Updates
I hope everyone is safe and healthy. Our thoughts are with the FIRST community as we deal with all the many ways, large and small, the current situation is disrupting our lives and the lives of our friends and family.
Most employees at FIRST HQ have been working from their homes for several weeks now. Most of us had worked from home at least occasionally previously, so we had some experience, and the current situation is building on that. There is no disruption in customer service, as our Team Support folks can work remotely with full access to all the tools they typically use.
You may ask, “What’s the FIRST Robotics Competition staff up to if there are no events to support right now?” Great question! We’re full steam ahead on game design for upcoming seasons and have more projects on our plates than we can probably handle—all forward-looking, all things that will make a difference. The suspension of the 2020 season has presented us with a big challenge, but also a big opportunity, and we’re taking full advantage!
Most of you are probably aware that we are continuing to select and present the Dean’s List Award, the Woodie Flowers Award, and the Chairman’s Award for the 2020 season. I’m so thankful to all the volunteers that will be pitching in to make this happen, and I appreciate the support from FRC Teams as we take a different approach to recognizing our best.
We have many, many awards to announce, which is exciting, but also a challenge, so we’re splitting things up. Districts will be handling their own award announcements in their own ways. They will be letting you know when those announcements will be, and we’ll keep you updated as well. For Regional events, plans for announcing the awards are still in the works, but likely will take the form of several shows close to the end of the month. Of course, we’ll let you know what Regionals will be covered in what shows so that you can be ready!
FIRST Virtual Showcase
If you haven’t heard, check it out. On May 2, at 10 AM Eastern, tune into FIRSTtv as we recognize the achievements of teams and individuals in our community. More information about this will be coming soon also!
FIRST RISE Rewind
The 2020 FRC season may be suspended, but many FIRST teams are still plenty active! Check out the community’s accomplishments during the FIRST RISE powered by Star Wars: Force for Change season here. Please share what you are currently up to, or your favorite moments from the season, using #FIRSTFFC.
A quick note on this – we love to see what our teams are doing during this difficult time, but you should not feel guilty if you or your team can’t engage in activities like these, regardless of the reason. With so much disruption to all of our lives, we get it. It’s OK to take a break from FIRST-related activities and just take care of yourself and others close to you for a while. We all look forward to when we have this crisis in the rearview mirror.
Stay healthy!
Frank