Welcome to (or back to) FIRST Tech Challenge!

Welcome to our FIRST Tech Challenge Family! 


FIRST® registration is now open! It's the perfect time to register your team, ahead of summer break! Check out our streamlined registration process—a simplified dashboard with reminders. Two Youth Protection Plan (YPP) screened Coaches are still required to manage the team roster and begin meeting with youth; however, now Coaches and administrators can create teams, pay, and order products while Coaches are completing the screening process. 

Our 2017-2018 season is going to be our most exciting season yet! If you have stumbled upon this blog post and have yet to sign up for a team, check out our Start a Team Checklist & Resources that will take you through the process of starting a FIRST Tech Challenge Team. If you still find that you need assistance in starting out, feel free to contact us here at FIRST by shooting an email to ftcteams@firstinspires.org. We also have a handy "Chat" function on this website that allows you to ask questions to our amazing Operations Team. 

Once on board, you will find that this Useful Links document is your one-stop shop for everything you potentially will need to be successful for your season with FIRST Tech Challenge. Our goal is to not only provide these resources in one convenient location, but also make it easy to find everything you need.

Your Local Affiliate Partner is also one of your greatest resources. These are your event organizers, your local FIRST contacts, and greatest advocates for your needs throughout the season and beyond. Check in with your Affiliate Partner and when applicable, check out their websites to find out what is happening in your area. Although we post all events on our FIRST Event Search Portal, registration for events are handled locally.  

It's super important to look at the main topics of each Team Blast, they're sent out weekly and have critical information pertaining to deadlines, program information, and important season information. We have found that Teams who ignore Teams Blasts are at times at a disadvantage when important news is being sent out to the field. We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to check our Team Blasts. You can sign up for team blasts in our registration system or by emailing ftcteams@firstinspires.org. You can also check back in and read all of our FIRST Tech Challenge Team Blasts on our Team Blast archive page. 


Each FIRST Tech Challenge Team is unique. From the composition of the type of students who have joined, to the challenges they face when moving throughout the season. These resources are the main topics that you will find necessary. However, we do recognize that this may not cover every circumstance. For that, we strongly encourage Teams to start exploring the FIRST Tech Challenge Forums. Most notably our:

  • Game Q&A Forum - post questions and read clarifications on game rules. Our Game Design committee monitors this forum and your answers will come directly from them.
  • Technology Forum - extremely helpful when building your robot. Post your tech-oriented questions here.
For the most up to date news on FIRST Tech Challenge, make sure to connect with us through our Social Media pages. We are not only posting on what is happening in the community, but also any important announcements. However, our number one way of communicating any important updates or changes will be conveyed through our Team Blasts. We send out these weekly communique to your Main and Alternate Coach/Mentor. If you are not either of these two roles, but want to stay current with FIRST news, sign up in Team Registration on the www.firstinspires.org site or email ftcteams@firstinspires.org. 


Start exploring our FIRST Tech Challenge website and social media channels and do not hesitate to reach out to us here at FIRST with any questions. We've got something a little different and exciting heading your way this week! Keep your eyes peeled on our social media channels. And you'll want to make sure you mark your calendars for the FIRST Tech Challenge Official Season Kickoff on Saturday, September, 9th! 





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