Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Any idea for SBPLI and NYC regional dates?

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

SBPLI will be March 31, April 1 & 2. The contract is signed but FIRST hasn't listed it yet.

NYC will probably be March 11,12,13, as they like week 2, but it's not official yet.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

I was wondering when/if that was going to be announced.

That new event is why that the Northern ID teams are not able to participate in the PNW district during the 2016 season.

FIRST agreed to let N. ID teams participate for the 2015 season but then not enough of the teams wanted to join until it was time for registration. It was then decided that they would join for the 2016 season. However by the end of the 2015 season there was the effort to have this new Regional underway and the plan for N ID teams to participate in the PNW District was cut.

Definitely great for the S. ID teams but not so good for the N. ID teams.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

So far what I saw on the first website this years schedule for events this year is certainly interesting if I may say

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

What is the location of the Idaho Regional?
We are also looking at LVR for week 5.
And still awaiting confirmation about status of Utah Regional.

We always like meeting up with 2122!

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Venue is Taco Bell Arena on the BSU campus. Hope you and the Ravens can make it...

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

I view the creation of a new regional event that provides another competition opportunity for teams from Idaho, Alberta, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, NorCal, and yes, Washington and Oregon as a good thing for all teams within those areas.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Utah Regional just posted for week 3! Ventura posted for week 4!

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Australia is officially up, Week 3.
Dallas, same thing but for Week 4.
Montreal is up, Week 5.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

The Utah date makes me sad. With Colorado being only one week later, it's likely that many teams won't be able to make the trek out to Salt Lake; I know our team can't, given that it would mean two weeks away from school, with spring break immediately following. Bummer. Utah/Colorado was becoming a fun tradition.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

I don't think I've seen it pointed out in here; we noticed a week ago that Smoky Mountains is posted as a week 5. It's at a completely different venue too. Instead of the Knoxville Convention Center, it's at the University of Tennessee Knoxville's basketball arena, Thompson-Boling Arena.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

South Florida just listed for week five.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

AZ West posted for week 6...

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

And AZ North for Week 2.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Idaho Regional just posted for week 5!

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

I just noticed that the NASA grant is offering 10 veteran teams paid registration if they sign up for Week 3 Tech Valley.
Is that about the same distance away from Niagara Falls as it is from Cleveland?:rolleyes:

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Traveling from Buffalo NY (Major WNY city where Interstate 90 runs through, which is ~10 miles south of Niagara falls) to Troy NY is about 296 miles. Traveling from Buffalo to Cleveland OH is ~189 miles.

1507 can usually travel to Cleveland in about 3-3.5 hours. Traveling to Tech valley would probably take 4-4.5 hours.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

I don't know if anyone noticed, but (assuming my notes are correct) Michigan's Midland event moved from week 2 to week 3.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Nice catch, you're right. I'm guessing that indicates a district will be added for Week 2.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Adam,
thanks for the info!
I google map checked it, but hearing from someone who has actually done the driving helps us tremendously on the actual time it takes.
I just applied for the NASA grant. If we receive it, we will probably forego Cleveland and sign up for Tech Valley.:)

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

San Diego regional just posted for December 30th, 2016. Could be subject to change.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

They are having trouble finding a workable date that works with the Gulls schedule in the Valley View Casino Center. They are looking at a mid-week regional currently.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

I think it has to change otherwise you would need a time machine to make it to champs.;)

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Hope they get it worked out for next Thurs.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

I was commenting to my dad about how this would be the latest an official regional was ever held.:p

Or, come to think of it... the earliest. If, that is, FIRST held the Kickoff for the 2016 game sometime in, oh, November. Ahem, moving on...


Edit: for those that may be wondering what that odd gap is, try pressing ctrl+A and see what happens.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Can anyone from Minnesota explain why the capacity of the DECC regionals are now in the low 30s vs the mid 50s two years ago?

Or possibility of NY Tech Valley filling up quickly which currently shows 26 capacity?

Or whether Buckeye at 50 will fill up during initial regional signups?

Deciding what to sign up for.....first.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

The Minnesota regionals all start well below their eventual capacity. In the end all 5 (including the Iowa regional) will be 60 teams or more. As for the why, the RD is holding slots back for whatever reason. Some are being held for rookie teams. I would suspect that some are being held to guarantee that all local teams get a shot at a local event.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Anyone know why NASA is offering paid registration for this one regional?

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

There are something like 15-16 teams that will likely sign up for TVR first thing.
A lot of Rochester teams will sign up for FLR first thing and be discouraged from going to TVR since they're back to back this year. :(

I do, however, know quite a few out-of-area teams that are friends with 20 or 5254 vying for those grants as well.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Not sure why specifically, but I did notice from previous paperwork that it was offered this past 2015 season as well for that particular event.
The grant encourages veteran teams to participate in new (fairly new) regionals, but not sure why its not being offered to the other new ones this year.

I wish the timing was more in sync with FRC registration. As indicated on the grant, it asks if teams are interested in participating in select regionals on the condition of receiving the grant.
Its difficult when the decisions are announced after initial regional sign up. By that time, teams may get the grant, but not be able to sign up because it has already reached capacity.:(

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Just about every event hold spots back during initial registration, and only released them later in the fall. The RDs want to make sure their local teams all have a chance to get into a regional, and they need to hold back spots for late-registering teams (like rookies that don't get their act together until December). I'm sure there are other reasons they hold those spots, too - for example, we had a bunch of teams from China in Minneapolis last year, and it wouldn't surprise me if those teams had spots held for them (assuming they signed up late, I can't remember), as there were quasi-local ties to bring them to those events.

While I fully expect the max capacity of the Minneapolis and Duluth regionals to remain the same as they were last year, I haven't actually seen it in writing yet (it'll probably come up at the next regional planning committee meeting though, which is coming up pretty soon).

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

This doesnt bode well for us, but I do hope its still available in late October.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Jon,
as a member of a regional planning committee, I do understand what you are saying. I was curious and checking that it wasnt a venue issue/change, or other factors.
We in fact employ the same strategy and planning in attending our own event.

thanks for the information.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Saw this today - and all I thought was "this is straight out of a FRC regional"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PLo26AnHTg

Swear to all that is holy - I have seen all these moves at North Star Regional in MPLS. Laughed all the way through.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Personally I'm pumped by the idea of 359 coming to TVR. It was awesome having 195, 303, 2852, 263 from out-of-town last year attend the event and really up the caliber of the regional, and to have the Hawaiian Kids come would be sick.

As for the grants, there are something like 12-15 teams that use TVR as their home regional, then an additional 12-15 that use it as their second consistently. I believe the purpose of the grant is to encourage high caliber out-of-town teams to come to the little event in upstate NY and make the event LOUD.
I could be wrong though, I wasn't personally involved in these talks.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Las Vegas Regional is again looking to be an international affair. Of the 12 currently registered teams, 7 are coming in from way out of the area:

• 4 from China (5449, 5516, 5824, 5831)
• 2 from Brazil (1772, 5800)
• 1 from Netherlands (5880)

After watching the inspiring interactions between US and International teams last year there, I can't wait to see what next March/April brings.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

waterloo is stacked already with
610, 1114, 1241, 2056, 3683, 4039, 4678, 5406

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

And add one from Germany and possibly more from China...

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Looks like Vegas is giving Hawaii a run for their money as being the biggest international event so far in Round 1 of registrations!:ahh:
Wait till 2nd and subsequent regional signups.....:)

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Geez, thanks.
Not sure about how our robot will be, but I can assure you some high caliber Hawaiian treats that we will be passing out for sure! :)

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

I'm really excited by the thought of having 359 at my first ever regional. Being an NJ to NY transplant, I've never been to one. A team as renown as 359 would be icing on the cake of an already exciting new experience.

Team 359's Chairman's Award video was the first one I'd ever seen. I was a freshman watching the 2012 kickoff stream, which featured 359's video as the 2011 Championship Chairman's winner. It was a nice reminder early on that it's about more than just robots :)

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Thanks for the kind words. I hope that our opportunity to attend the Tech Valley regional happens this season.
We would love to meet and hang out with all the great teams from that region and the surrounding areas.

-Glenn

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

I dont think team 5880 is from the Netherlands. 'We' only have 2 teams and those are 5412 and 4481.

But i think the New York City regional is going to be one with alot of nationalities.
With:
1 From Brazil (1382)
3 From China (5451,5515,5815)
1 From Ecuador (5814)
1 From Netherlands (4481)
2 From Turkey (3646,5946)
2 From United Kingdom (1797, 1884)

So 10/32 teams are from far away!
Already hyped for that! :)

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

A new team that appears to be from a base in the Netherlands or Northern Europe.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

I believe AE is a Military postal code so I think you are correct.

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

Yep! When we started with #4481 this team was already around.

They've been inactive for a couple years. Their last season competing was 2013.

They were playing under team number 2037 - Oranje Lions.
https://www.thebluealliance.com/team/2037

I guess they're starting over and from what I can recall it's a international high school for US Military kids. Same as the German team. (http://www.thebluealliance.com/team/3011)

We tried contacting team 2037 in 2013, sadly it was hard to get in touch! Let's hope we can bind forces and see what we can achieve here in the Netherlands. (Brunssum is right at the Netherlands/German border)

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

I'm willing to bet this Team is one of the positive outcomes of Frank and his team 3011's success in getting the DoDEA to give significant support to robotics teams associated with their schools. :D

Re: 2016 regional dates?
 

new fim district listed lakeview event listed for week 2