2010 New Jersey Regional

[DonRotolo]

The NJ regional seems to be like a red-headed stepchild, or maybe Rodney Dangerfield. But to teams attending, the collection of power teams is impressive and intimidating.

Two years ago, I attended both NJ and GTR. The level of competition was comparable. I'm not sure why it doesn't fill up faster - maybe because there's usually 60+ teams?

This year we have two teams from Brazil (I'll start practicing my Portuguese) and one from San Juan, Puerto Rico (have these kids ever seen snow? NJ in March isn't the tropics :D ). And (as of now) 14 openings.

1676 is looking forward to seeing you all there. Since practice is Friday and the event Saturday and Sunday, you can't use work or school as an excuse for not attending. :p

[Mike Schroeder]

1676 is looking forward to seeing you all there. Since practice is Friday and the event Saturday and Sunday, you can't use work or school as an excuse for not attending. :p

Don, I can and will use it as an excuse. :p This will be year 2 that I will not be at the NJ regional

[a kenny03]

oh, come on! work is never an excuse. just call out:p
FIRST is better, anyway.
so... i guess my spanish isn't going to help me that much???
darn.

[Wayne C.]

Mike has a very good excuse that is 'nuff said.

I know a lot of us will miss him at NJ

for Big Mike groupies- you can catch the big guy at Brunswick Eruption on Halloween at NBTHS


Wc

[sloteera]

#1860 is very excited to come back to New Jersey, where we did our first regional and we were finalist in 2006.

Let's keep contact up to March :D

[Big Kid]

only problem to the date of thursday the ummmm 4th? when competition starts, it is the final day of HSPA testing, which means any team from Jersey may be experiencing a lack of juniors

[Akash Rastogi]

only problem to the date of thursday the ummmm 4th? when competition starts, it is the final day of HSPA testing, which means any team from Jersey may be experiencing a lack of juniors

And that's why the Regional Planning Committee made it a Fri-Sun event. ;)

[Big Kid]

<_< >_> omg... i missed that memo lol, thanks stogi, and i have an advantage im fluent in Portuguese lol

[DonRotolo]

Don, I can and will use it as an excuse. :p This will be year 2 that I will not be at the NJ regional
Ah, but is it really because of work? Or are you using work as the excuse??
(wait, that's going in circles. Nevermind) :ahh:

Mike, I'll get to see you at BE on Halloween. Yes, I'll be in costume. No, not as a bear.

Don

[galewind]

I swear to the love of all that is holy -- if I see a bear suit, I am RUNNING.

[Wayne C.]

I swear to the love of all that is holy -- if I see a bear suit, I am RUNNING.

I dont want to see anything bare at BE!!!!

[DonRotolo]

The second amendment grants me the right to bare arms. Short-sleeve shorts all around!

:rolleyes:

[a kenny03]

ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:ahh: :ahh: :ahh: :ahh: :yikes:
im going to hide if i have to see that. haha

[Alexa Stott]

I'll be coming up from Maryland to attend the NJ Regional this year! The Fri-Sun schedule definitely helps in making plans to come up for it. :D

[a kenny03]

sounds pretty good. glad to hear more people are coming. hope to see you there!

[Lowfategg]

Should be awesome,

Of course Team Overdrive will be their really to play once again. I will also be attending.

Can't wait!

[a kenny03]

Ay! not team overdrive!!! haha just kidding. so, overdrive is also amped for brunswick eruption?

[Akash Rastogi]

WOOT!

237 AND 56 are returning to NJ this year. I am so psyched right now!:D

[a kenny03]

nice. i guess nj is going to be fun...

[DonRotolo]

...and not one, but TWO teams from Brazil this year!

[a kenny03]

Ay Caramba! so im guessing that there will be a few translators present? that may be a problem if like nobody can understand them

[EricH]

Ay Caramba! so im guessing that there will be a few translators present? that may be a problem if like nobody can understand them
Most of the Brazilian and other international teams have at least one person who knows English. We had two teams at L.A. last year and didn't have translation issues.

There's a spotlight that says something to the effect of, "If you know three languages, you're trilingual. If you know two languages, you're bilingual. If you know one language, you're American." While not strictly true, many international students know English well enough to talk to you. Also note that gestures, if used properly, can help your mutual understanding.

[DonRotolo]

Agreed. Brazilian teams are in NJ almost every year, and I've never had any difficulty being understood - it's a limited set of topics for discussion, much can be said without words, and most of them speak more than enough English.

Matter of fact, their Foreign Language teachers just LOVE it when they visit; even a week sharpens their skills a very noticeable amount.

[Danny McC]

I don't have classes on Friday next semester I might have to come and see how Nick over there does and whoever replaced me for that matter. Make us look good Nick ;).

[alubin237]

Bike Build at the Trenton Regional

Come out to help support the Boys and Girls Club by building some bikes.

Please see this thread for details:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?p=912116#post912116

[sloteera]

Hello folks...

I'd like to say that, this year will goes around 60 brazilians to NJ Regional!:D

[thefro526]

Ay Caramba! so im guessing that there will be a few translators present? that may be a problem if like nobody can understand them

Our Team Captain Speaks Fluent Portuguese, I believe. Maybe this will come in handy when it comes to be time for alliance selections... Hmmm. ;)

For the 5th year in a row, I'll also be attending the NJ regional. The Friday, Saturday, Sunday Schedule works really well for me since now I only have to take one day off from work. Yay!

[millerm277]

Team 41 will be back again. :D Looking forward to seeing you all there.

[Akash Rastogi]

<_< >_> omg... i missed that memo lol, thanks stogi, and i have an advantage im fluent in Portuguese lol

Nicholas is fluent in Portuguese, as he already stated. No translators needed ;)

NJ should be a blast once again. We have a few surprises in store for our fellow teams.

[ericwittlich]

Hey you guys!!!

TEAM #1382 is extremely excited to return to the origins!!! NJ regional is where we start (as our friends of TEAM #1860) and we have no intentions to go away again!

We know that is one of the most hard and special events of FIRST, and we are working hard (on the robot, and in the team spirit) to be worthy to participate this year!

I'm mentor of the team, and i was talking with the others "oldies" about our participations in the NJ regional and about the teams, etc... TEAM #1676 The (PI)oneers,was yours first season in 2005, maybe 2006? Was in NJ regional right? I remeber yours incredible pitstop infrastructure and organization... absolutely a model to be followed.

Teams, please, feel free to take look in our website (www.etepteam.com (http://www.etepteam.com.br)) to know a little more about our team, our history and our evolution during the season... ! We hope you enjoy it!

Also, feel free to take a look in this tread (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=82124) , thats about our robot of this season... we would appreciate feedbacks!

Good luck to us!!!:D

[ericwittlich]

hey teams! don't worry about the language... in Portuguese or in English we gonna understand each other... after all we speak the FIRST language!

TEAM #11 will be great to be with you again, even more talking in portuguese !!!

(Nicholas, tudo bem? Voce poderia passar seu email para que nossas equipes entrem em contato... seria muito legal!)

Please all teams, we have no problems in contacts in english (or in portuguese rs...), feel free to contact us!!! ( here my personal email: ericwittlich@gmail.com )

[DonRotolo]

I'm mentor of the team, and i was talking with the others "oldies" about our participations in the NJ regional and about the teams, etc... TEAM #1676 The (PI)oneers,was yours first season in 2005, maybe 2006? Was in NJ regional right? I remeber yours incredible pitstop infrastructure and organization... absolutely a model to be followed.
Yes, our first year was 2005, and we most certainly remember you guys! It is good news to hear you are coming back again, it will be very good to see you again!

[JohnBoucher]

237 is thrilled to be back in NJ this year. Really looking forward to it.

Venue question #1 Are there any concession stands that will be open while we are there? DD's?

Venue Question #2 Does anyone know why the event is not listed on the venue site?

[thefro526]

237 is thrilled to be back in NJ this year. Really looking forward to it.

Venue question #1 Are there any concession stands that will be open while we are there? DD's?

Venue Question #2 Does anyone know why the event is not listed on the venue site?

I was so excited when I saw that 237 was coming to NJ this year. I really enjoyed playing alongside you guys in 2008 at the Philly Regional.

But, to answer question number 1, Yes, most of the concession stands have been open in the past few year. And there is a Dunkin' Donuts - I've been there many, many times.

[William Alves]

Hi Teams
The ETEPTeam #1382 is read.
Good luck for all of us, i see you in the competition
and i have a question... It's cold there?
I need view snow! :)

[umangv620]

Team 1403 will be going!!
Good luck to all the teams out there!

and @William Alves
It snowed a lot on sunday, its gonna snow on tuesday, and again on sunday, so it is very cold here. Hopefully it'll warm up for the regional(it's usually not that cold here).

[Akash Rastogi]

237 is thrilled to be back in NJ this year. Really looking forward to it.

Venue question #1 Are there any concession stands that will be open while we are there? DD's?

Venue Question #2 Does anyone know why the event is not listed on the venue site?

We're thrilled to have 237 back! and 56! This is going to be such a sick replay of 2004 :D

[JohnBoucher]

We're thrilled to have 237 back! and 56! This is going to be such a sick replay of 2004 :D

I was so excited when I saw that 237 was coming to NJ this year. I really enjoyed playing alongside you guys in 2008 at the Philly Regional.

Yea. We are pumped. Lots of talent in the house. Good to see old friends again.

[thefro526]

Anyone interested in Scrimmaging and Meeting some Teams going to the NJ Regional, Check this out: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?p=916260#post916260

[coldfusion1279]

1279 will be back at it's home regional this year.

Looking forward to some spirited competition. Good luck all.

[DonRotolo]

So, just about 2 weeks until Trenton, the robot is shipped (whew!), we have snow, 2 Brazilian teams, and competition looks to be hot.

Oh, and I only have to take one vacation day to be there. :)

Can't wait.

[Akash Rastogi]

Is there a team social this year?

[thefro526]

Is there a team social this year?

I just looked around on the Web a bit and couldn't find any info... I doubt there's going to be one.

[Graham Donaldson]

I'll be coming up on Saturday and maybe Sunday from Philly - it'll be my first event where I'm not working competing at all. Should be an interesting experience, but jersey's always fun.

See everyone there!

[Cyberphil]

103 will not be competing this year, but a few of us will be showing up. We wanted to check out the strategies and such for our first regional. ;) Good luck to all teams!!!! No more 103-25 alliances. :D

[Syphorce]

2344 is gonna be there. Everyone better bring their A game!

[sloteera]

103 will not be competing this year, but a few of us will be showing up. We wanted to check out the strategies and such for our first regional. ;) Good luck to all teams!!!! No more 103-25 alliances. :D

Good and Bad memories about Cybersonics and Raider Robotix alliance :D

[heather]

Team 223 is excited for NJ as always :D

Anyone know who's going to be webcasting the event?

[DonRotolo]

We can use some Xtreme Heat today and tomorrow!

At least the weather for next weekend is looking to be less Xtreme.

[ks_mumupsi]

i have to admit im looking forward to nj this year... good strong competition. It will be fun to see 56 back in NJ after many years and also welcome to our international teams...

hopefully the snow subsides by then :P

on another note 103 will be missed for their presence but not for their alliance heh... need to find a new partner for 25 it seems...

[rcmolloy]

Team 1647 will have a lot of representatives there to watch the competition. If you see any of the Iron Devils in their maroon shirts. Feel free to say hi!

[delsaner]

8 days... ;)
Can't wait to see everyone! I will be there, feel free to say hi as well. My hair will be spiked and dyed yellow and black on friday, so if you see someone with that kind of hair, most likely it will be me.

[musicgurl1329]

I swear to the love of all that is holy -- if I see a bear suit, I am RUNNING.

But what if it is someone in a gorilla suit? :)

[Cyberphil]

[/QUOTE]on another note 103 will be missed for their presence but not for their alliance heh... need to find a new partner for 25 it seems...[/QUOTE]

I am sure that they will do fine without us this year. And I didn't think of our alliance from your perspective. That must have been scary! I would not want to go up against us! Haha. Once again, good luck to all!

[DonRotolo]

But what if it is someone in a gorilla suit? :)
I think that would be the gorilla my dreams (http://www.jogyjogy.com/watch.php?id=19909)...:D

[Alexa Stott]

Well, seems as if my ride has fallen through. Looks like I'll be missing NJ this year. Best of luck to all the teams!

Does anyone know if there's going to be a webcast?

EDIT: Just booked bus tickets. Thank goodness for the Bolt Bus and its $40 round trip!

See you all on Saturday!

[Barngirl425]

Team 2458 will be back this year. We are really excited :)

[Libby K]

I am so sad. For the first time in ten years, I will not be at the NJ regional. I will miss you all so much! I will be mentoring at FLR with 229.

I am there 'in spirit' cheering for 1923. I will always be a MidKnight Inventor. :)
Hope it's a fun and exciting regional, as always!

-Libby

[George A.]

Less than 4 days separate us from the competition at the Sun National Arena (formerly the Sovereign Bank Arena)


That being said, I'd like to offer a few pearls of wisdom to those folks that will be joining us (be you first time NJers or Wily Veterans)

1) Jersey is notorious for bad weather. It has almost become a tradition for us to have inclement weather the week of the competition. So hope for the best but prepare for the worst (we did get about 3 feet of snow this past week)

2) The competition is held in an ice rink. So please dress accordingly. It is always easier to wear extra layers and take them off, than to not bring layers and have to find extra clothing.

3) We have 63 teams and are a week 1 regional. That being said I can guarantee there WILL be glitches to the system. Please everyone remember their GP and take a deep breath before going off the deep end.

4) (this should be a 3a) Everyone is going to be getting 9 matches this year, instead of the normal 7 or so. That being said it will be everyone's responsibility to help make the event run smoothly. With 2 extra matches a team we will be under an even bigger time crunch to make sure that we aren't there until midnight. So before you leave your pit...do you have a charged battery, do you have your driver buttons, do you have your safety glasses? All the little things will add up to massive amounts of delays if we have to keep reminding everyone about it.

5) Please also remember that the people working this event are volunteers. They don't get paid, they are their for the sheer reason that they love FIRST and want to see everyone have fun. We don't get paid...our "salary" is a meal and a t-shirt. We have a number of people there who have worked this event for more than 5 years and do their best to make things run as smooth as can be. Also keep in mind, that if you think you have a long day, theirs is longer. We have to report to the arena at 7:00 every morning (almost an hour and a half before the doors open) and we don't leave until at least an hour after you guys leave.

So while the passion of competition might bring out the "less-GPness" out of some people, take the time to thank a volunteer with a hug, a handshake or a simple thank you...I guarantee it will make their day. (also, I'll be the guy with the mic in the Hawaiian shirt by the scorers table if anyone wants to say hi).


Sorry for the rant, but I figured the more prepared you guys are the better.


So rest up, save your voices and get ready for a fun three days in NJ!

[thefro526]

3) We have 63 teams and are a week 1 regional. That being said I can guarantee there WILL be glitches to the system. Please everyone remember their GP and take a deep breath before going off the deep end.

4) (this should be a 3a) Everyone is going to be getting 9 matches this year, instead of the normal 7 or so. That being said it will be everyone's responsibility to help make the event run smoothly. With 2 extra matches a team we will be under an even bigger time crunch to make sure that we aren't there until midnight. So before you leave your pit...do you have a charged battery, do you have your driver buttons, do you have your safety glasses? All the little things will add up to massive amounts of delays if we have to keep reminding everyone about it.



I'd like to expand on George's post.

These two things are very important. The field crew at Jersey has been top notch every year I've been there and everyone should work their hardest to help them out. Make sure you're paying attention to whats going on because there will be problems and the will be errors made and it helps to have everyone informed. Make sure that you have everything operating correctly on your machine so time isn't wasted chasing a "Field Fault" when it's really something to do with your robot (Everyone blames the field at first, I've been guilty of it once or thrice.).

Also, 9 Matches with 61 teams is truly a gift to those competing, and we should all remember this.

See you all on Friday, better bring your A Game... :D

[Rion Atkinson]

Does anyone know weather or not the regional will be webcast? Or where I could find it? with 4 days left, I would really like to watch a week one regional. :D

Thanks,
-Rion

[nlknauss]

Does anyone know weather or not the regional will be webcast? Or where I could find it? with 4 days left, I would really like to watch a week one regional. :D

Thanks,
-Rion
Rion, I believe that there are no current plans for a webcast at the regional. If something does come up, I'm sure it get up here for everyone check out.


Good luck to everyone attending the regional! With so many great volunteers and teams in attendance, I have no doubt as to whether or not this will be an extraordinary event. Rock on everyone! :cool:

[Akash Rastogi]

MORT will have info to pass out about our I <3 Autonomous Mode t-shirts at Trenton

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=83805

[thefro526]

Does anyone know weather or not the regional will be webcast? Or where I could find it? with 4 days left, I would really like to watch a week one regional. :D

Thanks,
-Rion

Rion, FLR (Rochester) is being webcasted on Friday and Saturday. I'd suggest Checking those out.

If someone does manage to get a webcast going during the regional I'll be sure to post up here though.

[thefro526]

Since Looking Forward came out and said that they will be unable to make predictions this year, I thought I’d have some fun and make NJ predictions of my own. Locks are teams that are the most likely to make it to the finals, Tips are teams that are most likely going to make it to Eliminations and Others are teams that have the potential to make it to the Eliminations.

Locks:

25 – 25 always fields one of the most competitive machines in New Jersey, and I’m sure this year will be no different. They have won New Jersey in 3 of their last 4 attempts (Though all of these were with 103 who is not competing at NJ this year) and I expect them to have a strong showing here.

2753 – 2753, 2009’s rookie sensation. Arguably 2753 is the most successful rookie team since 2056 in 2007. Last year they made their way all the way to Einstein. This year they showed that their fielding an 8WD machine with a very capable looking kicker and hanging mechanism. If Team Overdrive’s short history is anything to go on then they will do very well.

56 – 56 is another one of those New Jersey Powerhouses and judging by the video and photos of their robot I’ve seen so far I’d say they’re shaping up to do the same. If their kicking and hanging goes well then they’ll definitely be playing into the afternoon on Sunday.

1279 – 1279 Is a Mecanum wheeled Sucking Machine – Literally. If their vacuum ball possession mechanism works well I can see it being a huge asset and if it’s coupled with some smart driving I could see Cold Fusion going very far.

Tips:

2016 – 2016 was mentioned first here for a reason. I would’ve made them a lock, because of their collaboration with 2753 but I’m not too sure of how they’ll handle their machine. They’ve always build good machines for as long as I can remember, we’ll just have to see if they’re able to take home a banner.

75 – 75 is a world class organization. They build capable robots year in and year out and they’re also no stranger to elimination matches. They’ve got all the tools they’ll need to do well, we’ll just have to see how everything plays out for them.

1923 – 1923 may have the most heart out of any team I’ve had the pleasure of being around in FIRST. Last year they really stepped up their game and were able to take home a Banner in addition to making an impact at every competition they went to. From what I could tell from the picture on CD, they should field capable machine, we’ll just have to see if everything works in their favor.

11 – 11 is one of my favorite teams, and for good reason. MORT is made up of some of the nicest people around but their robots don't always get the respect deserved. Regardless, the MORT camp has been quiet this year, but I know they’ve got some new sponsors and access to the resources of EWCP which means that they have everything they need to field a powerful machine. With some help, MORT should make an impact here.

293 – I had the pleasure of seeing SPIKE’s machine up close and it looks good. They have a powerful Cam kicker that should be punting the length of the field. They didn’t have a hanging mechanism though which may hinder them later on, but I know they should make it to the First round of Elims at least.

2344 – 2344 may have fielded one of the most understated machines at the New Jersey regional last year. Regardless, they took home a banner in NJ and were a finalist in NYC in addition to winning a Chairman’s there. I know big things will come from this team in one form or another.

1860 – 1860 looks like they’ll be fielding a competitive machine this year as well too. Their kicker looks powerful and they’ve definitely got some spirit. Oh, did I forget to mention that they’re from Brazil, and Brazilians are great at soccer?

237 – 237, The TRIBE is returning to NJ for the first time since 2007. I haven’t seen their machine this year, but if past robots are a sign of things to come then they should do very well.

Others
I would guarantee that the 12 teams listed above will make an impact on the NJ regional and play in the Eliminations. The Remaining 12 spots will probably go to some of these teams: 41, 102, 223, 303, 486, 555, 714, 816, 1089, 1228, 1403, 1676, 1807, 2180, and 2590.

Hints

Because New Jersey is a week one regional we will see a unique (most likely crude) style of Gameplay that will evolve over time. The scores will vary a lot, but I foresee many matches staying at less than 10 points total scored by both alliances. About midway through the qualifications defense will show its ugly head as teams realize that their manipulators aren’t as effective as they hoped. We will probably see a huge upset in the Eliminations (8 beats 1 or 7 beats 2) because of defense. Hanging will probably become more important as the day goes on, as the scores begin to rise.

Also, it’ll be interesting to see how teams adjust to carpet; I know there will be a large portion of second year drivers that’ll be in for a rude awakening. In addition to adjusting to carpet, there will be a lot of robots with Omni-Directional Drives that will have to learn how to use the effectively. I'd almost guarantee that 1/3rd of the robots in the finals will have an Omni Drive of some sort though.

(PS, don’t be offended if your team wasn’t mentioned, if anything go out there and prove me wrong.)

[Chris is me]

Awesome, honest predictions! I'm really looking at 25 this year - they seem to do better using a bit more physical play than finesse, which could make them a huge asset to many alliances here. I just have a gut feeling this is going to be a good 25 year.

2753 is quantitatively the best rookie since 100 won the championship in 1995, in terms of success at Champs. No way they won't at least be an elimination force, if not event winner. 2016 is in a similar boat, though. Since Tyler's driving neither robot you can't just say for sure which could be better, but 2753 has the (albeit short) track record and quality team structure it takes to stay at the level they reached last year.

56's robot is awesome, no doubt about that. The only question mark I have is how such a drivetrain will handle when the eliminations pour on the defense, but if 56 plays like their preship shows, they should be able to get their hands on partners who draw defense away from them.

11's the wild card this year, I think. Akash and his buddies love continuous improvement; they'll probably bring in something new even to this week 1 event. With that being their strength, though, it's hard to predict how well 11 will do at their home event before they truly get to shine. Their robot will definitely gather a lot of attention, especially if they bring in something awesome with them, and there's no way they won't be a factor.

I like your prediction on the gameplay of the event. In previous years, defense isn't exactly what New Jersey is known for, so it'll be interesting to see what the scouts decide will work in eliminations. Considering how drastically different the games are with the new ranking system, alliance selection is going to matter a lot more than your rank in the top 8.

[DonRotolo]

Thank you for the excellent predictions. Had I known, I'd have fed you some info about 1676.

I do not expect us to be radically different this year, but with a new drivetrain (8WD) and new drive team (the old ones graduated :ahh: ) it's unpredictable. We have a nice kickerbot that has been performing well in testing, a new web-based* scouting system, and lots and lots of spirit this year.

* Using a local HTML server connected by wire. No WiFi this year. As in the past, ALL TEAMS are welcome to stop by and download our data, all day every day. Bring a flash drive to download please. The server will be up in the stands, but we hope to have a runner keep a fresh copy in the pits as well.

And we're going to have incredibly nice weather this weekend!

Don

[Wayne C.]

[QUOTE=Chris is me;930894]Awesome, honest predictions! I'm really looking at 25 this year - they seem to do better using a bit more physical play than finesse, which could make them a huge asset to many alliances here. I just have a gut feeling this is going to be a good 25 year.

QUOTE]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. But the only team that has seen our robot was 103 when we visited their field on the last weekend.

Yes- we have a strong bully drive train, multiple auto modes, do all sorts of game activities. I hope our machine does as well as we hope it will.

It will be a glorious competition. Lets ALL hope it doesnt turn into a referee decided penalty fest.

[thefro526]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. But the only team that has seen our robot was 103 when we visited their field on the last weekend.

It will be a glorious competiton. Lets ALL hope it doesnt turn into a referee decided penalty fest.

I was told by a friend on 103, "Wait Until You See 25". That's all I know about your machine, but judging on the context in which the message was said, it must be pretty epic.

And I second the hope that this doesn't turn into a penalty fest.

[Zultraranger]

This is my team's first year going to NJ Regional, I'm really excited to be the first regional to try breakaway. I wonder what the dynamics of the game will be like?

[Alexa Stott]

This is my team's first year going to NJ Regional, I'm really excited to be the first regional to try breakaway. I wonder what the dynamics of the game will be like?

What makes first week regionals so exciting is you can never quite know what to expect. After six weeks of working on robot design and strategy, everyone is always incredibly eager to try things out. What you may have thought was a strategy that would never work might actually win you the regional. Because we are following a Friday-Sunday format rather than the traditional Thursday-Saturday, we could possibly be influenced by what's going on at other regionals for those teams who take the time to scout them out.

[delsaner]

Had I known, I'd have fed you some info about 1676.


For anyone who is interested, or wants to get some information, our robot can be seen on CD-Media. I posted a picture of our robot, with the permission from our coach. Just a notification/update.

[Akash Rastogi]

I was told by a friend on 103, "Wait Until You See 25". That's all I know about your machine, but judging on the context in which the message was said, it must be pretty epic.

And I second the hope that this doesn't turn into a penalty fest.

Same here.

The MORT camp is excited to see what 25 has come up with. From what we heard it sounds intense, can't wait!:D

Thanks for the vote of confidence Chris and Dustin, hopefully we don't disappoint. NJ will be a tough regional for us as we will be testing different things and we'll be making adjustments during the event. We will just be using NJ to get ready for Boston. We're not totally sure how we'll do either with our current design, we'll base changes off of our performance in NJ.

NJ will see our team's Mascot for the first time in like 6 years or so. We also have a guest mascot with us for Sunday. He's green and he loves Philly :rolleyes:

Don't know how well we'll handle the balls as of now, but beware our drivetrain driver :cool: He's been practicing.

[coldfusion1279]

What makes first week regionals so exciting is you can never quite know what to expect. After six weeks of working on robot design and strategy, everyone is always incredibly eager to try things out. What you may have thought was a strategy that would never work might actually win you the regional.


This is also why I love week 1 events. The playing field is level. Nobody has played the game yet, and therefore nobody has "figured it out" yet. I prefer regionals where nobody has any idea how their robot, or any other robot will perform in match situations. Having expected winners due to previous week's regional winners sort of deflates the excitement.

[coldfusion1279]

Figures, I put my foot in my mouth ^^ In spite of what I said above...

We appreciate the kind words in how Dustin explained our robot. The students and mentors always love to be recognized for the hard work they put in. We can only hope our robot performs as well as we expect. Also thanks to his team, 816, for extending a pre-ship practice invitation (though we decided not to attend).

[thefro526]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Chris and Dustin, hopefully we don't disappoint. NJ will be a tough regional for us as we will be testing different things and we'll be making adjustments during the event. We will just be using NJ to get ready for Boston. We're not totally sure how we'll do either with our current design, we'll base changes off of our performance in NJ.

Don't know how well we'll handle the balls as of now, but beware our drivetrain driver :cool: He's been practicing.

Stogi, all of the confidence and respect I have for 11 (And You) has been earned over the years I've known you guys. And regardless of your testing and tweaking I'm sure that you'll make some sort of an impact in the regional, in one way or another.

And if your Drive Team is even half as good as last year you guys will do well, I hope they're as personable too.

Btw, who's coaching for 11 this year? Did you get dibs on that job?


We appreciate the kind words in how Dustin explained our robot. The students and mentors always love to be recognized for the hard work they put in. We can only hope our robot performs as well as we expect. Also thanks to his team, 816, for extending a pre-ship practice invitation (though we decided not to attend).

You're welcome. I know the feeling of pride felt by a team when they are mentioned in predictions. You guys earned it though, your machine looks great.

[Akash Rastogi]

Btw, who's coaching for 11 this year? Did you get dibs on that job?

Myself and a mentor will be switching out during Friday's practice matches to see who the driveteam thinks is more effective. We leave it to our drivers to decide.

[thefro526]

Myself and a mentor will be switching out during Friday's practice matches to see who the driveteam thinks is more effective. We leave it to our drivers to decide.

Awesome.

I hope you land the spot. I'm interesting to see what kind of strategic shenanigans you'll come up with.

[Akash Rastogi]

Awesome.

I hope you land the spot. I'm interesting to see what kind of strategic shenanigans you'll come up with.

We have a Coach Klein* playbook of-sorts;) I really think this game will come down to more about driver performance, strategy, and ball gathering than the boast of teams' kickers, so we're preparing plays to try out.

*- The Waterboy

[coldfusion1279]

See you on the field ;)

I am looking forward to seeing/hearing some strategies that teams will ultimately put into action on the field.

[Dancin103]

I was told by a friend on 103, "Wait Until You See 25". That's all I know about your machine, but judging on the context in which the message was said, it must be pretty epic.

And I second the hope that this doesn't turn into a penalty fest.

WOW I know who THAT friend is...

[Bharat Nain]

I was told by a friend on 103, "Wait Until You See 25". That's all I know about your machine, but judging on the context in which the message was said, it must be pretty epic.

And I second the hope that this doesn't turn into a penalty fest.

To be honest, we are nothing special this year. We do what every robot does - gather a ball and kick it in the goal. I think NJ will come down to who can do this best and there are certainly a few strong teams this year. I am also curious to see how many robots are legal. Due to the stringent rules this year, I think Thursday is going to be very stressful for many teams trying to comply with the rules.

[ks_mumupsi]

we are excited to be competing and thank you for the vote of confidence in our design...

I am looking for ward to seeing 25's bot also, they are always a great attraction at NJ.

See you guys in about a day :)

[Brandon_L]

Just think:
You go to sleep tonight, wake up in the morning (Take the HSPA...) and its less then 24 hrs!

[delsaner]

Just think:
You go to sleep tonight, wake up in the morning (Take the HSPA...) and its less then 24 hrs!

amen to that :)

[Lowfategg]

I am going to look into setting up a live stream for NJ tomorrow. I will keep you guys posted if I can get anything to work on Friday. Of course if anyone else is already setting up a stream I wont bother.

[Dancin103]

I am going to look into setting up a live stream for NJ tomorrow. I will keep you guys posted if I can get anything to work on Friday. Of course if anyone else is already setting up a stream I wont bother.

That would be awesome. :)

[thefro526]

I am going to look into setting up a live stream for NJ tomorrow. I will keep you guys posted if I can get anything to work on Friday. Of course if anyone else is already setting up a stream I wont bother.

You'd be my hero if you did that.

Oh wait, you're already my hero.

See yah tomorrow Tyler.

[DonRotolo]

I am going to look into setting up a live stream for NJ tomorrow. I will keep you guys posted if I can get anything to work on Friday. Of course if anyone else is already setting up a stream I wont bother.
I don't know of anyone else doing that, so again, it would be awesome.

[293spike]

Any early favorites after practice day?

[Rion Atkinson]

I am going to look into setting up a live stream for NJ tomorrow. I will keep you guys posted if I can get anything to work on Friday. Of course if anyone else is already setting up a stream I wont bother.

I'm just going to go ahead and repeat what everyone else has said. That would be amazing! :D I am really wanting to see the NJ Regional. Sadly being in Oklahoma has it's draw backs...

I hope you can get it done! :D

[Vikesrock]

I'm just going to go ahead and repeat what everyone else has said. That would be amazing! :D I am really wanting to see the NJ Regional. Sadly being in Oklahoma has it's draw backs...

I hope you can get it done! :D

I don't know if it was Tyler or someone else, but there a link appeared on the NASA page late in the day. I didn't get a chance to see any matches, but I did see a working stream of sponsor logos.

[Rion Atkinson]

I don't know if it was Tyler or someone else, but there a link appeared on the NASA page late in the day. I didn't get a chance to see any matches, but I did see a working stream of sponsor logos.

Were is said NASA page? Lol. I would love to look and see the regionals they will be hosting. :D

[Brandon_L]

I don't know if it was Tyler or someone else, but there a link appeared on the NASA page late in the day. I didn't get a chance to see any matches, but I did see a working stream of sponsor logos.

Thats probably what was playing on the big screen thing, they didn't have any footage of us driving around they only showed sponsors...

[thefro526]

After practice day it seems like my predictions may be pretty good. :D

Some of my early Favorites are 56, 1279, 25, 1923, 2016, and 2753. But there are also a lot of teams getting into their grove that are showing promise so we'll see.

But I'll make one more prediction:

One of the Robots on Einstein will have competed at the New Jersey Regional... And I doubt it'll be their first appearance there.

[Brandon_L]

After practice day it seems like my predictions may be pretty good. :D

Some of my early Favorites are 56, 1279, 25, 1923, 2016, and 2753. But there are also a lot of teams getting into their grove that are showing promise so we'll see.

But I'll make one more prediction:

One of the Robots on Einstein will have competed at the New Jersey Regional... And I doubt it'll be their first appearance there.

Heh, we had a practice match together. We had the obnoxious orange polos, you were on the right driver station and we were center.

[Vikesrock]

Were is said NASA page? Lol. I would love to look and see the regionals they will be hosting. :D

Only the week 1 events are listed so far

http://robotics.arc.nasa.gov/events/2010_frcwebcasts.php#webcasts

[thefro526]

Heh, we had a practice match together. We had the obnoxious orange polos, you were on the right driver station and we were center.

We were. I think that was the match where the first thing out of my drivers mouth was "The Joysticks are backwards."

Btw, if anyone could spare a lab-view savvy programmer tomorrow we could really use 15 minutes to 20 minutes of help with our autonomous routines. We keep having an issue with the watchdog not being fed. Come find me (Dustin) or go to our pit and ask for Nick if you can help. Thanks :D

[Brandon_L]

We were. I think that was the match where the first thing out of my drivers mouth was "The Joysticks are backwards."

Btw, if anyone could spare a lab-view savvy programmer tomorrow we could really use 15 minutes to 20 minutes of help with our autonomous routines. We keep having an issue with the watchdog not being fed. Come find me (Dustin) or go to our pit and ask for Nick if you can help. Thanks :D

Ill stop by, Ive gout our watchdog on a leash : P

[Big Kid]

Ill stop by, Ive gout our watchdog on a leash : P

Thanks, our watchdog has been running on a rampage over our Autonomous lol

[Rion Atkinson]

Only the week 1 events are listed so far

http://robotics.arc.nasa.gov/events/2010_frcwebcasts.php#webcasts

Thank you very much! :D My team is having a meeting tomorrow to watch all the week 1 events we can. :D (Kinda like a end of build season thing. And gives the Coaches a nice and relaxing day for once. )

[thefro526]

Ill stop by, Ive gout our watchdog on a leash : P

Thanks A Lot! I'll be looking forward to your help!

[Brandon_L]

Thanks A Lot! I'll be looking forward to your help!

Ill be there after the drivers meeting. (unless we have a match..)

[Akash Rastogi]

http://www2.usfirst.org/2010comp/events/NJ/schedulequal.html

[sundancekid92]

http://www2.usfirst.org/2010comp/events/NJ/schedulequal.html

awww. I was hopping to be teamed up with Mort this year :(

[Akash Rastogi]

awww. I was hopping to be teamed up with Mort this year :(

That's what eliminations matches are for:rolleyes:

[JohnBoucher]

25 has a killer bot. Scoring 7 to 8 from anywhere on the field and doing a strong man hang at the end. The place went nuts when they did that hang.

[jblay]

I can wait to check out all the teams tomorrow especially 25 and 1279.

Any chance someone could let me know what color the driver buttons are this year?

[TD912]

I caught the end of Match #55 in the webcast. I saw Blue Alliance get *26* penalties, 25 of them apparently due to DOGMA... :eek:

What happened out there?

Best of luck to all the teams out there, and don't score too many penalties!

[darkember]

There were 25 penalties because the balls weren't returned to the field on time.

[Brandon_L]

http://www2.usfirst.org/2010comp/events/NJ/rankings.html

Tied for first in climbing points!!!!

Also, I think were in good shape! Were in 32nd, but almost everyone above us have played one more match then us. (Cept for team 25. WOW!)

AND I met the fro :O

[ZeroGAdam]

Has anyone seen an archive for matches at all? If there is one in fact?

[Vikesrock]

Has anyone seen an archive for matches at all? If there is one in fact?

Even if the matches are being recorded, an archive will likely not be up until at least a few days after the event is over.

[flyingcrayons]

I can wait to check out all the teams tomorrow especially 25 and 1279.

Any chance someone could let me know what color the driver buttons are this year?

Driver's buttons are white with black lettering. kinda disappointing, cuz the orange ones last year matched our team colors :)

I caught the end of Match #55 in the webcast. I saw Blue Alliance get *26* penalties, 25 of them apparently due to DOGMA... :eek:

What happened out there?

Best of luck to all the teams out there, and don't score too many penalties!

That's not even the worst of it. one of the first matched of the day, (maybe 6,7 or around that, but dont hold me on that), one alliance recieved 71 penalty points. at first i thought it was a typo, but after that 25 point penalty i found out that it was legit. interesting

I also find the fact that a lot of bots are getting 3" penalties. As co-head scouter, i was watching matches all day, and about 90% of the matches had a 3" penalty. and many teams got multiple ones in a match. something to look out for the rest of the regionals.

i want to congratulate all the teams that won awards today, including MORT, Iron Maidens, one of the Brazilian teams (Sorry guys), 219 for their inflatable bag (the crowd goes wild when it puffs up), and all the other teams (sorry i forgot).
Finally to the website guy on my team, Lenny aka McLovin, and my mentor, Mr. Gregory for winning the 2010 NJ Regional Woodie Flowers Award.

Mr. Gregory, you truly are the cheese to our macaroni :D

see you guys tomorrow for elims!

[Brandon_L]

219 for their inflatable bag (the crowd goes wild when it puffs up)

Ive heard about that, what exactly is it?

[afowl]

Ive heard about that, what exactly is it?

I haven't seen it complete it's hang yet but I believe it grasps the two vertical struts of the tower and deploys an air big on the top of the bot and it flips over onto the platform, sitting on the air bag. I haven't seen it do the whole action but that's word on the street.

[Lowfategg]

I caught the end of Match #55 in the webcast. I saw Blue Alliance get *26* penalties, 25 of them apparently due to DOGMA... :eek:

What happened out there?

Best of luck to all the teams out there, and don't score too many penalties!

Actually its quite easy to explain.

Ever have an alliance partner reach into the funnel on the goal to get a ball (1 point penalty)? Ever thought about the ball counter reading the human players hand as a nonexistent ball that can never be returned?

Yup, that is what happened, or so we believe.

[Akash Rastogi]

I just want to give a huge congratulations to Chris Gregory from 1089 for NJ WFFA. Well deserved dude.

Good luck today everyone.

[ZeroGAdam]

I have a question about penalties. Here at the NJ regional, I noticed many teams were hanging before the last 20 seconds. The did, in my opinion, extend to more than 60 inches when the performed this before the finale. I did not see any penalty given because they tried to hang before the last 20 seconds. Is this true?

[Ryan Simpson]

Rule <G30c> states:

TOWER Contact ROBOT Volume - During a MATCH, ROBOTS in contact with their ALLIANCE TOWER may extend beyond their NORMAL CONFIGURATION volume but may not exceed the FINALE CONFIGURATION maximum volume.

So, their actions are perfecly legal.

This has been a great competition and I can't wait until eliminations. Good luck, and I'll see you there!

[ZeroGAdam]

Rule <G30c> states:



So, their actions are perfecly legal.

This has been a great competition and I can't wait until eliminations. Good luck, and I'll see you there!

Thanks I was wondering why and I couldn't quite figure it out.

[Dmentor]

The announcing on finals match 2 had me laughing so hard I could barely concentrate on the game! Great stuff!

[TD912]

Wow! Finals match 2 was rough!

Plus totally unexpected 14 penalties to Red Alliance there!

On to Match 3!

[Alexa Stott]

Wow! Finals match 2 was rough!

Plus totally unexpected 14 penalties to Red Alliance there!

On to Match 3!

According to one of my teammates, one of the human players lost control of the balls while returning it to the field.

[s_forbes]

There were some very exciting matches during the eliminations, I'm glad I was able to catch all of the webcast today. Congrats to team 25 on their stellar robot!

[Brandon_L]

Thanks to 303 and 56 for picking us and giving us a good run, and for supporting us through our (many) breakdowns. Weve never been to eliminations and never knew how rough it is on and off the field, so things were breaking everywhere. We feel kinda bad we couldn't hang also : (.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyVJCaT335U

It sucked for us to see that, but it put up a good show :D

EDIT:

And I almost forgot, thanks to flux core and mercury for batteries, charged classmate, and for your bumper switching godliness.

[popnbrown]

Congrats to 25, 1676 and 3059 on a spectacular two days and finals match.

Congrats to 2016, 816, and 422 on a great heated competition, you guys definitely put up a fight.


Congrats to 75 on winning Engineering Inspiration.

Congrats to Krishna from 1923 and Ethan from 1676.

And as an alumni of Team 1403, I know the guys that have been putting the presentation together have worked very very hard this year. So a really BIGG shoutout to Team 1403 for working soo hard, finally got it!!! Keep up the good work and don't stop.

[Big Kid]

I am still in shock, our robot suffered so much at getting moving at the beginning of comp to getting to finals, it feels amazing especially as a rookie driver. I have to thank 2016, and 422, for getting the balls up to the near zone and 2016 forhanging, and 422 for deflecting balls in and defending. I congraulate you the champions of NJ it was great to face off your guys. And last but not least I have to thank The Fro for lending me his brain as a coach lol.

[Brandon_L]

Anyone know when we can see videos up on TBA?

[robonunez]

Thanks to 303 and 56 for picking us and giving us a good run, and for supporting us through our (many) breakdowns. Weve never been to eliminations and never knew how rough it is on and off the field, so things were breaking everywhere. We feel kinda bad we couldn't hang also : (.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyVJCaT335U

It sucked for us to see that, but it put up a good show :D
Team 56 thanks team 303 for picking us. We had a difficult start but got many of our kinks worked out. It was a wild ride.

Congrats to team 25 and the winning alliance. You guys have an amazing 'bot.

Look forward to seeing some of you in Philly!!

[ks_mumupsi]

ummmm.... where to begin.

first off thanks to 422 for picking us as the number 2 pick. we were confident in our capabilities but not entirely sure.. 816, you guys had a heck of bot as well and it was great playing with both of you guys...

finals.... match 2..... thats all I need say and maybe even match 3....

but that was the most fun I have had at NJ in a long time and it was a blast to see the crowd after match 2 scores were announced....

again congrats to 25 on an impressive bot and campaign.
congrats to 75 for another strong EI win.
congrats to 1403 on a well deserved and well awaited chairman's I know for you guys.

thanks to the entire NJ crowd for the fun and cheering during our matches.

hope to see you guys in ATL.

p.s. if anyone has videos of the finals matches please post them as I would like to get a copy..

-kinsuk
2016 drive coach.

[Ryan Simpson]

Wow! That was an amazing competition!

First off, thanks to 25 for picking us and to 3059 for rounding out an awesome alliance.
422, 2016, and 816: You were great competition in the finals.
Congrats to 1403 on their Chairman's victory. You guys are really impressive and I loved your video.
Nice job 75 on your EI win. Can't way to see you guys in Virginia and Atlanta!
Great job 3231 on the Rookie All-Star Award. I can't wait to see what you guys do in future years.

Thanks to all the judges, safety advisors, referees, and other volunteers for making this event so fun. The excitement in the mascot pit was incredible and the crowd really got into the event. Plus, who doesn't love a mile-long Conga line? This is what makes the NJ Regional one of the most enjoyable ones to attend.

[DonRotolo]

Thanks 25 and 3053 for an awesome set of matches.
Thanks again to 25 for their technical help and advice; you guys put the Gracious in GP.

3053, you guys rock. I can't wait to see you in Atlanta.

1403, I am sooo glad to see you get Chairman's, it couldn't have been won by a better team, ever. Oh, and thanks for the soldering iron & solder.

Team 75, thanks for those batteries you loaned us for finals. We still have one of them, you'll get it ASAP. See you in Richmond and, thanks to some Engineering Inspiration, Atlanta as well!

Team 223, thanks for that camera power connector, you saved us once again. Oh, and you'll get that back ASAP as well. You guys need to assemble a practice bot and come up to Montvale for some driver fun practice.

Team 1089, you guys are a class act, and Michael Reffler is the best - his help with our USB issues (which made us go dead twice (!) today) fixed us up good and really helped us go all the way.
Chris Gregory: we spoke, but congratulations yet again on the WFA. Wow. (another reason 1089 rocks).

Team 3231, from Pioneer Academy of Science: Rookie All Star was well deserved. (Great school name, too - we like it! :) When I congratulated you guys afterwards, I forgot to mention that MORT helped us out when we were rookies too. MORT Rocks!

1672, man do you guys have a killer bot this year. Sometimes it doesn't work out, but this makes you work harder for it next year. Take it from our experience. Mr. Light deserves a sainthood award for keeping at it all this time.

422, we are looking forward to knowing you better in your home town. You guys are tough!

2016, you have an awesome team - not just loud :ahh: but a well-developed TEAM. Sorry we had to leave you with Finalist; it really was close, and I was worried.

1860 - it was good seeing you, thanks for coming up to cold New Jersey to compete
1380, thanks for the team shirt. Really nice, and I hope you enjoy ours.
1872, it was nice being next to you in the pits, and your photo display was very good, I liked it. I only wish there was more snow for you to see!

2458, that plucky team from Gill St Bernards - I was happy to help, glad it made a positive difference, and can't wait to see what kind of awesome you bring to the field next year. And the offer always stands: let me know if you need anything. Amanda, you're really something, I'm honored to know you.

Ethan - well, you know already. But congratulations again anyway.

There are several more, but the words are starting to blur, so..

Thanks everyone for helping make New Jersey the best regional of all. (Those who have never been - check out the video, see what I mean)

Don
:)

[Prash R.]

Wow, what a regional.
I'd like to thank our alliance partners 1676 and 3059 for being amazing in every match we played together.
Also thanks to teams 2016, 816, and 2495 for making the finals one to remember for a long time. You guys were great!
Congratulations to all of the award winners, every team that won deserved it without a doubt.
Another thanks to all of the judges, refs, and volunteers. Everything went by so smoothly and it would not have happened without you.
Overall, thanks to everyone for a great regional. It was outstanding, and I don't think there is a single person who would disagree.

[Akash Rastogi]

Every year I'm disappointed by the NJ regional, but this year the competition was insane and highly impressive. Our team had small issues with code and shorts in our system during qualifications but if teams want details about why we earned Innovation in Controls, feel free to talk to any of our programmers.

I want to thank 1672 for choosing us even with our driving problems. I am sorry we fell a little short with our defense, 303 was just too $@#$@#$@#$@# fast. Thank you for allowing me to make the selection of 2344 eventhough you were the alliance captain, they scored viciously along with you guys. We weren't too bummed by the quick eliminations exit, our alliance fought hard.

The other reasons we weren't bummed:
2458- awesome seeing a mentored team make it into elims.
2495- we hope our advice throughout the season aided you for eliminations
56- we lost playing among friends
1089- you guys are just awesome
1676- there's no need to say anything besides we love you guys
1403- about $@#$@#$@#$@# time
816- Dustin, we both knew you had it in you
2016- Tyler, you clearly have a great affect on any team you encounter, we could not help but come down to the mascot area and cheer you on in the finals. You were just that deserving of praise and support
2753- I have never been in awe by a young team two years in a row. Your team is flawless, never cut your standards down. I'm greatful to have been friends with your team
3231- I hope our mentorship during the build season played a small part in your success

We are very proud to have known and worked with all of you throughout the years.

Our disappointment was dulled down once we saw the teams involved in eliminations and our connection to each one of them. I seem to lose focus on the bigger things in FIRST sometimes- partnerships and passing on knowledge.

We'll see some of you in Boston. This game has just begun, and we will not stop improving ;)

[PayneTrain]

Wow, what a competition.

Team 422 was snowed in for weeks at a time and unable to get in school, but we had a dedicated group of builders and programmers to piece together a robot in 12 days.

During competition, we had breakdowns due to old equipment (I think we had some Jags from last year's robot, Redemption) and problems with some parts we were never able to test.

I know some may think we didn't deserve to male eliminations, much less place 2nd overall after qualifying matches, but as broken as I am able to admit the system is (ala Portland Regional) we were the team capable of using every competitive strategy to gain as many points as we could by the end of prelims. We played methodical, penalty-free Breakaway, and positioned our Alliance to easily push in points while we tried to manage the back or mid-field and prevent scoring. We are all thrilled that we managed to pull together a robot in a short amount of time and after many late nights before and during competition to reach the finals against such a well formed opposition.

We'd like to congratulate Team 25; They didn't need a scoring strategy, they earned number one through raw power and perfect execution in their robot.

We'd like to congratulate Pascack (1676) on their part in Aliance 1's victory and say we are excited that you will be coming to the best regional on the East Coast this year. (maybe second to New Hampshire)

3053, you guys had one tough little pusher-bot that really drove the dominance of the Alliance home. Good luck to all three of you in Atlanta.

2016, man, what a team. We're almost ecstatic that 303 ended up denying a spot on the finalist alliance. We're sorry we couldn't help bring home a banner for you this year, but looking around your pit and your section in the stands, I picked up on a few things that I want our team to improve on next year.

816, you guys are some Anomaly. What was almost just another forgettable pusher bots at competition was heavily noted upon by our scouter and strategist, and picked up by us through selection. You guys always had us competing in every round, and did we ever give 25 and their partners a run for their money. Good luck guys.

Team 422 is really excited to follow up our semifinalist berth and Motorola Quality Award earned at last year's regional with another trophy and medal to bring back to Maggie Walker this year. I told some members of our team that someone is trying to tell us we need to go back to Trenton a third year to finally win the team another regional. It will have been 10 years since our previous regional win, and we seem to be crawling closer to a dynastic form of competition success.

We want to focus our time before VCU on improving our robot to reach finals and maybe even win there, and maybe look towards really refocusing the team outside of the build season. 2016 is a model team, even if they didn't win this year's chairman's. I've considered going after a northeast sponsor next year, since I'd like to go back up to Trenton again.

Good luck to everyone attending their next competition, be it Virginia (NASA/VCU) Atlanta, or anywhere else!

[thefro526]

The 2010 New Jersey Regional was by far the most Challenging and Rewarding Event I've ever been to in my 5 Years in FIRST. For those that don't know we were plagued with various problems throughout qualifications that we couldn't trace to any single source. I believe we replaced 1 Digital Sidecar, 1 C Rio, 1 C Rio Power Connector, and 1 USB hub before we actually were able to run successfully. For those of you that don't know, we played the majority of the regional without our kicker due to these control problems.

But, I have to thank some people:

1089 - Thank you so much for your help resolving our watchdog issue and giving us the correct wire for our C Rio connector. Without these two things we definitely wouldn't have made it to the finals.

Sean (Shaun?) from 25, thank you so much for your advice on Coaching. I believe that if you wouldn't have opened my eyes early on we would've still be trying to traverse the bump and kick from the mid-field, I sure owe you one.

422 - Thanks for picking us, I know you took a HUGE chance on us and I'm glad it paid off. I wish you the best in where ever you go next, hopefully you'll be able to go one step further.

2016 - It was awesome playing with you guys, the spirit that your team had and the level of professionalism shown by your drive team is admirable. You guys have quite the machine there, I hope that we can get back together at the championship.

Also, thanks to the various people who supported me and gave me advice throughout the day, Mr. Gregory, Stogi (Akash), Wayne Penn, Tyler Moser, Mr. Moser, Jared from 341, and many more. It was really difficult for me to make the transition from a Student Driver to "Adult" Coach, but knowing that all of you had faith in my abilities to lead and Coach was a huge help.

Finally, I've got to say congrats to Nick and the whole Drive Team from 816. You guys really made me proud out there. When the going got tough you didn't give up and you never let your spirits get broken. Also, Nick you've definitely got some talent, probably more talent then any Driver on 816 has ever had, I hope that together we'll be able to bring one home this year. (Btw, I totally wasn't crying after we made it to the finals.)

Everyone better keep an eye out for 816. We've got some modifications in the works for Philly, lets see if they pay off. ;)

MIGHTY DRAGON ANOMALY!

[Mark McLeod]

I had fun in NJ working with the teams there. Maybe I'll come back next year.

My special thanks go out to Sarah, Mike and Pete for running the field this weekend. They made it all happen for every team there. They take a lot of grief when teams start blaming the field, but they helped a LOT of teams solve their problems. Maybe a few teams learned to troubleshoot a little better this weekend due to their calm and focus. At least maybe they'll remember to turn their robots on and strap their batteries in.:rolleyes:

[Graham Donaldson]

So there's way way way way WAY too many people to thank for this NJ Regional (my first as a college student), so I'm just going to give some shout-outs to the really special ones in my mind:

First, not to the teams, but to the VOLUNTEERS! Especially the ones running the field - Sarah, Mike, and Pete are there year after year, and they always do a fantastic job. Week 1 Regionals are very tough to run, and when you've got an arena full of students, parents, and coaches pressuring you to get the field working and dead robots running, it's even harder. Somehow, they manage to do it every year, and I don't think we give them nearly enough credit.

Obviously, the next has to be to all the teams for showing why Jersey is such a fun and competitive regional year after year. I'd like to give an extra thanks to all the teams that made elims so fun to watch (even when we weren't playing - the matches were all awesome!), but an even bigger thanks goes out to teams 25 and 3059! Though we missed 103 this year, it did give us the chance to get picked by 25 (which we were ecstatic about) and then add 3059 to the mix. It was a great alliance and a great playoff series and we are so happy we can finally say we've won a regional.

I'm going to give a special little shout out to 3059, who as a rookie team built an awesome little bot that did everything we asked of them. Guys, the fact that you were able to pull through and score so many points for us when 25 was bogged down and double-teamed is awesome - we CAN'T thank you enough. We'll see you in Atlanta, and can only hope you enjoy it as much as we did our rookie year - there's nothing like it.

Thanks again to all the other teams that competed and I didn't get a chance to name, as well as (again) the countless volunteers who help make NJ run so smoothly.

See everyone next year!

[Wayne C.]

My turn to say thanks to our allaince partners and competitors alike.

1676- we have always been really proud of what your team has been growing into and it was a privilege to have you as our partners. Our strategy was to have you consistently move up the back row balls and then assist as things got nasty in the midfieold and forward. That you did really well.

3059- The best robot in any of these tournaments is the one that does the job they can do consistently well and a team that can work together with the alliance. Your team did just that and we are all indebted you for keeing the scores rolling in when our bot was the bullseye

And to our competitors- thanks for pointing helping us find the flaws in our machine so we can be stronger next time. Everyone played their best and all should be proud. No coach can ask more than that.
The pounding we took by 2016 in round 2 of the finals brook 2 of our drive drain modules. That frantic fever pitch activity in the sidelines was our whole pit crew working on 3 parts of the robot replacing the drives in the 6 minute time out. We went to the field at the bell not knowing if everything was back in place but confident in our design. We couldnt even reset for auto mode. Thank God it all worked. I am very proud of my team.

But if nothing else the "tackling a really tough problem" brought the team closer together. I guess thats what FIRST is all about.

Good luck to everyone in your future events in the rest of the season. Maybe we will see you in the Championships and we can play again.

WC :cool:

[ks_mumupsi]

The pounding we took by 2016 in round 2 of the finals brook 2 of our drive drain modules.

WC :cool:

I just wanted to say to this comment, we were trying our best to keep you blocked without damaging your robot, sorry about the drives but hey you guys are a solid team and it was fun watching our robots compete in that match...

great job as usual guys.

[sidkulk]

Hey everyone,

This was definitely one of the most exciting regionals I've been too.

I would like to congratulate Teams 422, 2016, & 816 for putting up an amazing fight.

Team 25, 1676, & 3059 for winning the New Jersey Regional!

Team 3131 for the Rookie All Star Award and the Highest Rookie Seed Award.

Team 2016 for Team Spirit!

Team 102 for Gracious Professionalism!!

Also Team 75 for winning the Engineering Inspiration Award!

Last but not least I would like to thank all the members of my team, Team 1403, for winning Chairmans!!!!

This regional was amazing and I look forward to seeing everyone at New York, Boston, or Championships.

[Wayne C.]

I just wanted to say to this comment, we were trying our best to keep you blocked without damaging your robot, sorry about the drives but hey you guys are a solid team and it was fun watching our robots compete in that match...

great job as usual guys.

No Problem with that. Believe me- we know that playing in the elims means rough and tumble play. Its a part of the game. And now we know what needs beefing up and what we can improve on.

As our BMS mentors tell us- there is nothing we can break that we cant fix.

WC :cool:

[delsaner]

Hello all,

I would just like to say this was an amazing regional, and I would like to thank every single team for being a part of it.

25 and 3059- Thank you for being a part of this win with us. We could not have done it without the help both of you gave. Thank you 25 for helping us with our communication errors. :)

816, 2016, and 422- You guys put up quite a fight in the finals. I hope to see you guys in Atlanta, I am confident in your teams that you can make it to ATL. (422, we can't wait to see you guys again in VCU!)

1403- Congratulations on winning the Regional Chairman's Award! From the looks of your video, you guys totally deserved it. Good luck with the rest of your season!

75- Congratulations on winning the Engineering Inspiration Award. We are looking forward to seeing you again in VCU as well, along with 293. (I cant wait to hear the 75 chant again, I love it ;))

[heather]

Team 223 would like to congratulate teams 25, 1676, and 3059 for their win! You guys were awesome!

25 - it was so much fun working with you in our second match and setting a national high score that lasted most of the day!

1676 - you're very welcome for the cable, and we would love to come up and practice with you guys!!

3059 - you guys were awesome, especially for a Rookie team. Congrats on your win, you guys must be so excited! (my friend Rich would like to add that he'd picked you as a winner in the first match he scouted you :] )

Team 1403 - Congratulations on your Chairman's Award!! Hopefully we'll be able to make it to Monty Madness again this year.

We'd also like to thank team 1279 for selecting us and team 1089 for being great alliance partners. Team Thermometer! Haha ;)

[Mark McLeod]

3059 isn't a rookie team, but they do build a really good robot, especially for a second year team.

Good luck when you play in NYC!
Sorry I won't be there to see you perform this time.

[George A.]

So this is going to be a little long winded, but hang in there with me, I have a lot of people to thank.


Thanks to everyone that is on the planning committee with me. We work all year for a product that lasts for 4 days, and boy did we have our hands full.

Thank you to the people working the field. Sarah, Mike, Pete…you all are amazing! I have no doubt that if it were not for you 3 that we would STILL be at the competition. Not only could you troubleshoot problems before they happened, you made all the delays as short as possible, and kept things on track.

Thank you to our refs. You had a lot of things to keep an eye on this year, and I wouldn’t want to have your jobs for a minute. There were some tough calls, but you all made them with grace and dignity. If a team had a problem you talked to them about it right away, and usually cooler heads prevailed.

Thank you to the field reset crew. Your job truly is back breaking, but you made it look easy, and still had a smile through it all. (PS Karma, you are truly the man, we joke around, but we would be saddened if you weren’t there)

Thank you to the audience, and the spectators. We started a half hour late on Saturday, we played what seemed like forever on Sunday, but you all kept dancing and having a blast. You really are what makes FIRST special.

Thank you to the people who texted me that they were amused by my announcing. It has to be gating to listen to me for 2 days straight, and I tried to make it entertaining. I know this game wasn’t the best to watch, but you guys were amazing and helped me by letting me feed off your excitement.

Finally thank you to my partner in crime. Ms Gallop, it’s amazing that we have been the tandem of NJ since 2005, and every competition has been wonderful. Once we get in a groove there is little that can shake us. You truly are a joy to work with, and hope to have many many more years being your tag team partner.

Now for the congrats

Congrats to the winning alliance. 1676 & 3059: savor this, because you’ll never be able to relive your first blue banner. 25: congrats on another great bot, and another blue banner to add to the collection.

1403: It’s about flippin time. Make us proud down in Atlanta.

Last, but not least, congrats to Chris Gregory. The fact that you don’t think you deserve the WFFA just goes to show you how much you DO deserve it. You are a class act through and through, and one of the best announcers I know. Trust me, if you didn’t deserve it, there wouldn’t have been a mob of people waiting to hug you after you left the field.

So another NJ Regional is over. I have no voice and my feet are sore, but I wouldn’t have changed anything!

[delsaner]

Congrats to the winning alliance. 1676 & 3059: savor this, because you’ll never be able to relive your first blue banner.


Just a correction, this is not our first blue banner. It is, however, our first regional champion banner.

[Akash Rastogi]

Anyone who does not know Chris Gregory needs to get to know him. Such an amazingly friendly person and an amazing team leader. Everyone should take a page from his book. Once again, congrats Chris.

[George A.]

Just a correction, this is not our first blue banner. It is, however, our first regional champion banner.

That's what I meant :p , I was there when you got yours for Chairman's...either way enjoy the win.

[thefro526]

Anyone who does not know Chris Gregory needs to get to know him. Such an amazingly friendly person and an amazing team leader. Everyone should take a page from his book. Once again, congrats Chris.

Quoted For the Truth. Mr. Gregory is quite the awesome guy and you can see it echoed through 1089's spirit. (Not Just Team Spirit but in the way they act and compete)

Also, George Thanks for keeping things exciting the whole time. When you started talking in that random accent in the middle of one of our elimination matches I think both my Driver and I started laughing. (I'll have your shirt for Philly)

[IamMisplaced]

Hey Guys,
Just thought I'd post some links of some photos that were taken at the regional, they are on Picasa and will only be able to get it through these links:

Day 1 (http://picasaweb.google.com/101606909614025406837/NJRegionals5March2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCPXt3I_AquP3_g E&feat=email#)

Day 2 (http://picasaweb.google.com/101606909614025406837/NJRegionals6March2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCOD1hKyL_vvdlw E&feat=email#)

Day 3 (http://picasaweb.google.com/101606909614025406837/NJRegionals7March2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCNHr_a_02-rDOw&feat=email#)

Thanks again to everyone who competed, I had an awesome second year and I hope to see you guys again.

Thanks,

Charlie

[DonRotolo]

Our disappointment was dulled down once we saw the teams involved in eliminations and our connection to each one of them.
MORT is NJ FIRST in every way. There's hardly a team within driving distance not touched by you guys, especially in the early years when it's most needed. Words are inadequate.
we are excited that you will be coming to the best regional on the East Coast this year. (maybe second to New Hampshire)
I don't think it'll be second to anywhere else. We are psyched!
It has to be grating to listen to me for 2 days straightNope, not even slightly1403: It’s about flippin time. Quoted for truth.


Edit: Great photos Charlie. You guys are a really great team; I expect big things from GSB next year.

[Brandon_L]

Hey Guys,
Just thought I'd post some links of some photos that were taken at the regional, they are on Picasa and will only be able to get it through these links:

Day 1 (http://picasaweb.google.com/101606909614025406837/NJRegionals5March2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCPXt3I_AquP3_g E&feat=email#)

Day 2 (http://picasaweb.google.com/101606909614025406837/NJRegionals6March2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCOD1hKyL_vvdlw E&feat=email#)

Day 3 (http://picasaweb.google.com/101606909614025406837/NJRegionals7March2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCNHr_a_02-rDOw&feat=email#)

Thanks again to everyone who competed, I had an awesome second year and I hope to see you guys again.

Thanks,

Charlie

Wow, good pics!

Imah saving this one (http://lh4.ggpht.com/_bYssEe8Km6M/S5R3_bvye3I/AAAAAAAAAMI/Rm5fSq0YcnM/s512/DSC_0635-1.JPG), its a good shot of our bot with the field in the back. I have the 2495 on my back :D.


Scratch that, all your pics are good! WOW!

[Akash Rastogi]

MORT is NJ FIRST in every way. There's hardly a team within driving distance not touched by you guys, especially in the early years when it's most needed. Words are inadequate.

Thanks Don. That is truly appreciated.:)

[Waynep]

The NJ Regional was a lot of fun. The seeding system and the resultant strategy was really confusing, but seeing the double digit scores in the elimination tournament is a testament to what the teams competing in Jersey can do when they band together.

Congratulations to 25, 1676, 3059. You guys were the alliance to beat. 25 had a spectacularly dominant machine and great strategy of play. 1676 you guys have been a rising star for many years, as demonstrated by the number of team members, the RCA, and now the regional Champions banner. You guys were the best draft pick of the regional and one of my favorite machines with how effectively and quietly you worked to change the game and put up major points. 3059 thank you guys for listening and going along with strategy when we played in quals and your ability to bang in balls in zone 1 was amazing. We were outplayed by a tremendous ALLIANCE effort and are humbled to have gotten to play against you.

Thank you to our alliance partners 2753 and 2180. It was amazing to look down the barrel of 3 loaded blue machines in autonomous. To see 6 balls advanced and 3-4 balls scored in auto in some of the matches was an awesome sight. 2753 thank you for your flexibility and coverage played. 2180 you guys were really fun to work with and we know had we had better ball flow feeding you guys things may have worked out better, but we knew that you were aces at your game. I still standby the fact that both of you gave us the best opportunity to go toe to toe with the juggernaut #1 alliance. We were honored to have you as part of our alliance and hope we will get to play with you again in the future.

To my students on 1923 and our new mentors: I am incredibly proud of you for all the effort you put in and the strides that you have made attempting to compete in many more areas than we have ever before. We've gone through a lot of growing pains this year, but you guys are redefining the team and I'm confident that you guys will be a sustainable, competitive team for years to come. Now get back to work and onto Boston!

1403 as many others have stated, the RCA has spent a long time coming. But each year, you soldier on broadening your impact within your school, community, and all the teams you encounter. You are a terrific representative of what a well rounded team who gets the bigger picture should be. Congratulations and go get them at the Championship!

Chris Gregory, brother you've been the guiding light for many teams in their darkest times. You show us what it means to always hold your head high and do the right things no matter how large of a challenge is in front of you. 1089s meteoric rise and accomplishments over the past couple of years is a product of your leadership. Even though you may not think you deserve it, all of the Mercury students, the WFFAs that congratulated you, and those in NJ that know you firmly believe you are. You are one of FIRST's greatest Champions and Heroes to many of us. Keep up the good work! In the meantime I'll keep looking forward to working with you as an announcing pair and keep making sure I ask myself what would Chris Gregory do in this situation as I look at things. You rock Mr. WFFA!!!!

-wayne

[IamMisplaced]

Also, I've got some videos from days one and two taken from the robot's point of view:

Day 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyvtD8RMFw4)

Day 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIljWBn3Edo)

Enjoy!

Charlie

[coldfusion1279]

I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Gregory in the quarterfinals on our alliance strategy. It was a delight, as was working with team 223.

Thanks to 223 and 1089 for trying their hardest. We were very close to moving on to the semi's. If it weren't for some bad luck, we would have been a tough team to beat.

Congratulations to all the teams the competed in the regional: winners or otherwise.

[Phalanx]

Team 1089, you guys are a class act, and Michael Reffler is the best - his help with our USB issues (which made us go dead twice (!) today) fixed us up good and really helped us go all the way.
Chris Gregory: we spoke, but congratulations yet again on the WFA. Wow. (another reason 1089 rocks).


Don,

Thank you very much. Myself and Team 1089 are honored, flattered, and truly humbled by the compliments.

I'm just happy I was able help you guys succeed!! Which is what is it all about!!

Go get'em in Atlanta and every where else you are competing this season!

[gimpnub]

I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Gregory in the quarterfinals on our alliance strategy. It was a delight, as was working with team 223.

Thanks to 223 and 1089 for trying their hardest. We were very close to moving on to the semi's. If it weren't for some bad luck, we would have been a tough team to beat.

Congratulations to all the teams the competed in the regional: winners or otherwise.

It was great working with you guys, thanks for picking us despite all of our problems with chains coming off. As usual, Mercury and Coldfusion produced amazing robots. The capabilities of all three robots in our alliance worked xtremely well together. I feel that our alliance (Team Thermometer) could have given Team 25's alliance a serious challenge if we were able to advance that far. It's a shame that we were knocked out in the quarter finals due to some bad luck.

Mr. Gregory's enthusiasm when planning out our matches (we were luckily paired with 1089 in qualification AND elimination) was inspiring and contagious. Congrats to him on winning the WFA!

Congrats to 25, 1676, and 3059 on winning in the end. And thanks to all the teams that participated for making this regional an incredibly fun and exciting one!

[galewind]

First and foremost, I'd love to say thank you all for your kind words regarding the WFFA that I received this weekend. My students did a tremendous job of writing an outstanding essay for me, and I really appreciate their efforts. I blubber like a baby at these things (it's one of the things I took from Wayne Cokeley), and the warm thanks that I received on and off the field has made me feel so tremendously loved that if I had the foresight I would have bought stock in Kleenex.

For us the competition side of the NJ regional was sweet with a tinge of bitterness. It was great for us to have a fairly competitive machine this year, and I was proud of how well we did in the qualifying matches. Our alliance partners for eliminations, 1279 and 223, were absolutely wonderful to work with, and I feel terrible that we were unable to get working for the third round. Our machines complemented each other well, and I really feel we could have gone farther as an alliance. I would trade almost anything to be able to be able to go back and at least get them to call for a surrogate bot. I would love to be able to run with these teams again -- Monty anyone? ;)

There were a few things I was a bit disappointed with about the NJ regional this year, though... some things that really hurt the experience for at least one team, and others that I feel they could have improved upon.

First, I was shocked to hear that there were students from other FIRST teams insulting teams from other states/countries in or near their pits. The fact that this even occurs really damages the image of New Jersey (beyond what it is now) and has the potential to lessen the impact of our programs. We really should try to monitor ourselves to make sure that guests feel welcome at our regional, and to make sure that behavior like that exhibited by a few students doesn't reflect on our regional.

Second, during the Sunday awards ceremony, there were two things that I feel could have been handled better: Dean's List and Chairman's Award. I really believe that Dean's List should be handled at the same level, if not higher than, the WFFA award, because it truly demonstrates exemplary students on teams. Many teams wrote fantastic essays for their students, and none of this information was shared at our Dean's List award presentation. As mentors and students, we often look to find inspiration in the impact of our program, and celebrating outstanding student achievement is a hallmark of FIRST. For me, simply speaking about the award and presenting the names and teams of the students really diminishes the purpose of the award. I want to be more inspired by their accomplishments, to know what exactly makes them so outstanding. I'd also love to see FIRST have a repository of the essays as a testimony of the program!

For the Chairman's Award, I feel that interjecting the video as they did somewhat diminished the celebration of the award. Having spoken to (and in some cases worked with) 1403 mentors and students on a number of occasions, I know quite a bit about what they do inside and outside of their school. As they were receiving their reward, the stadium was effectively in silence watching their fantastic video. In my eyes, somewhat subdued the celebration of award. Nonetheless, It was a wonderful thought to show the video, though, because it's clear that they worked hard on it (as they do in all things!). Cougar Robotics is an outstanding and deserving team, and we at 1089 are very happy for them to receive the award. Kudos to 1403!

Congratulations to 25, 1676, and 3059 for winning this great event, and congrats to all teams for a job well done! Thanks to the volunteers and judges who made the event what it was!

See you in the off-season!

[JaneYoung]

There were a few things I was a bit disappointed with about the NJ regional this year, though... some things that really hurt the experience for at least one team, and others that I feel they could have improved upon.

First, I was shocked to hear that there were students from other FIRST teams insulting teams from other states/countries in or near their pits. The fact that this even occurs really damages the image of New Jersey (beyond what it is now) and has the potential to lessen the impact of our programs. We really should try to monitor ourselves to make sure that guests feel welcome at our regional, and to make sure that behavior like that exhibited by a few students doesn't reflect on our regional.


I know some folks who were really looking forward to the New Jersey regional and meeting all the teams that were participating. I had traveled to New Jersey a while back to attend Brunswick Eruption and was excited for them to have this opportunity. There were a couple of reasons that I wanted to travel to BE7: I wanted to see if the rude reputation of New Jersey was true (for myself), and I wanted to create an opportunity to come away from the event and be able to talk about the wonderful teams and people who made me feel very welcome in New Jersey. It saddens me to hear this news. A few people can reflect on an event - what Chris says is very true. At BE, I also wanted to have some time to pick the brains of some of the wise and wonderful mentors from the region, and to have the opportunity to meet some of the students on the teams. By doing so, it strengthened my skills as an FRC mentor and helped me to see the bigger picture. I will always value my time spent at Brunswick Eruption and I appreciate the generosity of the people who opened their treasure trove of experience, humor, and know-how to share with someone from Texas. It was a chance of a lifetime.

Congratulations, Chris. Thank you for everything you do.

Jane

[Barngirl425]

hello my name is Amanda Cullen and I am the student leader of team 2458, Team Chaos. What I am sure a lot of you dont realize is that our team has had a rocky past. No one thought we would be able to make it from last year to this year but we proved them wrong.

This year was not only a good build season but our headmaster came down to see the competition. My headmaster was so impressed by not just the robots but the atmosphere of the competition and the friendliness and willingness to help. Because of his amazing experience there he is now on our side, he is looking into some outside sponsors (it will be the first time that our school ever allows this) and potentially even putting in a machine shop at Gill.

Now that everything has settled down again I wanted to thank everyone who was at the competition for making this dream a reality and helping me get one step closer to my goal which is to have a stable team before I graduate (I have one more year :) ) So thank you everyone

Especially:

Mr. Rotolo - I cant thank you enough for everything you have done to help us make this program possible. Your letter and wonderful advice made everything possible from getting support with the headmaster to getting new faculty advisors. Thank you

Akash Rastogi - I remember messaging you on the first day asking for wood to build a new crate. From last year's horror to this summer's rush to find a new faculty advisor to this years build season you are always there chearing us on. Without your help this team would not still be here today.

Team 102 - Although we have grown up together I did not expect the help we have gotten from you guys over the past few years. You have always helped us in any way we needed plus more and your advice and kindness will always be remembered. I look forward to working with you guys some more over this year and next year.

Our own mentor did not think we would make the transition from last year to this year and we proved him wrong. Now its time to step it up a notch and all of this would not be possible without all of your help.

Thank you and see you at the off season,

Amanda Cullen

[jee7s]

Speaking on behalf of FRC 2789, I want to say our trip was fantastic. We thoroughly enjoyed the competition, and we really feel we have shaken down the robot for Lone Star.

Regarding Chris's concern here:


First, I was shocked to hear that there were students from other FIRST teams insulting teams from other states/countries in or near their pits. The fact that this even occurs really damages the image of New Jersey (beyond what it is now) and has the potential to lessen the impact of our programs. We really should try to monitor ourselves to make sure that guests feel welcome at our regional, and to make sure that behavior like that exhibited by a few students doesn't reflect on our regional.


I want to make it very clear that these rude individuals were very much in the minority. As someone who has been to the NJ regional several/many times before, I was quite confident that we would be welcomed with open arms as we were. The other mentors who are less experienced did approach the trip with some trepidation. However, the consensus among the students and the mentors was that NJ was a great place to be, had stiff competition, and will be on our list for regional events in the future (if y'all don't go to district event model).

We made a lot of friends that we plan to keep in touch with going forward, and we might attempt some inter-regional collaboration in the future. We also got plenty of help. In particular, we'd like to put a spotlight on:

Team 41 - for the occasional nut or bolt, and Garrett Dicken in particular for his controls help
Team 25 - in particular Shaun McNaulty (sp?) for his motivation to our team
Team 2753 - for being excellent neighbors in the pit, and James Wittel for his assistance in scouting and marketing
Team 56 - for the all-too-important drywall screws we needed to get the crate packed up and shipped to Houston
Team 223 - Mark, Randy, and the rest who so graciously loaned us victors
The staff - particularly Don Bowers, Harvey Morgenstin, Jim Hobin, Monique DiTuri, Nathan Knauss, the queuers, inspectors, referees, and countless others who welcomed us, supported us, and made for such a great competition

I'm sure I'm forgetting somebody in there...so if I did, please know we did appreciate you.

We've pre-scouted Houston, and we'll be one of only 14 teams going into the event with another regional already under our belt. Given the competition we went up against, the team is more confident than ever going into Houston.

Thanks, New Jersey, for all the help!

[ZeroGAdam]

First off, thank you to everyone who participated and made this regional so competitive. It was entertaining and I hope it will be this great next year.

Congrats to teams 25, 1676, and 3059 on your tremendous victory. Your alliance was just too strong for everyone else to conquer. Playing against you guys made our matches very fun and exciting and I hope to have the opportunity to play against, or with, you guys in the off-season!

1403, You guys really deserved the Chairman's award. For all of the eight years that I have been involved with, I have always admired your team's ecstatic spirit, outgoing kindness, and your thrive to withhold the core values of co-opertition and gracious professionalism. I'm glad to witness you guys win the most prestigious award in the sport of FIRST. See you guys at the Madness!

To our alliance partners:
1923: Thank you guys so much for selecting us to be in the finals! We were honored to play with you. Thanks for working out the strategy for our alliance. It must have taken some time to come up with such a great strategic game. We put up a valiant effort, but in the end it wasn't enough. I still am in amazement that we were all able to score 3-4 points in auto. That alone made being partners worth it. Thank you again for everything!

2753: You guys were awesome! Your great defense really was a huge asset to our team when we were scoring. I am so sorry that our we couldn't get past the semis, but it was a great time while it lasted. Thanks a million.


This has been one of the best regionals I have seen in years. The excitement, spirit, and competitiveness of the teams made it that much better. I hope to see all of you guys again next year.
---Adam Cyran, Team 2180 Zero Gravity

P.S. Sorry for the tardiness of this message

[GMAdan]

Here are some of the photos I took when I was there. Mostly of 1881 because I mentor them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27502338@N03/sets/72157623615153608/

[Brandon_L]

TBA put up most of the NJ videos, but not all. Anyone know if the matches that are missing will be put up?

http://www.thebluealliance.net/tbatv/event/2010nj

[ZeroGAdam]

Any word on whether or not the rest of the qualifications and elims will be posted?

[Bharat Nain]

Unfortunately, we could not record all the matches. What is up there is what we had. At least, it is something.

[galewind]

Is that the footage that 2458 had?

[George A.]

I'm just glad that Finals 2 is finally online for my enjoyment.

[Graham Donaldson]

I'm just glad that Finals 2 is finally online for my enjoyment.

Aside from the fact that we lost that match... I agree with you.

"GET TO ZE TOWER - NAOWWW!!!"

[Barngirl425]

Sorry I am working on getting the video, our mentor who took the recording actually moved the next day. It is taking him a while to unpack. I have been pushing him. Hopefully soon. We have the whole thing recorded, sorry this is taking so long

[DonRotolo]

We still like you barngirl, and wait patiently for that video... :D

[galewind]

Sorry I am working on getting the video, our mentor who took the recording actually moved the next day. It is taking him a while to unpack. I have been pushing him. Hopefully soon. We have the whole thing recorded, sorry this is taking so long

Thank you so much for the update. Now, were you recording from the stands or was it hooked into the feed?

Regardless, thanks so much!

[Barngirl425]

We were recording from right on the field, this recording was also the webcast if anyone was watching that. If any one knows Kostas tell him that i am waiting lol.

[DonRotolo]

Thank you so much for the update. Now, were you recording from the stands or was it hooked into the feed?
My understanding is that they recorded the feed, hopefully including the awards... So, you might get to see yourself on TV! :rolleyes:

[delsaner]

A tad irrelevant from the competition itself, but would anyone know where I could find the playlist that was played in NJ? I have had a few of the songs from then stuck in my head (no lyrics in most of them... >__>) and I am looking to find out out what they were. Any idea of where a playlist can be found? :)

[Brandon_L]

We were recording from right on the field, this recording was also the webcast if anyone was watching that. If any one knows Kostas tell him that i am waiting lol.

By "right on the feild" do you mean like how this (http://www.thebluealliance.net/tbatv/match/2008nj_qm29) one was?

I'm just glad that Finals 2 is finally online for my enjoyment.

I didn't think it was possible, but you became even more enjoyable.

[Barngirl425]

By "right on the feild" do you mean like how this (http://www.thebluealliance.net/tbatv/match/2008nj_qm29) one was?



I didn't think it was possible, but you became even more enjoyable.

yes as I recall it is more like that

[ZeroGAdam]

Thread revival... I know.
Has there still been any word on the video? Sorry to push the subject, but we were hoping to put all of our qualification and elimination match quarterfinal videos into a dvd to distribute throughout our school(s).

[DonRotolo]

Most of the matches have been posted to The Blue Alliance
http://www.thebluealliance.net/tbatv/event/2010nj

[Brandon_L]

I think he was referring to the video that someone said they had that they recorded off the scoreboard thing. Id also like to know what happened to that.

[Brandon_L]

HATE to double and bump, but Id reeeeeaaaaalllyyy like to know what happend to those videos.

[DonRotolo]

From 1676's point of view, what was available has been posted.