FTC Championship Tournament — Parent Info
Date: Sunday, April 12, 2026 (Saturday evening check-in)
Location: Forest Lake Academy Gymnasium, 500 Education Loop, Apopka, FL 32703
Our Team
32314 — Marcus Bartholomew the Third Senior (Rookie year!)
This is the Adventist Robotics FTC Championship — the main Adventist Robotics FTC tournament of the season.
⚠️ Action Required: Registration & Waivers
Every team member must be registered with FIRST and have a parent-signed Consent and Release form before the tournament. Your child will not be able to participate if this is not completed.
- Marcus Bartholomew the Third Senior — Register here
🚗 Travel & Lodging
We’re expecting all team members to travel and stay with their families for this tournament. Please make your own travel and lodging arrangements.
🍽️ Meals
Catered meals are available at ~$15.25 per person. Meals for team members will be ordered by the coach. If you would like meals ordered for parents or other family members, please contact Daniel Plaisted.
🚫 No food or drink is allowed in the gymnasium. Plan accordingly.
🅿️ Parking
Park only in the designated team parking area. Do NOT park on the grass — vehicles parked on the grass or in loading areas are subject to being towed. Only park in handicap areas if you have a handicap placard displayed on your vehicle.
⚠️ Construction Safety
There is a major construction project on campus for new classrooms and an administration building. This area is fenced off. Team members should always be supervised by an adult at all times. Please stay away from the areas near the construction fencing for additional safety.
📺 Livestream
The tournament will be livestreamed on YouTube: Watch the livestream
📊 Live Scoring
Follow match scores and rankings in real time: Live scoring on FTC Events
📋 Scouting
Want to help the team by scouting matches? No robotics experience needed! Scouting guide
Weekend Schedule
Saturday, April 11
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 7:15 PM | Sabbath Vespers — Schmidt Auditorium (across from gymnasium) |
| 8:00–10:00 PM | Team Check-in & Robot Inspection — Gymnasium (robots that pass can use the practice field) |
Sunday, April 12
| Time | Activity | Parents Welcome? |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30 AM | Gymnasium Opens | |
| 8:00 AM | Judging & Robot Inspection | ❌ Closed to public |
| ~10:30 AM | Opening Ceremony & Livestream Begins | ✅ Open to public |
| After opening | Qualification Matches | ✅ Open to public |
| Afternoon | Playoff Matches | ✅ Open to public |
| ~5:00–5:30 PM | Awards Ceremony | ✅ Open to public |
⏰ Times are approximate — a detailed schedule with judging time and match assignments will be sent before the tournament. The awards ceremony time depends on the flow of the event.
What Parents Can Watch
- Judging is closed to the public.
- All matches (qualification and playoffs) are open to the public — come watch the robots compete head-to-head!
- Opening Ceremony and Awards Ceremony are open to the public.
How FTC Matches Work
Each match has two alliances of two robots (4 robots total on the field). Alliances are randomly assigned for qualification matches. Each match has:
- 30 seconds of autonomous — the robot runs pre-programmed routines (no driver control)
- 2 minutes of driver-controlled (teleop) — drivers operate the robots with controllers
After qualification matches, the top-ranked teams pick alliance partners for playoff elimination matches. For more about the game, see our FTC team page.
Good to Know
- The tournament is a full-day event — plan to be there from early morning through ~5:30 PM or later.
- Robot inspection happens Saturday night (8–10 PM). Robots must pass inspection before they can compete.
- Match schedules and judging times will be shared before the tournament.
Volunteer at the Tournament
Our tournament can’t happen without parent and community volunteers! No robotics experience is needed — just a willingness to help out and be part of the excitement. Here are some of the roles where we need the most help:
🎯 Queuer
Queuers are the people who keep the match schedule running on time. Before each match, queuers head to the pit area to find the teams that are up next, let them know their match is coming up, and guide them to the competition field. It’s a great role if you like staying on the move and interacting with teams — and it’s one of the best ways to see all the action up close.
🔧 Field Resetter
After every match, the competition field needs to be reset — game elements returned to their starting positions, scoring objects cleared, and everything set up for the next match. Field resetters work quickly between matches to get the field ready. It’s a hands-on, active role and a fun way to be right in the middle of the competition.
🏟️ Practice Field & Pit Manager
Between matches, teams need a place to test and fine-tune their robots. Practice field attendants manage the practice area, making sure teams get fair access to practice time and that the area stays safe and organized. Pit managers oversee the team pit area where robots are worked on between matches, helping with logistics and making sure things run smoothly.
📹 AV Support
Our tournament is livestreamed so that families and fans can follow along remotely. AV volunteers help run cameras, manage the audio system for the emcee, operate scoreboards and displays, and ensure the livestream stays up and running. If you’re comfortable with technology — or want to learn — this is a great way to contribute behind the scenes.
Interested in volunteering? Sign up here → or reach out to us through our contact page — we’d love to have you!
See more about our FTC team on the FTC team page. Follow our progress on GitHub and YouTube.