28 Sep 2020 2020-21 Season Updates
To accommodate build seasons and local and remote events, FIRST is extending the 2020-2021 event season for all programs through the end of June 2021 and moving the 2021 FIRST Championship from April 2021 to later in the year. Here’s a quick overview of changes in the Kansas City area, organized by program:
FIRST LEGO League
Details about how teams participating in FIRST LEGO League Explore for grades 2-4 (formerly known as FIRST LEGO League Jr.) can showcase their work with the community are to be announced, but most likely will be scheduled for April 2021.
Competition dates for FIRST LEGO League Challenge (for 4th-8th graders) will shift to early in 2021. These remote events will include multiple ways for teams to participate. Each team will choose to participate remotely at one of three levels:
Type 1: Full participation with robot game and project presentation submitted by video and a virtual Q&A session with judges.
Type 2: Submission of a project presentation video and virtual Q&A with judges, but no robot game video submission.
Type 3: Project presentation video submission only.
All teams will be eligible for awards, but only teams that participate at the Type 1 level will be eligible to advance to regional championships.
To assist teams without resources to record their own robot game, in-person robot rounds will be scheduled at the KC Engineering Zone and at schools on each Type 1 Qualifier date. A safety plan that limits numbers of participants and includes other precautions will be in place for each of these opportunities.
Important pre-competition dates:
10/31: Coaching Workshop videos to be released.
11/12: Qualifier registration opens.
11/14: Remote coaching workshop and Q&A session
11/14: Volunteer training videos released.
12/5: Remote volunteering session and Q&A
12/11: Qualifier registration closes.
Competition Dates
1/9: Qualifier 1 (for teams participating at a Type 2 or 3 level, without a robot game)
1/16: Qualifier 2- Bingham Middle School, Independence
1/23: Qualifier 3 – Lawrence
1/30: Qualifier 4 – Summit Lakes, Lee’s Summit
2/6: Qualifier 5 – Center, Kansas City
March 2021: Greater Kansas City Championship event, details TBD
See the full guidelines to this unique FLL season here.
FIRST Tech Challenge
FIRST Tech Challenge teams also will compete virtually through a new mega-league system. For an overview and chance to ask questions, join the Missouri-Kansas season kickoff session at 9 a.m. October 3.
Teams can view an example field for this season’s challenge at the KC Engineering Zone by appointment. To schedule a time to take a look, contact Phil Wood.
For more information about this event and season details, subscribe to the Missouri/Kansas FTC e-newsletter to make sure you receive updates as soon as they are available.
Registration remains open but teams are encouraged to sign up soon! Most game play will likely be in the new year.
FIRST Robotics Competition
Registration for the FIRST Robotics Competition season starts in early October.
FIRST HQ has developed remote options for this season and instituted a substantially discounted registration fee. Decisions about in-person play will be determined later, with the season kickoff remaining on Jan. 9, 2021.
To see the full details about all of the remote competition components, including a game design challenge, innovation challenge and robot challenge, visit the Inspire Blog.
To stay up to speed with plans in Greater Kansas City/Kansas, make sure you’re receiving emails from Program Delivery Partner Robert Dumler. Reach him by email.