Concessions

Concessions will be offered but they will be limited. We will have a lunch special, snacks and beverages. There is a Subway and Dairy Queen in town as well. Feel free to send someone to pick food up and bring it into the pit area.

Competition Preparation

This event is sure to be a fast-paced and exciting. All teams should come prepared for competition. Here are a few steps that every team should take to ensure that they are prepared:

1. Review the rules and run through the inspection checklist about a week before the competition so your team has ample time for adjustments. The inspection checklist can be found on the Documents tab. Additional information on rules can be found on the Official VEX Forums.

2. Pack for the event the day before, and remember to bring the following:

Goggles/Safety Glasses (VRC only)
Spare parts & tools
Batteries and chargers
Programming cable
Power strip
Laptop computer
Engineering notebook (REQUIRED for Judges, Design and Excellence Awards )
Banners and other decorations for your team pit
Giveaways if you have them

3. Remember that safety comes first. Please don't bring tools that pose a safety risk to your team or others nearby. We will have designated areas set up for cutting and grinding. We want to try to avoid any damage to our gymnasium floor surface so please utilize these spaces.

4. Make sure the robot components have been updated to the latest firmware revision:

5. Each player and coach/mentor must have a completed and signed Participation and Consent Form. These forms should be completed beforehand through your team's account with events.vex.com.

Waiting List

If this event is full, please feel free to add your team to the Waiting List and then contact the Event Partner (Primary Contact on the General Info tab). The Event Partner will let you know about possible openings for the event. If you are moved from the Waiting List to the Registered Teams List, please be prepared to pay for the event promptly at your events.vex.com account, or make arrangements with the Event Partner to pay directly at the tournament.

Walk-up Teams & Walk-Up Skills

Walk-up teams WILL NOT be permitted to compete, either in the tournament or to run Skills Only. There are no exceptions. If your team wishes to compete, they must register before the registration deadline.

Venue: Jared Sanger
Address: 714 Joseph Street, Hawley, Minnesota 56549, United States
Dates: December 18, 2026
Grade Level: All
Skills Challenge: Yes
Judging Format: All In-Person Judging

Registration & Logistics

Event Type: Open Tournament
Event Format: In-Person
Field Control: Smart Field Control
Capacity: 32
Spots Open: 27
Event Region: Minnesota
Max Registrations per Org: 8
Priority Registration Opens: 30-Sep-2026 08:00 EDT
Standard Registration Opens: 23-Oct-2026 08:00 EDT
Registration Deadline: 11-Dec-2026 20:00 EST
Payment Deadline: 12/17/2026
Price: $105.00

Agenda

Tentative Agenda – Subject to Change

IMPORTANT! If your team will be late, you must call the Event Partner (Primary Contact on the General Info tab). If your team is not checked-in on time, the match schedule will be run without your team and they cannot compete. The match schedule CANNOT be run after the tournament begins.

Team Judging will be held in the Pits. Please make yourselves available to the Judges when they show up at your Pit table. If you have a match upcoming shortly, respectfully inform the Judges and agree on a time when you will meet with them at your Pit table.

10:00 am – Doors Open, Check-In Open, Pits Open
10:30 am – Inspection Opens
11:00 am – Practice Field Opens, Skills opens on Skills Field & Match Fields as available
Inspected Robots Only!
Skills are first come, first served, maximum 3 Driver & 3 Programming skills runs
11:30 am – Check-in & Inspection Closes – Call the Event Partner if your team will be late!
11:40 am – Opening Ceremony & Team Meeting – Everyone meet in competition area
12:00 am – Qualification Matches Begin, Skills Field Opens
4:30 pm – Qualification Matches End, Skills Field Closes
4:45 pm – Alliance Selection – All Teams Present in main competition area
5:15 pm – Elimination Matches & Finals Matches
- Quarter-Finals Matches
- Semi-Finals Matches
- Finals Matches
6:15 pm – Final Awards & Event Closing
6:30 pm – Event Break-Down, Please Help as you are able!

Judging Format

Judging Format All In-Person Judging - The Team Interviews and Engineering Notebooks will be judged in-person the day of the event. Teams should bring a physical copy of their notebook to submit to the judges

Volunteer

Volunteer This event is fully volunteer-run. SIGN-UP link will be added at a later date. We ask that each team provide one adult volunteer for the event as the team is able. No experience is required for many volunteer positions. Some volunteer positions can be split between two adults for a morning & afternoon shift. Or you can volunteer for a whole day depending on the volunteer role. Lunch is provided for all-day volunteers. Visit the Global Robotics website at https://library.globalrobotics.org/hc/en-us/articles/53482592980116-Volunteer-Roles-at-a-Local-Event to check out position descriptions and find volunteer training materials: • Judges • Referees/Scorekeepers • Inspectors • Emcees • TM Operators • Queuing • Team Check-in • Volunteer Check-in • Field Reset • Setup crew • Breakdown crew

Emergency/Bad-Weather Policy

Emergency/Bad Weather Policy If our school district closes activities due to weather, this event may be postponed, rescheduled, or canceled. Please check the General Info tab on the event website; updates will be posted as they become available. The safety of teams, coaches, parents, and volunteers always comes first. If the weather looks threatening, adults should exercise their own judgment when deciding to travel or allowing their children to travel. If the event is canceled due to weather, our district will refund your school your entry fee.