2022-2023 Opening Ceremony Script

Updated 9/20/22

Speaker Dialogue Blocking Notes

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

Affiliate Partner Welcome to POWERPLAY presented by Raytheon Technologies,

or Event Director part of the FIRST ENERGIZE season presented by Qualcomm.

FIRST is a global robotics community preparing young people for the

future. FIRST engages students in grades pre-K 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 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, POWERPLAY.

As you know from tackling the challenge this year, STEM skills have
never been so important to solving the issues facing the world today
and FIRST Tech Challenge is forming the leaders and innovators of
tomorrow by getting kids involved in these disciplines early. Identify as
FIRST alum if
applicable
But remember, FIRST doesn’t end with high school! Being a FIRST
Alum means access to education and career discovery opportunities,
connections to scholarships and employers, and a place in the FIRST
community for life.

Learn more about all of the ways to make the most of your FIRST
experience at firstinspires.org/alumni. Let’s quickly hear from some
other alumni about their experiences.
<Play choice of
Alumni video:
5 to choose from
at :30 each>
Affiliate Partner
or Event Director [Alumni Recognition Plan, feel free to insert wherever it best
fits into your schedule. Please choose one of the below
options.]

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 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 Lead applause
all that you continue to do to further the mission of FIRST and
inspire the next generation!

For some of you, POWERPLAY 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 Lead applause
students in their final year of high school please stand up and 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

and/or ALUMNI PINS 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.
lead applause
[ALUMNI RECOGNITION: PLAN C (Processional)]

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!
FIRST alumni
We invite you to come down and join us on the field so that volunteers form
together we can recognize those who will soon be FIRST alumni. a line.

{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 now music
for the rest of the Ceremony.

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

Guest Speaker title and name]. FIRST 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 Tech Challenge creates new and exciting game for
teams to learn and compete in. In this year’s season, FIRST
ENERGIZE presented by Qualcomm, teams around the world will
reimagine the future of sustainable energy and power their ideas
forward.

In the 2022-2023 game, POWERPLAY presented by Raytheon

Technologies, FIRST Tech Challenge participants will compete in an
energy-driven game and test the limits of performance, efficiency, and
endurance as they power their innovations forward!
Play
Let’s take a look at this year’s season challenge! POWERPLAY
Game Animation

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

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 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 POWERPLAY?

Play music to
Teams in the first match, please take the field as we get ready to start keep energy up
the day with match number one of the 2022-2023 FIRST Tech while teams set
Challenge season here in [insert name of locale]. up on the field
and team
Good luck to all the days competitors! introductions
begin

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]

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