Oklahoma FTC weekly update - 9/8/2025

[Mary Jo Othon]

Hello FTC teams!

DECODE is here!  Good luck teams!  Let the building begin!

✔️ TEAM REGISTRATION:

• Please understand that our slots to championships and premier events are based on registered teams.  When that number is low, so are our allocations. Please register your team!  You will not be allowed to compete in league meets unless paid in full on your  FIRST® Dashboard
• Coaches, sign into your FIRST Dashboard and make sure that:
• All contact information is current.  We cannot contact you unless we have current information.
• Your team has two screened Lead Coach/Mentors
• FIRST policies and acknowledgement forms are updated and signed

📅  UPCOMING OKLAHOMA EVENTS:

• 9/27/2025 - “Robot in 3 weeks” at DiscoveryFest - OKC Science Museum
• 10/27/2025 - 1/24/2025 - League meets (league schedules coming soon)
• 12/15/2025 - Dean’s List Nominations due
• 1/31/2026 - Mustang League Tournament 
• 2/7/2026 - Kingfisher League Tournament
• TBD - Bishop Kelley League Tournament
• TBD - Oklahoma Regional Championship Tournament 

💲SEASON FEES:

• FIRST HQ Registration Fee - $325

In order to be able to compete as a FIRST Tech Challenge team, teams need to register with FIRST each season. The annual FIRST registration fees that all teams pay to FIRST stays at FIRST Headquarters in New Hampshire and does not get passed onto FIRST in Okalhoma. To pay your team’s $325, FIRST HQ Registration fee, please visit your team’s FIRST Dashboard.

• Oklahoma Registration Fee - $275

In order to participate in Oklahoma events, teams pay a rgistration fee to OKSEF.   This non-refundable fee covers 3 to 5 League Meets, 1 League Tournament and the State Regional Championship (if qualified).  Teams will receive an invoice in early October.  OKSEF gives 45 days after the invoice date to pay without penalty. Teams must pay in order to compete in their League Tournament.

🏈DECODE KICKOFFS:

• Thanks to our kickoff hosts, Bishop Kelley and Mustang!
• Links to videos and slideshows from the day:
• State of the State video and slides
• Advancement and Awards video and slides
• What to Expect at Inspection video
• Zebra Stripes News video
• FIRST Dashboard Overview video

👀 DiscoverFest (formerly Tinkerfest) FTC "Robot in 3 Weeks" Scrimmage:

• Sign up or volunteer your team at this link.  The event is anticipated to be from 9am-4pm, so if you can only attend part of it please note that in the comments. We typically have 30-40 robots and over a dozen teams in attendance, so it's a great day!

      DECODE COMPETION MATERIALS

• Competion Manual
• Competition Manual AI Chatbot
• Team Q&A System - Opens September 22nd
• Game animation
• Combined Team Updates

📝 DEAN’S LIST NOMINATIONS

• The Dean’s List Award recognizes outstanding student leaders (in 10th and 11th grade) in FIRST Tech Challenge. Coaches may nominate up to twostudents from their team who demonstrate leadership, dedication, and embody the values of FIRST.  Students selected as Dean’s List Finalists are celebrated during the season, and a small number of winners are honored at the FIRST Championship.
• Participating in Dean’s List is an excellent way to highlight the impact of your team’s student leaders and connect them with the broader FIRST community.
• The 2025–2026 season follows an updated nomination and interview process. Here are the key dates for this year’s Dean’s List:
• Nominations are Open!
• Nomination Deadline: December 15th
• Interviews: TBD (remote)
• For more information on the Dean’s List Nomination, see this link.

 

🤔 QUESTION BOX FOR TEAMS

• If you are not on Discord and would like to ask a question, you can use this form and one of the state leads will address your concern below.

🏁 BR’s BREAKDOWNS

• Q: Can you launch an artifact into the opposing alliance's goal?

• A: Yes, you can launch an artifact into the opposing alliance's goal, but ROBOTS may not contact the opposing ALLIANCE’S GATE (G417) either directly or transitively through a SCORING ELEMENT.   Violation is a MAJOR FOUL and the OPPOSING ALLIANCE is awarded the PATTERN RP.

👨🏻‍⚖️CHRIS’s CORNER

• Nothing this week, but more to come

📋EMILY’s EXPLANATIONS

• Q: Looking for servos for our robot, I see that the Axon MAX+ is being discontinued. Will the replacement models (Axon MAX MK2) be allowed?

• A: R502 lists "Example Servos (including, but not limited to)" including the Axon MAX+, among other servos - note that this section of the game manual says "Example" and not "ALL approved" servos. Research potential servos by locating the manufacturer's design specifications and calculating that they meet BOTH the mechanical output power AND stall current requirements. Use the 6V data to calculate this power - do not extrapolate data if 6V data is not provided. If a manufacturer does not provide 6V specs, any specs for voltages that exceed 6V are allowed to be used. The FTC Online Calculator to verify output power compliance is available at the following link: https://ftc-docs.firstinspires.org/en/latest/tech_tips/tech-tips.html#calculatepower 

Mary Jo Othon

    Oklahoma FTC PDP