General Info
General Info
General Information:
Thank you for being a part of the Kern Middle School Robotics League, without you, none of this would be possible. We have put in a great deal of planning to make your experience a very positive one, but there are some ground rules that we need to set to keep things running smoothly.
Please make checks payable to Bakersfield City School District.
In an effort to start on time, we need all teams checked in no later than 8:00 in the morning, and inspected no later than 8:20. Those teams not checked in and inspected by those times may be dropped from the competition for that day of the league without refund of registration fees. Should you find yourselft stuck in traffic or have issues getting to the event, please call Dusty Wittman (661) 631-4526 or Lisa Canales (661) 631-4779.
If plans change and your teams are unable to participate in the league, we need to know as soon as possible so that we can offer those spots to teams on the waitlist. Please contact Dusty Wittman (661) 631-4526 email [email protected] or Lisa Canales (661) 631-4779 email [email protected] should you need to withdraw from the league.
Event Layout:
In the competition arena, there will be 3 raised competition fields, 2 skills fields, and bleacher seating for roughly 250 spectators. Overflow seating is available outside in a covered seating area. All spectators will have access to live field game play. In the pit area, each team will have approximately 6 feet of table space and a dedicated power station. There will be 1 practice field in the pit area.
League Dates:
October 3, 2026: First set of qualification matches. All teams required to attend.
November 7, 2026: Second set of qualification matches. All teams required to attend.
February 6, 2027: Third and final set of qualification matches and Judging. Alliance selection, Finals matches, and Award ceremony will also take place on this date.
- Venue
- Paul L. Cato Middle School
- Address
- 4115 Vineland Road, Bakersfield, California 93306, United States
- Dates
- October 3, 2026
- Grade Level
- Middle School
- Skills Challenge
- Yes
- Judging Format
- All In-Person Judging
Registration & Logistics
- Event Type
- League
- Event Format
- In-Person
- Field Control
- Smart Field Control
- Capacity
- 64
- Spots Open
- 8
- Event Region
- California - Region 3
- Max Registrations per Org
- 3
- Standard Registration Opens
- 24-Aug-2026 12:00 EDT
- Registration Deadline
- 18-Sep-2026 12:00 EDT
- Payment Deadline
- 2-Oct-2026 23:00 EDT
- Price
- $200.00
Agenda
Event Schedule:
7:00 am: Doors Open for Volunteers
7:30 am: Team Arrivals / Pit Open Team Check-In and Registration, Practice Field Opens, Inspection Table Opens
8:00 am: All Teams MUST be Checked-in.
8:20 am: All Teams Must be Inspected.
8:40 am: Team Meeting
8:55 am: Opening Ceremony – Please stop work on robots during this time
9:00 am: Matches Begin, Skills Challenge Field Opens
11:30 am - 12:00 pm: Lunch Break
12:00 pm: Matches Resume
2:30 pm: Matches End; Skills Challenge Field Closes (promptly)
2:45 pm: Team Pack Out (we appreciate any teams that are willing to stay and help clean up)
Finals 2/6: Qualification matches will be ran in the morning with elimination matches in the afternoon.
**All times subject to change based off event needs and at the discretion of the Event Partner
Event Address:
Paul L. Cato Middle School
4115 Vineland Rd.
Bakersfield, California 93306
Travel Info
Date: 3-Oct-2026 Paul L. Cato Middle School 4115 Vineland Road Bakersfield, California 93306 United States Date: 7-Nov-2026 Paul L. Cato Middle School 4115 Vineland Road Bakersfield, California 93306 United States Date: 6-Feb-2027 Paul L. Cato Middle School 4115 Vineland Road Bakersfield, California 93306 United States Travel Info Event Address: Paul L. Cato Middle School 4115 Vineland Rd. Bakersfield, California 93306 Food Options: There will be food trucks on site. For more options, check this flyer .
Judging Format
Judging Format Digital Engineering Notebook Submissions / In Person Team Interviews: Team interviews will be conducted in-person at the event. Engineering notebooks will be submitted digitally for evaluation via a link found within the "My Account" panel of the team contact. A submission deadline that may be scheduled ahead of the event date. Innovate Award no longer requires a separate form.
Volunteer
Volunteer Volunteers are needed and appreciated. Individuals wishing to volunteer, please complete this form or contact the event partner(s): Please contact: Dusty Wittman (wittmand@bcsd.com) Lisa Canales (canalesl@bcsd.com)
Emergency/Bad-Weather Policy
Emergency/Bad Weather Policy The event partner will contact teams if the event must be postponed due to a natural disaster. Teams should make sure their contact information is up to date in their events.vex.com account and includes both school and non-school phone numbers.