Good day, Teams and Volunteers,
Welcome to the ninth email blast for the upcoming PA FIRST Tech Challenge Season. Please liberally and broadly share this email with your parents, students, friends, co-workers and acquaintances in and outside of the FIRST robotics community.
Also, if you missed our first 8 blasts of the season, please go to our Communications page to reference Announcements and Archive Emails for this and all past seasons.
https://www.ftcpenn.org/communications
Coaches Call Reminder
Please join our core team this Wed Sep 17th, 2026, at 7:30 pm for an informational Coaches Call. This meeting is for YOU! It is open to teams, coaches, mentors and volunteers to ask any questions pertinent to the PA FTC Season, the DECODE challenge, Judging, Agendas, expectations, etc.
https://www.ftcpenn.org/ftc-events/2025-2026-season/coaches-call-2
Qualifier Registration opens this Sat, Sep 20th at 8:00 am!
Be sure to get in as early as you can to grab your favorite slot for an upcoming season qualification tournament.
Please be sure to read and understand, in advance, Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics Event Participation Policy and the Youth Protection information linked here and on the Event Registration page, and let us know if you require explanation or additional information.
Note that only the adult Primary Contacts or adult Other Contacts identified in the team FIRST Dashboard may use the Pennsylvania FTC Event Registration System. Please use the email address that is associated with your FIRST Inspires Login and Dashboard access to facilitate your team’s registrations and for us to assure your team’s eligibility. Students are strictly prohibited from using this system.
When this form is submitted, a summary email is sent to the addresses provided. If you do not receive the email, please contact ftc.events@pennfirst.org . There is no need to resubmit the form.
We will review your registration request and selections and send a response indicating event registration status. You may choose up to six (6) qualifiers in your order of preference with P1 being the first one desired, P2 the second, and so on. Following confirmation of your first choice you will receive an invoice for only that event as well. Costs and payment policies are also listed on the Event Registration landing page.
https://www.ftcpenn.org/event-registration
If you have not already considered your choices, please refer to our full Event schedule to make your choices with your teams. Scrimmage and Workshop registrations are already open and filling fast.
https://www.ftcpenn.org/ftc-events/2025-2026-season
We are really looking forward to the start of our competition season and hope you are as well.
Volunteer Applications are open
CALL for VOLUNTEERS!
The success of PA FTC events is totally dependent on the number and quality of volunteers that give of their time and energy at our events.
We seek out and have a great need for Volunteers for all our FTC PA events for the 2025-206 DECODE™ season. We are therefore reaching out to recruit those that have volunteered in the past or want to join the incredible Pennsylvania FIRST Robotics volunteer team!
For those that have worked with us in past seasons, we want to thank you all for your volunteerism and commitment to the Pennsylvania FIRST Tech Challenge program. We have open positions for all roles, but especially value and welcome Judges, Referees and Field Tech people as these are critical and key roles for the success of our events.
Please go to our event page to see the currently scheduled, upcoming Workshops, Scrimmages and Qualifiers.
We would love all of you to personally join us and to recruit aggressively and widely to assist us in expanding our reach. Volunteer opportunities abound.
https//www.ftcpenn.org/ftc-events/2025-2026-season
As with past years, we use the FIRST Event Volunteer Registration system for all of our events. Volunteering for an event is one of the options on your personal FIRST Dashboard on the http://www.firstinspires.org website.
As always, we welcome back our awesome regional volunteers who participated with us in past years, but also welcome new volunteers from family, friends, the community and businesses alike. Please know that this is also a great opportunity for coaches, mentors and parents to get an insider’s perspective of how FTC events are conducted in our State and region. The perspectives and guidance gained will also translate into helping your own team and students to be successful. If you are already registered to volunteer, then thank you!
Volunteer roles are defined in the link provided below. We welcome volunteers in all capacities, but especially in key roles such as Judging, Referees and Inspectors.
For guidance on volunteering at a PA FTC Event please go to the following link or see instructions below. https://www.ftcpenn.org/volunteer
Thanks, and best of luck as you brainstorm, design, build and code in the coming weeks.
Tom and the FTC Planning Team
Pennsylvania FIRST® Robotics
FIRST Tech Challenge® Program Delivery Partner
phone: (302) 383-9925
email: ftc@pennfirst.org
Website: www.FTCPenn.org