LCEC Hosts Largest FTC Kick-off in SoCal History

This year, La Cañada Engineering Club had the honor of hosting the SoCal FTC Kickoff for the first time, and we're proud to say it was the largest FTC Kickoff in SoCal history, with 2,400 attendees coming out for the event.

For the game reveal, we brought everything we had. Miles Worster designed and programmed a full lighting show specifically for the occasion, synced with music and built to make the moment feel as big as it was. The crowd was captivated throughout and his work clearly left an impression beyond just the audience. FRC Director Aimee Beck sought him out afterward and handed him her business card, a well-deserved recognition of the effort he put in.

Behind the scenes, Luke Dabell led the coordination of the entire event, working closely with FTC officials Theresa Klemme and Amanda Sullivan. Pulling off an event of this scale takes months of planning and constant communication, and Luke made sure every piece was in place on the day.

After the reveal, teams moved into the cafeteria where they had the chance to get hands-on with the new game elements on a full field, take home parts to start building with, and attend a series of workshops covering everything they'd need to hit the ground running this season. The LCEC also ran concessions throughout the day to keep the 2,400 attendees fed and energized.

This was a milestone for our club, and a reflection of what our members are capable of when they take something on. In the words of one FTC veteran, "This was the best kickoff I've seen in my my 20 years at FIRST."