Dear ARML Team,
Welcome to ARML 2026! This email is going out to everyone who participated in the SFBA / NorCal ARML Team last year, as well as anyone else we think might be interested in joining the team for 2026. It contains a LOT of information about the logistics, timing, and details of this year’s ARML competition, as well as several action items for you.
New for 2026
- The registration fee for this season has been raised slightly to $410. All registration fees go directly towards running practices, arranging travel, and ARML competition fees.
- In prior years we’ve held two online tryouts. To give students more time flexibility, this season we will hold four online tryouts using the same format, in addition to ARML Local for a total of five. We ask that students aiming for elite team selection complete at least two of them (of course, you are encouraged to do more).
- We are more strongly weighing performance at in-person competitions like ARML Local, BMT, SMT, etc. for elite team selection. When filling out the Information Sheet, please provide this information to the best of your knowledge.
- Previously, non-elite team selection was primarily based on region. This season, we will additionally take into account teammate preference and age.
- For students in 6th grade or below, please fill out the Information Sheet and then contact us at info@sfbanorcalarml.org before paying the registration fee.
How to Sign Up
If you’re planning on going to ARML this year, you’ll need to complete two steps by end of day on April 27. Those steps are laid out on our website at http://sfbanorcalarml.org/join/.
As a summary: First, fill out the Information Sheet – you can do this even if you’re not sure you want to go to Reno; it just gets you on our email list so you can stay informed. Second, once you’re sure you’re going, pay the fee on ContestDojo. Similar to last year, we’ll handle permission slips via electronic signatures in May.
Practice Schedule
Check out our Season Calendar for the full schedule.
We will hold an online info session for those new to ARML on Thursday, April 16th, at 6pm. Register for the info session at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Qz5fxEYVRtyY2H_X2ezsvQ to receive the Zoom link.
In addition, we will hold ARML Local on Sunday, April 19, tentatively 9am-1pm in San Jose. Everyone is welcome to attend ARML Local, regardless of whether you’re planning to come to Reno with the team. No fees are required for ARML Local. Sacramento and Davis area students can attend ARML Local at UC Davis on April 18 – check the Sacramento page for more details.
We will hold four online elite team tryouts on April 26, April 28, April 30, and May 2. We will also consider ARML Local as a tryout opportunity, and scores from this in-person event will be weighed more heavily during team selection. While attending these tryouts is optional, we highly encourage attending at least two of these five tryouts for anyone interested in being selected for an elite team.
Like last year, we will hold three Bay Area practices on weekends in May. Each practice will include time to work in teams, as well as some fun math activities for everyone to get to know each other. The details are all available on our practices page. We are still working on locations for some practices. If you’d like to help bring practice to a location near you, please get in touch!
Sacramento and Davis area students will hold weekly Saturday practices on the UC Davis campus starting on April 4. More details are available on our Sacramento page.
Communications
Please send all questions to our email address at info@sfbanorcalarml.org. Emails to this address are seen by multiple members of the coaching staff and are the best way to ensure that you get an answer as quickly as possible.
Also, if you’d like to continue receiving emails and information about ARML 2026, make sure you fill out the Information Sheet to get added to this year’s email list. All further communications after this one will go to this year’s list.
Team emails will also be posted at http://sfbanorcalarml.org/, and you can go there to see anything that you might have missed.
T-Shirt Design Information
In a venerable ARML tradition, we’ll be designing a distinctive team t-shirt. You are invited to submit design ideas, and we will put them to a vote in early May. Here are the rules:
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T-shirt designs must be submitted by April 30th.
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All designs MUST be submitted in a vector-graphics format such as .svg or .ai. (Inkscape is free software that can create such files and is decently easy to use.)
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Designs consist of a front and a back (make a separate file for each).
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To keep printing costs low, you may use at most four colors of ink TOTAL between the front and the back: either 4 colors on one side and the other side blank, 3 colors on one side and 1 on the other, or 2 colors on each side. You are not required to use four colors; some past designs have just been simple white line art on each side.
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The design will most likely be printed on shirts of several different fabric colors. It is best if you design something that works against a variety of background colors. In our experience, white line art usually does well across a wide range of colors.
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Do not use anything offensive or anyone else’s copyrighted material.
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Do not use any AI-generated designs or design elements.
Send your designs to info@sfbanorcalarml.org by April 30th. If you would like help with your design, send it in at least a week early, and we will do our best to help improve it.
Action Items
To summarize, here’s what you should do right now if you’re going to ARML this year:
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Sign up for ARML! Fill out the Information Sheet and pay the fee on ContestDojo by April 27th, and your spot on the team will be guaranteed.
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Tell your friends to sign up for ARML too.
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Make plans to attend practices (and ARML Local on April 19th).
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If you want to submit a t-shirt design, start working on it and submit that by April 30th.
We’re looking forward to seeing you all for another fantastic year of ARML!
–Moor and the rest of the SFBA / NorCal coaching staff
