Oklahoma FTC weekly newsletter 9/15/2025

[Mary Jo Othon]

Hello FTC teams!

We are one week into build season and I hope all is well!

💻 FIRST LOGIN:

• Following unforeseen technical difficulties, FIRST needed to reschedule the launch of the updated Dashboard login experience. The relaunch of the new login experience will be Monday, September 15th. From the new login page, follow the steps to reset your password.
• Please be aware that due to high traffic, your password reset email may take longer than usual to arrive. Do not attempt to reset your password again before receiving the reset email, as each new request will invalidate the previous request.

✔️ 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 - 1/24/2026 - League meets (League schedules link)
• 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.

👀 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

• You can use this form and one of the state leads will address your concern below.

🏁 BR’s BREAKDOWNS

• Happy Rules Update Robotics Teams!!  Yep, we got our first update for the Decode Season. Who is excited?  So let's break it all down:
• 1st update was to rule G418 ROBOTS may not meddle with ARTIFACTS on RAMPS.

I want you to go to the manual updates and actually READ this update but here it is in simple terms:

Robots aren’t allowed to touch or mess with Artifacts that are already on a Ramp, even their own. If a robot knocks one off, it’s a Major Foul, and depending on whose Ramp it was, your team could lose the chance to earn the Pattern RP or even give it to the other team. So stay clear!

• 2nd update was to rule G419 ROBOTS only LAUNCH into their own GOAL.

Again, READ THE UPDATE for yourselves but here it is in simple terms:

Robots can only score by launching Artifacts into their own Goal. You can’t launch or place Artifacts on your Ramp or into/on your opponent’s Goal or Ramp—if you do, it’s a Major Foul, and in some cases the other team even earns the Pattern RP.

On this update, I asked the AWESOME AI bot the following question and this is what it said:

Make sure to USE the AI bot on the First website. It is so helpful!

• 3rd update was to rule  G425 Keep out of opponent’s SECRET TUNNEL 

AGAIN, please READ the update but here is the simplest way I can summarize this rule change:

Robots are not allowed to touch other robots when they’re inside the other team’s Secret Tunnel Zone. It doesn’t matter who started it—just stay out of their way in that area. 

• Final update is about questions in general.  When you do have rule questions, here are the three paths I’d like you to take:

(1) Research the Game Manual – Dive in! The more you search and analyze, the more you’ll understand the game and uncover creative strategies for gameplay.

(2) Check out FIRST’s AI Bot – This new tool is amazing and designed to give you quick, reliable answers. Definitely give it a try!

(3) Use Official Channels – Submit your questions to the weekly newsletter or through the official FIRST Q&A queue on their website.

This season, let’s treat finding answers just like playing the game itself—an opportunity to learn, explore, and grow together. I’m excited to see how you take on this challenge and push yourselves as teams!

👨🏻‍⚖️CHRIS’s CORNER

• While many things have changed this season, many things have stayed the same!

A201 allows a team 15 pages of content plus a cover sheet, which hasn't changed, but this year A201-E allows content any time after January 1, 2025.  

• Teams should review Team Update 00, which came out on Kickoff Day and has a good high-level summary of what has changed for this season. https://ftc-resources.firstinspires.org/ftc/game/tu-00
• Of course, teams should read the manual and review team updates as they are released on Thursday to stay up to date.

📋EMILY’s EXPLANATIONS

• Nothing new this week, stay tuned!

Mary Jo Othon

    Oklahoma FTC PDP