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MySites & Surrogate Kit Pick-Up Information May. 10 2024| 0 KB

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MySites

If a team is not attending a local Kickoff, they have the option to be a “MySite” team and have their Kickoff Kit shipped, after Kickoff, to an address of their choice. The shipping fee is a flat ground or air rate (depending on the team’s location). The MySite fee for the 2025 season will be coming soon. 

* Please note that international teams are responsible for any customs fees and taxes.

 

Surrogate Kit Pick-Up

If a team is unable to pick up its Kickoff Kit at the local kickoff selected, an alternate team may be designated to do so. The team unable to attend must be registered to pick up their Kickoff Kit at the local kickoff AND provide FIRST with an authorized surrogate kit pick-up letter, submitted/signed by the lead coach/mentor 1 or 2 or team administrator: 1) Your team number 2) the Kickoff location 3) the name and team number (if applicable) of the surrogate picking up the Kickoff Kit. All surrogate kit pickup letters must be received at FIRST by December 31, 2024.

For More Information
Please contact FIRST Team Support at 800-871-8326, extension "0" for general questions, or e-mail customerservice@firstinspires.org.

Safety

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. FIRST Robotics Competition has adopted safety as a core value and has established the framework for safety leadership in all aspects of the program.

FIRST believes that the teams who take the lead in developing safety programs and policies have a positive and lasting impact on each team member, mentor, their communities, and their present and future work places. FIRST recognizes the teams that demonstrate safety throughout their programs and are truly committed to developing and nurturing a safety culture.

Safety Manual 

To help teams understand and implement safe practices, the FIRST Safety Manual provides information on the FIRST Safety Awareness and Recognition Program. 

UL Solutions & FIRST Robotics Competition Safety Learning Portal

The online safety training is available for all FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge teams through the Safety Learning Portal. This training is designed to complement a team’s current safety program by providing more in-depth training on the following topics:

  • Safety Manual Training
  • Fire Extinguisher and Safety Awareness
  • Hand and Power Tool Safety Awareness
  • Hazard Communication – Safety Data Sheets
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Awareness
  • Recognizing Electrical Hazards Awareness
  • Lockout/Tagout Awareness
  • Hearing Conservation Awareness

The portal is a valuable resource to all team members and mentors. Training modules can be viewed individually or can be assigned to team members to watch independently or Mentors can show the training in a group setting. Every team member who completes a training module will earn an awesome virtual badge. 

To register, go to the Safety Learning Portal. Once you are on the Safety Portal home page, locate the “Need to Register?” text. If you are mentor click the “Mentor Registration” and fill out the required information. If you are a student and/or safety captain click the “Student Registration” and fill out the required information. Once you submit your information, you will need to login to the Safety Portal. The UL Solutions & FIRST Robotics Competition Safety Learning Portal is owned and managed UL. In order to register for this platform, users must provide UL with their personal data and this data will be used in accordance with UL Solutions’s Privacy Policy. You should read this policy carefully before registering for this platform.


*  Please note that the Safety Learning Portal functions best in Internet Explorer or Google Chrome. Using another web browser may cause issues with the functionality.

Safety Animation Award sponsored by UL Solutions

The theme for the 2025 Safety Animation Award is coming soon!

 

Animations must:

  • Be no more than 40 seconds long, including opening and credits
  • Be submitted electronically as .AVI, .MPEG, .MP4, or .WMV file
  • Be animated. Any kind of animation, including stop-motion, is allowed. Live video is allowed provided it is accompanied by virtual/augmented animated elements. Live video of people is not allowed.  
  • If using copyrighted music, you must have written permission. If using Creative Commons Music (CCM) online, the music must be used in accordance with the appropriate license and properly attributed.
  • Lyrics in music may not contain explicit or suggestive language.
  • Any animation that does not meet these criteria will not be considered for the award.

We ask that students please include their first name and last initial only in the video. Please do not include the full first and last name. 

Please note that the team with the winning submission may be asked to reformat their video into a higher quality format in order to be shown at FIRST Robotics Competition Events.

 

Submission:

Students, the lead mentor 1, or the lead mentor 2 must submit their team’s Safety Animation video through the FIRST Youth Team Member Registration System. The student submitting must have a signed FIRST Consent and Release form and be marked as an award submitter. Animations must be submitted between Thursday, October 17, 2024 at 12:00 PM, Noon (ET) and Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 3:00 PM (ET).   

By making a submission the Submitter irrevocably grants to FIRST and designees of FIRST the right to use any or all of the submission in any and all media for the purpose of describing the submission, describing the Award, and/or otherwise promoting FIRST and the programs of FIRST.

 

Congratulations to the 2024 Safety Animation Award Winner, Team 8! 

The theme for the 2024 Safety Animation Award sponsored by UL Solutions was Safety – Full STEAM Ahead!

Engineering is synonymous with creativity. When communicating the need for safe behavior and practices, the most effective messaging is often the most creative. If we truly want to encourage safe behaviors, making messages creative and connecting them to our emotions makes the messages more memorable. Creativity and inspiration can come from anywhere.

For the 2024 Safety Animation, we challenge teams to encourage safe practices by tapping into their creativity and influencing emotions and actions. The winning animations will allow the most creative members of your teams to share their talents. Stun us with your stimulating visuals, build a crescendo with your original soundtracks, and influence us to be safe with your poetic words. Engage the senses and make safety memorable!

 

Please Note: If you are looking for the Digital Animation Award, please visit this page for submission information. 

 

 

Past Winners of the Safety Animation 

Year/Theme Team Video Placement
2024-Safety – Full STEAM Ahead! Team 8, Paly Robotics from California, USA 8 Winner
2024-Safety – Full STEAM Ahead! Team 1086, Blue Cheese from Virginia, USA 1086 Finalist
2024-Safety – Full STEAM Ahead! Team 1986, Team Titanium from Missouri, USA 1986 Finalist
2023-Energy Challenges Team 836, The RoboBees from Maryland, USA  836 Winner
2023-Energy Challenges Team 4048, Redshift from Massachusetts, USA  4048 Finalist
2023-Energy Challenges Team 7272, Envirobots from New York, USA  7272 Finalist
2022-Faster, Farther, SAFER! Team 1939, The Kugnigits, from Kansas City, Missouri, USA  1939 Winner
2022-Faster, Farther, SAFER! Team 836, The RoboBees, from Hollywood, Maryland, USA 836 Finalist
2022-Faster, Farther, SAFER! Team 1138, Eagle Eingineering, from West Hills, California, USA 1138 Finalist
2021-Safety is Caring Team 6348, PrepaTec - HORUS, from Colima, Colima, Mexico 6348 Winner
2021-Safety is Caring Team 1711, RAPTORS, from Traverse City, Michigan, USA 1711 Runner-Up
2021-Safety is Caring Team 4909, Bionics, from Billerica, Massachusetts, USA 4909 Runner-Up
2020-Sustainability on the RISE Team 3100, Lightning Turtles, from Mendota Heights, Minnesota, USA 3100 Winner
2020-Sustainability on the RISE Team 2228, CougarTech, from Honeoye Falls, New York, USA 2228 Runner-Up
2020-Sustainability on the RISE Team 4048, Redshift, from Westborough, Massachusetts, USA 4048 Runner-Up
2019-Destination . . . Safety!  Team 5348, Charger Robotics, from Cokato, Minnesota, USA 5348 Winner
2019-Destination . . . Safety!  Team 846, The Funky Monkeys, from San Jose, California, USA 846 Runner-Up
2019-Destination . . . Safety!  Team 3100, Lightning Turtles, from Mendota Heights, Minnesota, USA 3100 Runner-Up
2019-Destination . . . Safety!  Team 3941, Absolute Zero Electricity, from Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, USA 3941 Runner-Up
2019-Destination . . . Safety!  Team 4083, The Iron Wolverines, from Dorchester, South Carolina, USA 4083 Runner-Up
2018-Simulating the Next Level Team 2877, The LigerBots, from Newton, Massachusetts, USA 2877 Winner
2018-Simulating the Next Level Team 8, Paly Robotics, from Palo Alto, California, USA 8 Runner-Up
2018-Simulating the Next Level Team 1153, Walpole Robotics, from Walpole, Massachusetts, USA 1153 Runner-Up
2018-Simulating the Next Level Team 3181, Pittsford Panthers, from Pittsford, New York, USA 3181 Runner-Up
2018-Simulating the Next Level Team 6024, Team R Factor, from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India 6024 Runner-Up
2017-Quest for a Safer World Team 3691, The RoboRaiders, from Northfield, Minnesota, USA 3691 Winner
2017-Quest for a Safer World Team 810, The Mechanical Bulls, from Smithtown, New York, USA 810 Runner-Up
2017-Quest for a Safer World Team 2129, Ultraviolet, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA 2129 Runner-Up
2017-Quest for a Safer World Team 1502, Technical Difficulties, Chelsea, Michigan, USA 1502 Runner-Up
2017-Quest for a Safer World Team 3637, The Daleks, Flemington, New Jersey, USA 3637 Runner-Up
2017-Quest for a Safer World Team 3654, TechTigers, Middletown, Connecticut, USA 3654 Runner-Up
2016-Working Safely with your Robot Team 846, The Funky Monkeys, San Jose, CA, USA 846 Winner
2016-Working Safely with your Robot Team 1124, UberBots, Avon, CT, USA 1124 Runner-Up
2016-Working Safely with your Robot Team 2473, Goldstrikers, Cupertino, CA, USA 2473 Runner-Up
2016-Working Safely with your Robot Team 4048, Redshift, Westborough, MA, USA 4048 Runner-Up
2015-Safety Superheroes Team 133, BERT, Standish, ME, USA 133 Winner
2015-Safety Superheroes Team 2473, Goldstrikers, Cupertino, CA, USA 2473 Runner-Up
2015-Safety Superheroes Team 2574, RoboHuskie, St. Anthony, MN, USA 2574 Runner-Up
2014-Safe Driving Team 3324, The Metrobots, Columbus, OH, USA 3324 Winner
2014-Safe Driving Team 624, CRyptonite, Katy, TX, USA 624 Runner-Up
2014-Safe Driving Team 3966, L&N STEMpunks, Knoxville, TN, USA 3966 Runner-Up
2013-Making Event Safety a Top Priority Team 245, AdamBots, Rochester Hills, MI, USA 245 Winner
2013-Making Event Safety a Top Priority Team 2607, Robovikings, Warminster, PA, USA 2607 Runner-Up
2012-Sharing Safety is Caring Team 3705, Arrowbots, Brampton, ON, CA 3705 Winner
2012-Sharing Safety is Caring Team 3132, Thunder Down Under, Sydney, NSW, AUS 3132 Runner-Up
2012-Sharing Safety is Caring Team 2438, Lobotics, Honolulu, HI, USA 2438 Runner-Up
2012-Sharing Safety is Caring Team 1714, MORE Robotics, Milwaikee, WI, USA 1714 Runner-Up
2012-Sharing Safety is Caring Team 1094, Channel Cats, O Fallon, MO, USA 1094 Runner-Up
2012-Sharing Safety is Caring Team 114, Eagle Strike, Los Altos, CA, USA 114 Runner-Up
2011-A Lifetime of Safety Team 846, The Funky Monkeys, San Jose, CA, USA 846 Winner
2011-A Lifetime of Safety Team 226, Hammerheads, Troy, MI, USA   Runner-Up
2011-A Lifetime of Safety Team 342, Burning Magnetos, North Charleston, SC, USA    Runner-Up
2011-A Lifetime of Safety Team 359, Hawaiian Kids, Waialua, HI, USA   Runner-Up
2011-A Lifetime of Safety Team 562, SPARK-Students Pursuing Applied Robotics Knowledge, Fitchburg, MA, USA   Runner-Up
2011-A Lifetime of Safety Team 1899, Saints Robotics, Bellevue, WA, USA   Runner-Up
2010-Safety Rules Team 342, Burning Magnetos, North Charleston, SC, USA 342 Winner
2009-Safety....Share It Team 342, Burning Magnetos, North Charleston, SC, USA 342 Winner
2009-Safety....Share It Team 303, The T.E.S.T. Team, Bridgewater, NJ, USA   Runner-Up
2009-Safety....Share It Team 1280, Ragin' C-Biscuits, Danville, CA, USA   Runner-Up
2009-Safety....Share It Team 1716, Redbird Robotics, De Pere, WI, USA   Runner-Up
2009-Safety....Share It Team 1746, OTTO, Cumming, GA, USA   Runner-Up
2009-Safety....Share It Team 2783, Engineers of Tomorrow, La Grange, KY, USA   Runner-Up

 

History


For over 30 years, FIRST has evolved into a global movement by engaging millions of people with a proven game-changer for preparing kids to solve the world’s greatest problems.

Past games, challenges, and winning teams

FIRST® Robotics Competition

Game History
"Hall of Fame" Chairman's Award Winners

FIRST® Tech Challenge

Game History
Inspire Award Winners

FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge

Challenge History

FIRST® LEGO® League Explore

Challenge History 

 

Notable moments in FIRST history in Dean's words

1951

 “Life is so short. We shouldn’t waste any of it trying to do anything marginal.”
Dean Kamen is born.

1956

 “Solving problems is what good inventing is all about.”
Dean creates his first invention - a bed-making machine.

1989

 “Let’s make something new.”
FIRST is incorporated.

1992

 “I want to compete for the hearts and minds of kids with the excitement of the Super Bowl.”
28 FIRST Robotics Competition teams meet in a high-school gym for the inaugural FIRST event.

1995 - 2002

 “Keep trying, keep taking the best shots, learn from them, pick yourself up.”
EPCOT hosts FIRST Championship

1996

 “I think an education Is not only important, it is the most important thing you can do with your life.”
Inaugural FIRST Scholarship made available by Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

1998

 “Once a kid realizes they have the power to create a solution to a problem, it’s transformative. They’ll never go back.”
FIRST and LEGO® join forces to launch junior robotics program with 200 teams in the pilot.

2004

 “Everybody has to be able to participate in a future they want to live for. That’s what technology can do.”
FIRST LEGO League Jr. launches for children ages 6 to 10.

2004 - 2010

 “We are the only sport that every kid in school can participate in and then turn pro.”
Georgia Dome hosts FIRST Championship

2005

 “If you start to do things you’ve never done before, you’re probably going to fail at least some of the time. And I say that’s OK.”
FIRST Tech Challenge is introduced as pilot to provide a more accessible FIRST experience. 

2007

 “No, the Secret Service has no sense of humor.”
U.S. President George W. Bush honors FIRST teams at the White House.

2011

 “I don’t work on a project unless I believe that it will dramatically improve life for a bunch of people.”
FIRST Championship moves to St. Louis.
Inaugural FIRST LEGO League Global Innovation Award Ceremony, presented by XPRIZE, held at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

2012

 “Make it loud.”
Global Music Artist, Entrepreneur, and Philanthropist will.i.am honors FIRST as part of the Super Bowl halftime show.
The technology he wore on field was created by a FIRST Alum.

2013

 “I do not want to waste any time. And if you are not working on important things, you are wasting time.”
FIRST Robotics Competition teams kick off the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®.

2017

 “Most of the time you will fail but you will also occasionally succeed. These occasional successes make all the hard work and sacrifice worthwhile.”
A dual FIRST Championship structure is scheduled.

Advice for students about ‘true education’

Dec 01, 2015 by Dr. Woodie Flowers, Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, MIT


In your lifetime, many things will change dramatically. If you accept what most schools offer as preparation for the future, you may be disappointed. Often, we adults are too confused and disorganized to give you a good future-oriented education. Instead, we many times offer years of training and testing. You must save yourself.

 

Kickoff - JANUARY 4, 2025

 

My countdown

 

Watch the FIRST® Robotics Competition 2025 season kickoff celebration January 4, 12:00 p.m. ET on FIRSTtv.

Featuring the debut of REEFSCAPESM presented by Haas, with appearances from FIRST® faves, including FIRST CEO Chris Moore, FIRST Founder Dean Kamen, and many more!

Selecting a Kickoff Event:

Lead mentor 1 or 2 may enter or edit their Kickoff information during the kickoff selection dates (September 26, 2024 Noon ET - November 12, 2024 Noon ET) by following these steps (or view our step-by-step Kickoff Instructions with screenshots):

  1. Log in to your FIRST® account at www.firstinspires.org
  2. Click the blue “Event Options” button located under the “Team Events” column
  3. Select the “Kit & Kickoff” link
  4. Enter your Kit and Kickoff information
  5. Click the blue “Submit” button

Teams can also find a Kickoff event near them by checking out the Event Search Page. Only teams that have selected a kickoff location to pick up the kit and have secured their registration fee by the payment deadline will receive their Kickoff Kit at the kickoff. Teams that have not secured their registration fee by the payment deadline will by considered a MySite. 

If a team is unable to pick-up their Kickoff Kit at the local kickoff selected, a surrogate may be designated to do so. Additionally, teams may opt to instead be a "MySite" team for an additional charge. Please see the information below for additional details. 

 

Who is allowed to pick up a kickoff kit: 

  • Lead 1 or 2 mentor for the team with photo ID 
  • Any mentor on the team over 18 (a team roster must be provided as proof) with photo ID 
  • The person over 18 that is listed on the Surrogate Kit Pick-up Letter with photo ID 

 

MySites

If a team is not attending a local Kickoff, they have the option to be a “MySite” team and have their Kickoff Kit shipped, after Kickoff, to an address of their choice. The shipping fee is a flat ground or air rate (depending on the team’s location). The MySite fee for the 2025 season will be coming soon. 

* Please note that international teams are responsible for any customs fees and taxes.

 

Surrogate Kit Pick-Up

If a team is unable to pick up its Kickoff Kit at the local kickoff selected, an alternate team may be designated to do so. The team unable to attend must be registered to pick up their Kickoff Kit at the local kickoff AND provide FIRST with an authorized surrogate kit pick-up letter, submitted/signed by the lead coach/mentor 1 or 2 or team administrator: 1) Your team number 2) the Kickoff location 3) the name and team number (if applicable) of the surrogate picking up the Kickoff Kit. All surrogate kit pickup letters must be received at FIRST by December 31, 2024.

For More Information
Please contact FIRST Team Support at 800-871-8326, extension "0" for general questions, or e-mail customerservice@firstinspires.org.

Learn more about FIRST Robotics Competition

Feeling vulnerable?

Nov 20, 2015 by Mark Greenlaw

 

Although many of you saw the redesigned FIRST website for the first time earlier this week, on September 9, we launched a beta version to a group of about 300 members of the FIRST Community. It was the first public unveiling of a project that a group of us had worked on for the last nine months. I happened to be at a conference in Boston that morning, and while I found myself uncharacteristically agitated thinking about the launch of the new site, I could not put my finger on why.

Inspire

Nov 18, 2015

“When I gave this thing the name FIRST, I said 'It's all about inspiration. If we don’t change what they’re inspired by, the world will.’ When I thought about that, it never occurred to me that one of the people who would end up being inspired is me. By all of you … And I hope that you all inspire each other.”

FIRST Founder, Dean Kamen

Contact Form for <em>FIRST</em> Robotics Competition Field Management or Robot Control System Security Topics


Contact Form for FIRST Robotics Competition Field Management or Robot Control System Security Topics

FIRST continues to work towards providing a robust and secure wireless environment for our robot competitions and we recognize that there are many people in our community who wish to help in this effort. Please use the form below to submit any security vulnerabilities or offer suggestions for security improvements to the Field Management System or Robot Control System.

All submissions are submitted directly to, and reviewed by, the FRC Engineering team. Based on the detail and nature of the submission, a member of the FRC Engineering team may contact you for more information. Not all submissions will receive a response.

Non-security related issues submitted through this portal will not receive a response. Please use the existing FRC Technical area on the Supplier Q&A for general questions about the Robot Control System or Field Management System.

*This field is required.