Hello FRC Team Leaders in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota,
Important reminder: This email is sent to the lead (2) mentors listed in each team’s registration via the FIRST Dashboard. It does not go to all mentors on a team. Please share this information with your mentors and your teams as is appropriate. Thank you to everyone who is reading these emails, and sharing the information with other mentors on your teams. 😄
This week’s update:
  • Youth and Mentor Registrations
  • Kickoff – January 8, 2022
  • Event Information Links
  • Regional Event Hotels
  • Have you subscribed to the FRC Blog?!?
  • Signup for FIRST in Upper Midwest Newsletter
  • Thank you to our Regional Program Sponsors!
  • Happy Winter Holidays to All – Can’t wait to see all of you in 2022!
Youth and Mentor Registrations
Team Leads, we cannot emphasize this requirement enough. All Youth Team Members are required to complete the online youth registration to participate in FIRST remote AND in-person team meetings, events, regional competitions, World Championship. This online registration includes the FIRST Consent & Release form. Online registration is required for students to be nominated and interviewed for the Dean’s List Award. Please reference this blog as well as this information page to help get all of your students registered.
Also: Please ensure all of your Team Mentors are registered with FIRST – and to also sign the online acknowledgement and consent/release forms. Having everyone registered online reduces the amount of paper we will have to ask you for and to handle at events. For all mentors and/or students NOT registered online, Team Leads will need to have signed paper consent forms attached to all team rosters. Rosters and any/all paper consent forms will be needed to complete your team’s check-in at regional events. If you have questions, please email Ken Rosen, krosen@umn.edu.
Kickoff – January 8, 2022 

Bookmark this page to keep up with Kickoff Information from FIRST!   Every Kickoff location has a webpage dedicated to the specific event. Find your Kickoff event by using the search box on this webpage. Event coordinators will also be sending attending teams information specific to their Kickoff location and event. If you have questions, reach out to your local Kickoff Coordinator. Contact information is listed on each page. Having received questions about Kit pickups – here is some additional information:

    • After the kickoff broadcast, an adult member for each team (18+ and graduated from high school) should provide their team roster and photo ID. 

    • This adult will be signing for your team and the kit will be released to this person.

    •  A kickoff kit receipt will be available for each team that has secured payment with FIRST by the payment deadline. Questions about whether your team’s registration is secured? Please contact Ken Rosen, krosen@umn.edu.

    • Do you need to have a surrogate/someone not with your Team pick up the Kit of Parts for your Team? https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/frc/surrogate-kit-pick-up-information. The deadline to submit the request is January 3, 2022.  

 

Event Information Links
Bookmark this link to find updated information regarding FRC Competition events. The site is easily sortable by event weeks or alphabetical order of events. Each event page has a link to a specific webpage with additional information about the particular event. Event pages are in process of being updated, so check back frequently for additional information. 
 
Event Hotels: FIRST is not running a local event hotel program this season. Teams are encouraged to call hotels, using the local phone numbers, to get rates/amenities/services. Suggestions for Duluth: Check the hotels listed in Canal Park and those connected via walkway and/or skyway to the DECC. Suggestions for Minneapolis: The Graduate Hotel (on the U of MN campus), Hampton, Inn, Days Inn, and Hilton Garden Inn are close to the event venues.
 
Have you subscribed to the FRC Blog?!?
So much season-critical information is released via the FIRST Blog! Please subscribe and bookmark this page.
FIRST in Upper Midwest Newsletter
Updates for Teams in our region from FIRST Upper Midwest, covering off-season events, activities, and outreach opportunities. This is a separate, opt-in mailing from this weekly email sent to Team Leads, only. Sign up at FUM FIRST Robotics Competition Updates.
We would like to extend special thanks and appreciation to our Regional Program Sponsors to make our 2022 FIRST Rapid React season a success!

  • Medtronic
  • USBank
  • 3M
  • Best Buy
  • Target
  • Boston Scientific
  • Marvin
  • Digi Key
  • University of Minnesota
  • North Dakota State University
  • Northern Clearing
  • John Deere
  • Emerson Solutions
  • Hartel’s
  • University of North Dakota
  • Infor
  • Komatsu
  • Newcon Co.
  • Saturn Systems
  • TKDA
  • Barr Engineering
  • Visit Duluth
Happy Winter Holidays to All! This weekly email blast will take a break (loud cheers, yes, I hear you) over these next two weeks, and will resume before Kickoff 2022.
 Please reach out as needed, and answers to your questions will be answered as quickly as possible.
I look forward to seeing ALL of you at events in 2022.

Regards,

 

Laurie Shimizu

FIRST Senior Mentor || ​Minnesota

Chief Volunteer Coordinator, ​FIRST Robotics Competition

Pronouns: she/her/hers