at the festival last year and they offered the following advice. . . . [Teams] might *not* want to bring their robot to the fair. We didn't mind last year, because it was after the championship. We covered all critical parts in Press n Seal plastic, but everything got filthy anyway. It's really, really dusty there. Not a problem off season, but certainly something you don't want before a major competition!
Michael Coleman
FTC Affiliate Partner for Florida
Florida FTC Online:
Web Site: www.flfirst.org
Forum: flftc.forumotion.com
FTC Twitter: twitter.com/FLFirst
Facebook: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=168549705513
