It takes extraordinary circumstances for us to add a regional event after both the first and second rounds of event preferencing have run. This year in Mexico, those extraordinary circumstances have happened!
In general, FIRST programs are still recovering from the loss of participants from the 2020 season. In 2020, 3914 teams participated in FIRST Robotics Competition. In 2022, 3220 teams participated. In Mexico, there has been growth since 2020. There are currently 92 teams from Mexico who have either registered for events or already paid registration. This is up from 87 teams in 2020 and 75 teams in 2022.
To make sure we have the capacity to serve these teams (and the teams who want additional plays), we’re adding a third regional event in Mexico. The event will be in Puebla and on Week 3 (March 15-18). The event will be available for teams to register for as part of unrestricted regional event registration, which begins on October 27.
In addition to event registration, volunteer registration is also now open for all FIRST Robotics Competition events, including FIRST Championship! You can search for events and apply to be a FIRST volunteer through the FIRST Dashboard. Detailed instructions can be found here. I really can’t overstate how valuable event volunteering has been for me. At points in my life where I couldn’t commit the time needed to mentor a team, serving as an event volunteer offered a great way to give back, stay engaged with the community, and have fun.