2021-2022 Opening Ceremony Script

Updated 9/10/21

Speaker Dialogue Blocking Notes

Affiliate Partner Good morning [Insert name of Locale]! Welcome to the [Insert Affiliate Partner or
or Event name of Event] I’m the [insert FIRST® Tech Challenge title here] Event Director
Director and my name is ______________. comes to stage.

Affiliate Partner Welcome to FREIGHT FRENZY presented by Raytheon

or Event Technologies, part of the FIRST FORWARD season presented by
Director Qualcomm.

FIRST is a global robotics community preparing young people for

the future. FIRST engages students in grades preK through 12 in
our suite of STEM programs, FIRST LEGO League, FIRST
Robotics Competition, and of course, FIRST Tech Challenge.

FIRST Tech Challenge started in 2005 and we’ve grown to more

than 6,000 teams in more than 25 countries. This continues the
transformative impact of FIRST programs, and you are a part of
this movement! All of you are helping make this program possible
for the next generation of innovators IN THIS VERY ROOM. Thank
you.

We’re going to have a blast today! I can’t wait to see how

everything comes together as these XX teams have been working
hard to design and build their robots for this season’s challenge,
FREIGHT FRENZY.

As you know from tackling the challenge this year, STEM skills Identify as FIRST
have never been so important to solving the issues facing the world alum if applicable
today and FIRST Tech Challenge is forming the leaders and
innovators of tomorrow by getting kids involved in these disciplines
early. <Play choice of
Alumni video:
But remember, FIRST doesn’t end with high school! If college is • 1:30 full video,
your next step, FIRST partners with 200 colleges and universities • :30 education, or
who want FIRST participants and Alumni– and have made nearly • :30 career>
$80 million dollars in scholarships available. Regardless of
education level, FIRST partners with industry to ensure that
internships, and ultimately job opportunities, are available for you
and to make sure you have access to the most valuable resource
of all – each other!

Learn more about scholarships, internships and alumni

opportunities at firstinspires.org/alumni. Here’s a quick video to
show you more about our scholarship and alumni program!

Revision 1: 9/1/21 Page | 1

Affiliate Partner
or Event [Alumni Recognition Plan, feel free to insert wherever it
Director best fits into your schedule. Please choose one of the
below options.]

And now, let’s recognize a group of leaders in the FIRST

community, and on your Teams: the FIRST Alumni and high
school Seniors.

[ALUMNI RECOGNITION: PLAN A (stand in place)]

Would all the FIRST Alumni here please stand up: Thank you
for all that you continue to do to further the mission of FIRST Lead applause
and inspire the next generation!

For some of you, FREIGHT FRENZY may be your final season

competing in FIRST. We would like to take a moment to
recognize those who will soon be FIRST Alumni. Would all
students in their final year of high school please stand up and Lead applause
join them!  You are becoming FIRST Alumni now too and we
look forward to seeing what you do next!

To help you on the next steps in your journey, please visit

{pit admin or other location where ALUMNI HANDBOOKS

are being held}

to collect your alumni handbook full of information and tips on

leveraging your FIRST experience on your career journey.

[ALUMNI RECOGNITION: PLAN B (stand in place +

announce photo details)]

Following the ceremony in PLAN A announce plans for a

Graduation Photo. Photo should be scheduled to take
place at a time and place convenient within the event
(lunch time may be a popular choice). Photo should be
shared on social media and with FIRST Headquarters.

[ALUMNI RECOGNITION: PLAN C (Processional)] lead applause

Would all the FIRST Alumni here please stand, thank you for all
that you continue to do to further the mission of FIRST and
inspire the next generation!

We invite you to come down and join us on the field so that FIRST alumni
together we can recognize those who will soon be FIRST volunteers
alumni. form a line.
Revision 1: 9/1/21 Page | 2
 {Explain logistics of entering and exiting the field}
FIRST seniors
We would now like to invite our graduating seniors down to the process
field to be welcomed as FIRST alumni and receive your FIRST
Alumni Handbook to help you on the next steps in your journey.
play graduation
Thank you to all our alumni! We invite you to return to your seats music
now for the rest of the Ceremony.

Affiliate Partner I want to take a moment to recognize and thank all the parents,
or Event coaches, mentors and volunteers who help make today’s events
Director possible.

Thank you!

We ask all of you today to honor the FIRST ethos, Gracious

Professionalism®. This means doing your best work, and at the
same time, we’re going to respect and value the other students,
teams and volunteers here.

Today is where all the hard work you’ve put into designing, building
and programming your robots comes to life in thrilling competition.
Good luck.

And now, I’d like to introduce today’s Master of Ceremonies –

[Insert name]
Emcee Good morning and welcome! Let me hear you make some noise! I Emcee comes
said let me hear you make some noise! That’s better. This is going forward.
to be a great day of competition. Before we get to the first match,
we have a few distinguished guests I’d like to introduce.

Please give a warm FIRST Tech Challenge welcome to [insert Identify as FIRST
Guest Speaker title and name]. alum if applicable

Guest Speaker [Guest Speaker comments] Guest Speaker

comes forward.
Emcee Next, it’s my pleasure to introduce [insert Guest Speaker title and Guest Speaker
name]. comes forward as
previous speaker
returns to seat.
Guest Speaker [Guest Speaker comments]

Emcee Each year, FIRST creates new and exciting game for teams to
learn and compete in. In this year’s season, FIRST FORWARD
presented by Qualcomm, teams will explore how transportation
drives us forward, impacting economies around the world and
Play FREIGHT
making us all more globally interconnected. FIRST teams have the
power to reimagine a path forward and invent the future of FRENZY intro
transportation.
Revision 1: 9/1/21 Page | 3
 video and Game
In the 2021-2022 FIRST Tech Challenge game, FREIGHT Animation
FRENZY presented by Raytheon Technologies, teams and their
robots must navigate a complex transportation system by
traversing barriers and racing against time to load and deliver
essential items to those who need them most.
The future of transporting relief to those in need is about inventing
creative solutions, pushed by the recognition of the inefficiencies,
inequities, and the choices we make around them. Will teams be
able to work together and deliver a solution in the race against
time? Only time will tell.

Let’s take a look at this year’s season challenge!

Emcee Now I’d like to introduce you to a very important group of people, Enter Judges
our Judges.

Emcee These individuals have the difficult job of singling out the best of
the best from today’s teams. They’ve already been busy this
morning, interviewing teams and reviewing engineering notebooks.
They’ll be in the pits, watching matches and then deliberating later
today. We look forward to seeing the outcome of their hard work at
the Awards Ceremony this afternoon. Let’s give them a big round
of applause for their dedication! Applause
Exit Judges

Emcee Next, I’d like to introduce you to the Field Technical Advisors, or
FTAs.
Enter FTAs
Emcee Our FTAs know the ins-and-outs of the robot control system we
use to run this competition and are key to keeping the event
moving smoothly. They ensure the robots are running properly on Applause
the field. Thank you FTAs,! Exit FTAs

Emcee And finally, I’d like to introduce our Referees.

Enter Referees

Emcee Our Refs have the difficult job of ensuring everyone is playing by
the rules. As in all sports, their rulings are final and there will be no
re-runs or video re-plays. Please help us stick to the schedule by
respecting their decisions and following the appropriate challenge Applause
process. Thanks Referees! Exit Referees

Emcee Last, but certainly not least, we’d like to thank our mentors and Applause
coaches who are critical to your learning experience and your
team’s success. Many of you are also mentoring teams from one
of our other FIRST programs: FIRST LEGO League, and FIRST

Revision 1: 9/1/21 Page | 4

 Robotics Competition, and may even be FIRST Alumni yourselves.
On behalf of all FIRST, a big thank you to all the mentors and
coaches. You really are champions of the game!

Emcee A few minutes ago [Insert Affiliate Partner or Tournament

Director] spoke about Gracious Professionalism.
Play GP Video
And who better to help further explain this core value of FIRST,
than our very own Dean’s List Award Winners!?

Emcee (Please adjust the following schedule wording to apply to your

event)

A huge thanks to our Dean’s List students. Now here’s the general
schedule for the day: In just a few moments we’ll begin our
qualification matches. Following the qualifications, we’ll move on to
the alliance selection, where the top ranked teams will choose their
alliance partners for this afternoon’s elimination matches.

And finally, after we have crowned a champion on the playing field,

we’ll begin our Awards Ceremony to close out this exciting day.

Emcee Before we begin the matches, please rise for the playing/singing of
our National Anthem. National Anthem

Emcee Teams, are you ready for FREIGHT FRENZY?

Play music to keep
Teams in the first match, please take the field as we get ready to energy up while
start the day with match number one of the 2021-2022 FIRST Tech teams set up on the
Challenge season here in [insert name of locale]. field and team
introductions begin
Good luck to all the days competitors! Full speed ahead!
Emcee [if using a Game Announcer, introduce him/her before
beginning first introduction]
Applause
Ladies and gentlemen the other voice you’ll be hearing today is our
Game Announcer, please welcome [Insert Name].

Emcee Okay, let’s meet the Teams…

[Emcee and Game Announcer begin Team introduction and

start of Match play protocol]

Revision 1: 9/1/21 Page | 5