FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®)
FTC is designed for those who want to compete head-to-head, using a sports model. Teams of up to 10 students are responsible for designing, building, and programming their robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. The robot kit is reusable from year-to-year and is programmed using a variety of languages. Teams, including coaches, mentors and volunteers, are required to develop strategy and build robots based on sound engineering principles. Awards are given for the competition as for well as for community outreach, design, and other real-world accomplishments.
Students in grades 9-12 (ages 14-18) get to:
- Design, build, and program robots
- Apply real-world math and science concepts
- Develop problem-solving, organizational, and team-building skills
- Compete and cooperate in alliances and tournaments
- Earn a place in the World Championship
- Qualify for nearly $9.7 million in college scholarships
FTC Home Page
2012-13 FTC Season
FTC Team Registration and Costs
Team Registration Opens
Wednesday, May 9, 2012, 9:00 AM Pacific
FTC Season Kickoff (Online)
Saturday, September 8, 2012, Noon Pacific
Los Angeles FTC Kickoff
Saturday, September 8, 2012 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Monrovia High School, 845 W Colorado Blvd, Monrovia CA 91016
FTC Game: Ring It UP!℠
Official FTC Game Info
Greater Los Angeles Qualifiers
There will be 5 Qualifier competitions in the Greater Los Angeles area. Participation in a Qualifier is required to compete at the Regional Championship & then potentially advance to World Championship! Teams can participate in as many events as they choose (assuming slots are available), however a team is only eligible to qualify for the LA Regional in the first 3 Qualifiers in which the team competes.
The Alliance Captain of the Winning Alliance and the Inspiration Award winner for each of the 5 events are automatically invited to the LA Regional Championship.The Alliance Captain of the Winning Alliance and the Inspiration Award winner for each of the 5 events are automatically invited to the LA Regional Championship. Alliance Captain is the selecting team of the Winning Alliance, and does not include the other 2 teams that were picked to be part of the Alliance.
| Qualifier #1 | November 17, 2012 | Pasadena |
| Qualifier #2 | December 8, 2012 | Coachella Valley |
| Qualifier #3 | December 15, 2012 | Claremont |
| Qualifier #4 | January 13, 2013 | Antelope Valley |
| Qualifier #5 | February 2, 2013 | Monrovia |
Qualifier Registration
If you register for more than one qualifier (and you should!), you will be asked to provide your 1st, 2nd & 3rd choices and we will try to accommodate as many teams as possible. Qualifier events will be filled on a first come basis and are limited to 24 teams, with preferences given to ensure that all teams can participate in at least one Qualifier. If you are a team in the Greater Los Angeles Region (Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Kern, San Bernadino, Riverside & Orange Counties) and register before 10/15/12, you will be guaranteed a slot in a qualifying event.
09/17/12 Local Registration opens for 5 Qualifiers (Greater LARegion teams only)
10/15/12 Registration opens to teams outside LA Region (San Diego, Las Vegas…)
10/29/12 Qualifier Registration closes
11/02/12 Teams notified of which Qualifiers they have confirmed registration
Registration fee: $50.00 per Qualifier per team
Greater Los Angeles FTC Championship
Saturday, March 2, 2013, Monrovia High School, 845 W Colorado Blvd, Monrovia CA 91016
Registration fee: $125.00 per team
FTC World Championship
April 24-27, 2013, Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO
Volunteers Needed
We have a the chance to make this year the very best for FTC in SoCal history! We plan to have many more events, and welcome people who would like to volunteer to plan and participate in LA FTC events. A couple of areas that we'd like some specific help are:
(1) Website Management - Manage and improve the LA FTC website
(2) Game Announcing - Ever want to be that guy in the mirrored suit with the mic and the play-by-play? Do you know someone who would be perfect for the job?! With more events this year, there will be more opportunities to give it a try. Please let us know if you're interested!
And if you're just interested in getting more involved and helping to keep FIRST Tech Challenge strong in Southern California, please contact us at volunteer@losangelesFTC.org. There's lots to do and it's all (well, almost all!) a whole lot of fun!
2011-12 FTC Season
2010-11 FTC Season
2009-10 FTC Season
Additional Information
Greater Los Angele FTC
www.LosAngelesFTC.org
Suparna Mukherjee
California - Los Angeles FTC Affilliate Partner
info@LosAngelesFTC.org