2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Just wondering, is anyone else disappointed in the trophies/awards that FIRST is giving out this season? After searching the web for about 10 minutes, I found exactly where to get these “amazing” awards.

Long story short, after 6 weeks of build, and all the craziness that is a FIRST tournament, your hard efforts is worth a whopping $5.95. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not always about getting awards, but at least give me something that I want to display in our trophy case and give to our sponsors. What was wrong with the trophies from last year?

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Did you receive these trophies for the FiM District Quality Award and Finalists?

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Which event did you go to? Was it a district event? If so they may have different trophies than the regionals because ours all looked like the normal trophies from past years (you know the one with the black base and acrylic pillars and the first logo on top).

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Yes, and Yes. And I belive the winners just got a bigger version.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

These are the same trophies that are being used at MAR District events.

They are, to put it frankly, embarassing. At least they still give out blue banners (and basketball nets!).

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

The new Trophies make it kind of hard to do the typical Net Draped over the Trophy display.

I find it odd the the district model is reducing the cost of events, yet FIRST forces the district models to use cheaper trophies.

How does one explain this to their sponsors?

-Clinton-

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

When we got our Innovation in Control award I jokingly said to other team members that they keep getting smaller every year!

On the bright side though once you have so many trophies lying around you don't know what to do with them all so the smaller they are they easier they are to make room for! :D

For those wondering here is what they actually look like:

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

It's pretty bad when the trophy can fit in your pocket.

I am very disappointed in them this year. Frankly, I think that they're kind of embarrassing to offer to sponsors: "You donated $10,000 to our team and this is what we won for you. You can use it as a paperweight. ...oh wait, it's too light for that?"

...sorry, I'm kind of in a snarky mode.
But seriously, we have off-season event trophies that are nicer than these (IGVC? MARC?). We have trophies and plaques in our shop that other teams made for us that are better than these.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

There's been some discussion of the new awards in private and there has been no positive response. I have to wholeheartedly agree with the criticisms. If teams are going to receive awards, at least make the awards presentable and representative of the work that went in to receive them. Blue banners do this really well - they're huge and impressive - but these awards don't even come close. I understand cost-cutting, but, as Jared said, frankly, they're embarrassing.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Basel, you make a great point:
I don't think anyone is upset about cost-cutting. Hey, we're all about doing things on our teams that doesn't spend excess money. We're in FIRST, we know how to budge, right?

But. BUT. We still try to look good doing it. It's like the saying, "Dress for success", because how you appear is how other people judge you. These awards say, "What you do is not all that important. Anyone can order an award like this and plop a sticker on it, so you're really not all that unique." and that is sad.

Yes, Blue Banners are amazing. But you only get a Blue Banner for certain awards. And you only get one.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Is there any rule that says the districts can't give out their own amazing trophies? Some of the best trophies I've seen in FIRST have been at off-season events. I'm thinking you could really have some fun with this.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I wonder how open FIRST is to award designs by other companies. We have made some of the coolest awards for off-seasons and Lego. I wonder if they would take a look at an award design that TPD comes up with. I better get to the drawing board!

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

You mean bug people to CAD you awards? :p

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

We have already had two out of our four Winner Trophies crack in exactly the same spot in two separate weeks. Obviously some design flaw.
Since we plan to give the intact trophies to our sponsors, this leaves the team with two cracked trophies as lasting momentos. Not cool.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I know of no rule that prevents this and have actually suggested it directly to several FiM board members.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Ok so here is a question, if you win at districts and get "these" trophies, could you order the "traditional" ones from FIRST like you could to add to or replace broken one's in years past?

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I like the old ones, and they did indeed give out the nice old heavy kind at normal regional events. Also, the medals we got for our EI award are exceedingly nice. I hope FIRST doesn't skimp on stuff like this in the future.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

When it comes to the point that the teams have to buy a decient trophy, they may as well keep the entry fee and buy a real good one.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Who cares about trophies? bragging rights is where its at :p

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Well here's another reason people will want to resist the District Model.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I apologize profusely but your photo made me burst into giggles. So sorry. It's like your trophy is hiding.

Jane

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I have been thinking about this a lot since we received one. Our team has A LOT of the old style trophies.

Last year's style: They seem to fall apart rather quickly. We have had to glue the pillars back on quite a few of them. With the number of presentations we try to accomplish, this is difficult to keep up with. We like to show these off to our sponsors and it was embarrassing having them fall apart when they are shown.

This Year's style: Looks as though they may hold up better without the pillars to come loose. They will fit in our school showcase a little easier and will definitely travel easier. Not as impressive as the latter but has it's own benefits.

To me, the benefits of the new one's out-weigh the quality of the older ones.

It would have been nice to have something a little more impressive but we are all suffering from funding issues and we can't expect FIRST not to. As the program continues to grow, they need to come up with a way to allow it too do so in an affordable manner.

I will support FIRST's decision on the new trophies if it allows for more trophies to be given out to recognize more students across he country in their brilliant efforts to win them.

GO TRUCK!

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Tell them that, with the way FIRST is trending, next year they should expect a t-shirt.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I've had a little time to think about this discussion since my initial reaction. Sorry, again.

This is what I've been thinking as an outsider looking in to the district level competitions:

The teams in FiM and now MAR, are busting their butts. They are traveling (even short distance is travel: packing, inventory, setup, etc.) several times during the season and they are staying at a competition level mindset for several competitions throughout the season. There is a lot of wear and tear on the robot which needs to be worked on/maintained through several competitions to get to State level. A lot more work than one or two or even 3 regionals requires and a lot more wear and tear on the machine.

So... you are being rewarded for doing more work, etc., with very small trophies. That's just weird. Why not turn them into plaques? I like plaques if that's the direction they are going.

If I have made some big assumptions that are way off base, please clarify them for me. I mean absolutely no disrespect towards the teams that are competing in FiM and MAR.

Jane

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

These look super chintzy.

Just when you thought FIRST couldn't possibly make the trophies smaller or further devalue the recognition of winning an event they find a way to do it.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

My main issue with it has always been that, for many teams, the district model lessens the traditional experience of a FIRST regional. Stuff like this certainly does not lessen my concerns...

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I don't know if the trophies from the pictures are the standard, but for most trophies at the Lake Superior Regional, including ours, it is a three pillar trophy. If it is going in a case, who cares if they are made cheap? It is what you did to earn it that counts most.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

These are trophies from MI/MAR.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

To be diplomatic: With the resources and creativity available to teams, I believe there is room for improvement in future seasons.

Other threads have thrown out ideas people have had before, but the first post here has given us a nice, concrete cost target. If we as FIRSTers can create something more visually impressive on roughly the same budget, surely the fine folks in Manchester would be receptive...

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

A look back a few months ago:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...istrict+events

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

They are embarrassing for us to offer up to sponsors who have donated in excess of 5K and in some cases, 10K. When I saw our trophy for RAS and 11's trophy for Chairman's I was pretty disappointed in FIRST. If we handed this to our local Boeing office or NextFab they would probably laugh at how simple it is. Luckily my team is full of rookies so they didn't know the difference :P

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

These trophies are in a word, unprofessional and unrepresentitive of the amount of work teams put into competition.

If we are talking about different types of trophies I think that FIRST could make some really awesome riveted sheet metal trophies anodized gold, sliver, and bronze.

These could probably be made cheaply or for free by sponsors, would be easy to assemble and would be very unique to FIRST while looking awesome.

By the way this idea came from these: http://www.vexrobotics.com/media/cat...-10-and-12.jpg

Regards, Bryan

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

^That's exactly what I was thinking. The Vex awards are simple, yet still look professional and industrial. Another good example would be 2826's awards, which is just a piece of sheet metal with their logo cut into it, bent so it will stand, and has a small plaque with the award name on it. Plus, I can't imagine cutting a piece of sheetmetal and bending it is outrageously expensive.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

The last two years Team 907 has made it to the semi finals (hurray!); we got out buttons and thought it might've been a joke?

I have two 'participant' medals on permanent display in my home from 2009 and 2010, and next to them two 'semifinalist' pins... ? It's disheartening that once you start to cut out mostly everything else in your life for the sake of build season to get a strong robot built-up for competition, that the awards start getting smaller...

C'est la vie, I guess.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

No. Just.... No. The fact that they are giving these out for both FIM and MAR makes me think that this was FIRST's idea.

Why would we devalue the district awards like this? Are we to believe that district events are now second-class?

My children receive better participation awards from soccer. And that only costs me $50 a kid for a season.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Ok so, are these the trophies that will be used at the State Championships as well?

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I have no idea- but my guess is that the MAR and FiM Championships will use the usual regional trophies - since the idea is that the Championship event for the district is more like a Regional.

This totally sucks. I'd love to work with someone (or several someones) on a proposal for FIRST for a better set of trophies. Please send me an email to the address in my signature, and maybe a few of us can get the ball rolling on this.

Just as a quick side-note, I worked at FIRST HQ this summer as a Marketing intern, and I had -NO- idea the trophies were changing. Sometimes the different sub-groups and programs at FIRST seem so disconnected - so what I think we could do, as a group of concerned students, mentors, and volunteers, is write up our thoughts on the idea, as well as offer a few solutions - and send it both to FRC and Marketing staff. (After all, it kind of makes FIRST look bad to have such cheapo trophies.) And, like the request for transparency a few years ago, we can post here on CD when it is complete.

Who's with me?

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

A.) I sure hope they use the traditional trophies for state champs

and

B.) I will TOTALLY work with you on this!

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I have heard that the traditional trophies will be awarded at the Michigan State Championship. I assume MAR is probably the same.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

You know its bad when you put one in your back pocket "temporarily" and then sit down comfortably without realizing it was there the whole time... :confused:

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

FIRSTers are resourceful and great problem-solvers. I think there is sometimes a disconnect between what happens at HQ and out in the field, and this is an example. I think this issue can be easily resolved. And again, I've seen some amazing trophies, at both FIRST off-season events and at VEX events, that cost the same as what these trophies cost.

Someone just needs to spearhead the effort, and it sounds like there have been some volunteers raising their hands.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I say use Alex. HE did an amazing job with the design and execution of the Rah Cha Cha Ruckus awards the last couple of years.
2011

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I'd be on board for this as well. The more I look at our Horsham trophy, the more I want to just make my own for the team to display. There are tons of great team, off-season and other competition trophies out there; these are just sad. I'm starting by collecting images/designs of other trophies, if that'll help.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Definitely. Shoot me an email, I'm going to get a Google doc together of all the people who've offered to help, to compose ideas and bring them together.

Thanks!

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Because they have always been viewed as second class events. There is a distinction in FIRST's material and always has been where Districts and Regionals are different things. I don't understand this, we compete with the same robots, on the same fields, under the same rules. Why are we being treated differently? Oh, because we can run our events cheaper? That shouldn't mean we get second tier awards.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

We would be more then willing to help come up with ideas and design a better award.

Libby,
Maybe it's because I'm on my phone, but I do not see an email in your signature.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I'll pop in and say I CADed that, and many other derivations per ideas Alex had, and would be happy to work with FIRST or TPD on making new trophies.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I'll add in myself to this as well. Our team has a bunch of trophy designs that we can toss into the pool.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Akash,you did the CAD for the 2012 Ruckus award. Right?

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Good point.

If you'd like to email me: Libby(dot)Kamen(at)Gmail(dot)com

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Nope, but I would be willing to! I said I'll add myself into the group of people willing to give some designs because my team has a few of our own.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Libby,

I'll send you an e-mail too. While I myself am not good at award design, several members of my team are fantastic at it. All of our trophies for Where's Wolcott have been designed in house, and often some if not all of the fabrication takes place in house as well.

We also turned out some pretty awesome participation trophies for our inaugural Jr. FLL event we held this year.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I'd be willing to help you out with this. Let me know if you need some help.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

We will keep that in mind. The designs for these awards, and a few others are on our to do list do after championships. The list keeps growing!

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I'm on board as well, if you guys need help. As I think California is moving to a district model in a few years, I would be incredibly angry if our awards get downsized to these cheap trophies.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Turns out you can't even order extra trophies with the "Regional" style if you won that award at a District event. :(

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Thanks for all the helpful responses. I've planned on getting this going after the events are over - so if you've emailed me already, don't worry, I'll get to you.

If you haven't yet and want to help, go for it!

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I hate to fan the fire like this, but they also gave out some pretty neat extras to 'regional' competitors that they didn't bother to hand out at any districts last year.

It's melodramatic, but why are district teams treated a bit like red-headed step-children? (No offense to the red-headed step-children, of course)

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

From what I gather, FRC complained it was costing over twice as much per team registration fee because district teams get two events per registration and the districts average fewer teams than the regionals. So, rather than making up the difference, the districts agreed to accept less expensive trophies. They then dropped the ball when they failed to oversee the transaction, which enabled FRC to supply trophies that were way less than half the cost.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Wouldn't be too hard to do a spin off one of our earlier award models.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

These looked fantastic in person and the teams loved them!! it was easy. We just told Alex and Liz to come op with something and they did

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Frankly, I rather liked the design. Granted I have no idea what the old ones looked like. Nice, simple, and industrial. My assumption (due to the talk of pillars that fall off) is the old ones were the big gawdy trophies that every competition ever uses (I have a friend who races 4-wheelers, he has a gigantic pile of the things which you seem to get for showing up with pants).

I big gawdy trophy doesn't make the achievement any greater, the things are all cheap and mass produced anyway. If you want to give one to a sponsor, you can likely have one made for 20$ (just making up figures) that they could put on display and put their name on it to boot, or you could give one you have for a desk ornament.

These could be better, but I much prefer them to the generic trophy style that all sports seem to give out.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Take a search and you'll see the other awards that they hand out are nothing like any other sport. The search feature is a really nice thing to have if used properly.

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/33420

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Ah, well I stand corrected :D those are much cooler than I envisioned.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

does anyone else remember the OLD trophies for Winner and Chairmans?....the ones that were so big you HAD to hold it with two hands?

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

We broke two of our district awards already!

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

What do folks think of this one?

I think this might have been a nice lower cost solution for this year.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

How do we know that FIRST actually paid for these trophies this year? Perhaps these were the ones the trophy company was willing to donate this year. Free is free and I don't think FIRST would turn down any donation. However if FIRST did choose these and pay for them I think they are missing the mark. FIRST is based off donations and sponsors. Many of our teams would not exist if it wasn't for the generosity of local and big business.

I like some of the ideas that are being developed here on CD. It seems that creating a new trophy system could be a really great addition to a Chairman's presentation. If a team/s were able to source enough trophies to cover all events and all awards and then presented this to Manchester, would Manchester really refuse the donation by this group? Worst case scenario (If FIRST was opposed to the idea) this group would have these trophies and could just mail them to each respective winner as a supplemental trophy. Its all about having the solution in hand when you talk to FIRST about it otherwise it just comes off as complaining.

If teams can go out and find 10K from single sponsors surely finding trophies for every winner (including outside US) could be just as easy.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Just wanted to keep you guys in the loop - if you emailed me to help - I have started writing something and plan to share it with all of you as a Google Doc after the Championships.

(Personal note: I have this week to finish all my university work, then heading to Championships, and then taking my finals. I promise I will get things to you then.)

That way, things will get to FIRST after they have calmed down from 'Championship mode.'

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

We've got you beat! We broke two (in half) and cracked another. One merely fell over on a desk and broke. :(

And for those of you who haven't seen them in person, they are not a stable design (i.e, the base is not weighted in any way). Think dominoes. We resorted to using velcro to hold them in place when we display them.

After talking with some FIRST HQ people at MSC this past weekend they wanted some pictures of the broken trophies to send to the vendor. So we'll see what becomes of that...

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

It's been awhile, is there any movement on the possibility of bringing ideas to first?

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Here's a pic of the Minnesota State High School League Robotics Trophy from the inaugural State Tourney for Robotics.

https://picasaweb.google.com/1155901...96670190583330

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

I'm just happy our team won the State Rookie All-Star Award. Our team has a weekly newsletter and even made judges binders with all of our documents and outreach in it.

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

There is a contest being held currently for award design. Take a look here for the details!

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Re: 2012 Awards/Trophies
 

Peppridge Farms remembers. :(

- Sunny G.