Tips for first time at champs?
 

This is the first time our team is going to championships, and we just got an email about badges and from what we understand it's not a public event. Which makes sense, because of how many people are going to be there. So I was wondering, what other small things about transportation, hotels, timings, event happenings, etc. are there that we may not know?

Thanks in advance,
Reed

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Book your hotels like...now.

If you have some time, enjoy the city and go up in the arch. A lot of people never get the opportunity. Eat at Pappy's.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

I can't help you much from a technical standpoint as I am a student, not a mentor. What I can tell you about is how things work a little bit. Last year was my first time at worlds. Everyone (spectators, mentors, students) had to register before the event (or at the door if forgot to register before?). We all got lanyards that we had to wear all weekend to prove we were suppose to be there. Secondly, there are seminars going all weekend. One of the first seminars of the week is led by Karthik (mentor of 1114 Simbotics), and it was great last year. Can't wait to go again this year. Scholarship row is huge. I never got to see it while everyone was there, but I heard about it and saw it after it closed. In the Edwards Jones Dome, there are 8 fields set up. 1 per division. There were 2 on each side of the dome and the middle was reserved for robot transport. Pits are a good walk from the fields. Leave with plenty of time. In the pits, there were 6 or so official FIRST fields set up for practice. Pits are smaller than what you are probably used to at normal events. Don't have extra people sitting around in the pits if possible. Just jams up traffic. The last thing I can think of is show up early for good seats and be prepared to fast walk (borderline run). Being at the doors early is key to getting good scouting seats. That's all I can think of for now and congrats on qualifying to worlds.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

It's a public event but everyone has to register - either onsite or in advance. Different badges will get you different places (team, volunteer, invited guest, etc) within the event. Drive team badges like you have at regionals/districts (or volunteer, invited guest, etc) are needed to gain access to the Dome floor.

The number of practice fields is 4, there are 2 subdivisions assigned per field (I helped set them up last year). There are fairly strict rules on the utilization of the practices fields, they are full fields and have FMS so full matches are run there.

There are also some of the normal (wooden) practice elements that you'd have at regionals and districts, and there are less strict rules on using those.

Most importantly, have fun!

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

http://www.firstinspires.org/communi...t-championship

Figure out with your mentors what the team rules are about where the students can be and when. Exhibitors row was in a different building last year and there were many students who did not get to go because the team rule was not to leave the building. Come up with a plan and build time in your schedule to go to the conferences (last year held on Wed and Thurs), scholarship row, etc. Don't forget the unofficial events like all the meet and greets and the roboprom.

Stop by the Information Booth on site if you have questions.

Have someone in your group come up with a meal strategy - including making reservation.

Consider asking family members attending to volunteer - for at least a day. Volunteering allows you to see a whole other side to the event, you get to eat the great volunteer food and meet lots of other people.

The event will go by very quickly. Use every opportunity to meet people who may become friends for life.

Heads up - the badging check-in process was ridiculously slow last year on Wed. My hope is they will be improving the flow this year so there aren't 1-2 hour waits just to register.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Get a hotel within walking distance.

Read everything on the championship site linked in a previous post. Looks like the 2016 info isn't up yet, but the 2015 one is still there as a reference:http://2015.championship.usfirst.org/

Food: For breakfast, we bought a bunch of cereal, milk, fruit, etc. and ate in one of our hotel rooms since the hotel didn't have a free breakfast. For lunches, we ordered from a sandwich place that delivered them out front. Better than having pizza every day. For dinner, we walked to nearby downtown establishments. There was as welcome party the first night with free (finger)food.

Get there early enough to visit the exhibitions before the pits open. Last year we saw the arch in the morning and then the exhibitions, then the pits opened. There are some decent giveaways (swag)

Its a fair distance from the pits to the field, but manageable. Be patient.

Take time to walk around and meet teams you have gotten to know on CD.

Pay attention to special events. Last year Grant Imahara was in the pits.

There was a mentors breakfast one morning. Make sure your mentors know about that.

Have fun!

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Everything is big.

The walk or drive from your hotel to the stadium is (probably) big.
The line up to get in in the morning is big.
The line up to get out after the day is done is big.
The walk from the stands to the pits is big.
The walk from the pit entrance to your pit is big.
The walk from the pit to the playing field is big.
The walk from anywhere to anywhere is big.

They sell concessions in the pits.

There are other things going on in other buildings. These will take a walk or a shuttle bus or other form of transportation. Plan on letting your students go to these other buildings somehow. If you normally have a rule about "don't leave the building" you may want to think about how to work around that.

Last year the Fedex Innovation Challenge was a great excuse for half our team to be wandering around the streets of downtown St. Louis. :D

Visit the Arch. There will be a ton of other teams doing the same thing so it's also a chance to be social!

One potential tip: If your group isn't huge, instead of hotel rooms, considering using HomeAway or AirBNB to rent a house suitable for however many people are travelling. We rented a house big enough to sleep 15 people which was about perfect for our needs, and we had a great time. A parent volunteer took care of cooking meals.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

As more of a fun event that happens every year at worlds bring paper for airplanes :D. They are fun to throw from the top level just don't do it during a match or anything.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Winning is helpful...

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Oh, you're one of those people. :P

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

I suggest making reservations for the arch. It's is truly amazing.

Jimmie Johns for quick and cheap eats.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

(my emphasis)

I won't contradict anyone who says they're fun to throw. The few that are well made and well thrown are fun to watch.

But getting hit in the back of the head every few minutes by a hastily-folded piece of paper, and having junk accumulate at your feet and in the aisles, and seeing the mass of trash pile up on the arena floor? Not fun.

Until they get banned, I won't be the one to deny you your fun. Just be respectful of the people in front of (and below) you, and respect the craft by making good paper airplanes.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Book a hotel as soon as you possibly can. In previous years (pre-2015) it wasn't so bad, but the addition of 200 teams has made accommodations very scarce later in the season. So plan well ahead.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

So I work part time at a Jimmy John's, its no fun making a ton of sandwiches when there is little to no heads up. I'd call sometime beforehand, if you have a group of 15+ people. Just so they can prepare and make more bread if needed.

Just a thought :)

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Sorry, not a fan of littering. :mad:

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Much less fun when you're in the Einstein seating area and you're getting hit in the back of the head almost constantly by "planes" made out of magazine paper.

Seriously though, I'm fine with the planes as long as people don't go overboard with them (such as the teams that dump the entirety of their scouting papers from the upper decks, or people who just crumple up balls of paper and throw it at people).

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

I am a bit confused by the schedule. It doesn't show pits being open on Wednesday, but Qualifying matches start Thursday. When do you get to work on your robot?

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Good points, all. And plan to bring a lunch to eat outside. The food inside is expensive with limited menu choices.

And one last point--mix it up with other teams. Many you may not see again. You have a great opportunity to meet some great teams and learn a lot. Don't just seek out the teams in the pits; the mentors and students in the stands are often less busy and have more time to talk between matches.

Come look us up--we love meeting new teams.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Pits are generally open Wednesday evening around 5 or so for everyone. They're open to 5 team reps earlier (2PM or so IIRC), and robots are encouraged to be inspected during this period. There are practice matches from 6-8 according to the spectator schedule.

Things will solidify a lot more closer to the event, and a schedule that has things that teams care about (like when pits open) will become available.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

One can only have so many servings of chicken fingers and fries...

We packed coolers with sandwiches, cookies, etc. but we were not allowed to bring them into the stadium. Security stopped us every time, examined the coolers, and said no. So we would have lunch parties on the sidewalk just outside. This wouldn't be bothersome except that somehow, other teams were managing to bring in food just fine. I'd regularly walk past groups with pizzas, BBQ chickens, Chinese takeout, ... Maybe we were using the wrong entrances. :rolleyes:

If my current team makes it to Worlds we will definitely encourage kids to go meet other teams!

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

This is one of the most valuable experiences CMP has to offer!
We met great teams/people at RoboProm; the Arch and one of my team's most favorite "outside trips" was the St. Louis city museum. http://www.citymuseum.org/

Tons of teams were there, kids could order food on their own and go play on their own time! Well worth the ticket price!

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

I had nothing but positive experiences with the security personnel working at last year's event.

My parents drove up from Arkansas to watch their granddaughter's team compete. Now my mom isn't very mobile, and would have had a really hard time walking from the main entrance to the Archimedes Division field location. She's also (bless her heart) too stubborn to use an electric cart. Fortunately, Archimedes was located right next to a stadium entrance that was reserved for volunteer use. So before my parents arrived, I explained the situation to a security person that was stationed at that entrance, and asked if they'd make an exception for my parents. She smiled, shared a personal story about her own slightly stubborn mama, then made certain that her colleagues knew to let my parents use that entrance each day. They also didn't blink when my parents brought in a small cooler with their lunch (concession stand food doesn't work well with health-related dietary restrictions).

On a related note, I was also able to get my parents their badges the day before they arrived, so that they didn't have to stand in line for 30 minutes (registration was an even farther walk than the main entrance). The gracious assistance meeting my mom's needs was a personal highlight of Champs, and was much appreciated.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Couple things. Make the kids buddy up. It is a great place to explore and see everything, but make sure all the kids have cell phones (and chargers, there are places to plug in if they absolutely need to) and they have the mentors phone numbers in there.

Then get some comfy shoes cause there is a lot of walking. Oh and Ibuprofen... lots of ibuprofen, probably the most fun getting a headache I have ever had. :D

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Team 1208 has put together a guide to St. Louis for teams attending the championships.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I had no negative experiences with the personnel. Good on them for staying sane after herding thousands upon thousands of teenagers. They were enforcing the rules. It was made clear somewhere in my piles of documentation that outside food was not allowed.

It was just comical because, while I fully expected to see people sneak small bagged lunches and coolers in, there were definitely teams having full-on catered lunches in the hallways and on picnic tables in the courtyard, complete with piles of take-out boxes and foil roasting pans filled with food. I have no idea how they got all that in! :confused:

Maybe they let food in through the other building and not the dome entrance?

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

The arch is closed until "late March" - hope it's open for CMPS because it is fun to visit. They sell out every day when we are there so purchase tickets in advance. The history museum located within the base is fantastic (and free) if you get the chance to go through it. This is a national park so security measures are in place and screening lines can be long. Plan for it so you don't miss your reservation time to go up. The "pods" that you ride in for a short time are small - some people may feel claustrophobic. The park that surrounds the arch is a nice place to get away and relax. http://www.gatewayarch.com/
If you have time, visit the Union Station. It's now a hotel but also the home to FLLJr and FTC Championships. During the evening the lobby has a wonderful projection show on the ceiling. There is a Hard Rock Cafe located adjacent to the hotel, near the metro stop. There are also shuttle buses running between venues daily.
If your mentors have time, visit the NEMO (Non-Engineering Mentor Organization) meeting on Friday between 10am and noon in America's Center, room 255. Great opportunity to network with other mentors and relax for a short time in a quiet space!
And if you are flying in, note that the airport is located some distance from downtown. You may need to arrange transportation or take the Metro to your hotel.
Have your team members track their walking mileage - you will be amused and amazed at how many miles you will put on during the event!

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Yo, FireBears got wildcarded at 10K! Scouting worked! I ran the twitter account! Dean Kamen signed our flag again! We also won team spirit and safety, ie, the two awards that make alumni think we're lying! The drive team ate waffles for breakfast! We had knights that made Monty Python jokes! We didn't run out of buttons!

It will be our first time there. We're not exactly a rich team, so we've been talking a little about camping a little bit since Missouri is warm, and TBH all the hotels are probably gone by now, but we have some qualms about camping, mostly that we don't want to stink. Any Missouri people know of any good campsites with showers? Is camping for championships a really bad idea in some unforeseeable way?

For getting there, we've asked around a little bit to other Minnesota teams because if possible, it would be great if we could go together as a group, so if you are a Minnesota team that is also going to Missouri, you should talk to our head mentor. If we don't go with another team from our state, we might carpool Duluth-style. We don't really know.

Even if we do go camping, we still have a CRAZY amount of fundraising to do. Does anyone have any good tips for fundraising? Also, does anyone have any good cost-cutting tips, like local places to eat that are cheap? If we do end up camping, we'll probably just buy food at a grocery store and cook it ourselves like we did at Gitchi Gummi so grocery store suggestions are also appreciated.

Also, what should you pack to championships? And what cool things and eats are in Missouri?

Thank you!

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Also, our team has a diabetic, two people with celiac, and one person who is allergic to tomatoes, meaning that concessions are potentially dangerous for them. At the regionals, we could simply explain this to security personnel and they would let these people bring their own food in, but I'm guessing it's not like that at World, so is there any sort of paperwork or pre-arranging that can be done?

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

I would also like to know this. I have an allergy that prohibits a lot of the concession food, but I'm unsure the security would believe me without the proper paperwork.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Does anyone know where I can find a list of seminars available at champs? I'm dashing in and out on Thursday/Friday for the Dean's List ceremonies, and I'd like to get in whatever i can in that time.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Congratulations on making it to the Championship! I am one of the Lead Queuers at this years event. As you correctly guessed each "division" or field works like a regional with Qualifications, Quarter Final's, Semi-Finals's and Finals. Then each division's winner moves to the Einstein fields (energy and mass) where the 8 divisions are split into the 2 fields. Those fields narrow down to 1 and eventually we have a season champion.

Things to know about the Championship event and Venue.

There are lots of options for food inside the Convention Center and Edward Jones Dome (collectively called America's Center).

-There will merchandise available for purchase with 2 satellite stores and one main store.

There are many additional options for food within walking distance.

Busch Stadium is not in walking distance of the convention center for most people, however our Light Rail System picks up from America's Center and drops off across the street from the stadium. Noted for the Cardinals Game.

Public Transit is readily accessible in Downtown St. Louis. Fares are $2.00 for Adults and $3.00 with a 2 hour transfer.

There is a good chance that the St. Louis Blues (NHL) will be in playoff contention. If hockey is your thing, there is a light rail stop at the Scottrade Center where they play.

The event will be very busy and crowded. The pits can be very loud. At championship you will never hear a team # called for whatever field if they are missing. If you miss your match it is on your team.

While some fields allow for repair work to occur on the robot in queuing, some, do not. Most fields follow a rule of no work to be completed beyond the center curtain where they field is. This is in an effort to keep matches flowing and fields on time. Many events have been getting behind for numerous reasons this season and it is being stressed to stay on schedule as much as possible.

The pits are in the exhibit halls of the convention center. And as such there will be a dedicated robot path for teams to enter and exit the competition floor in the Dome. IF, a celebrity is in the pits (on the field, etc.), either as a mentor to a team (Grant Imahara, Will.i.am, etc.) or to see the event in action, please do not block the path by queuing up to meet them. This causes backups for teams trying to enter and exit the fields.

***Please note, the celebrities are there to support what FIRST is about and to see you do well. Remember you are there because of the hard work and dedication you put in to the season. Please remember to use gracious professionalism when you meet these folks. They want to see you at work, not fan girl-ing over them. Focus on your task, if you have free time and want to meet them. Try not to interrupt the celebrity when they are with other teams interacting with them in their pit or on the field.

You will have lots of opportunities to network with many many people from the biggest corporations of the STEM fields. Be sure to be the best you can be hygienically. Freshly showered each day, wear deodorant, and clean clothes. Guys - remember AXE Body Spray is not the same as deodorant and can trigger asthmatic attacks for folks.

If you have time between now and the championship, put together an academic resume. You will have an opportunity to speak with colleges in Scholarship Row and having a resume on you will allow you an opportunity to see what else you might need to do to qualify for admittance and scholarships when you are ready to apply. It also helps the recruiters identify which scholarships you may already qualify for.

REMEMBER to have fun. This is a competition and we want you to focus, but do not become over stressed about the outcome of the event. We are all there to celebrate our accomplishments and it is a big deal to just make it to the Championship. Remember that. I can not stress this more. HAVE FUN...

Whew... I wrote a lot and I could write more. I live in St. Louis, so if you PM with any additional questions, I will be happy to answer as best I can.


EDIT: Added after initial post on Reddit.

Metro will have all buses that run downtown stop at the Union Station Metrolink stop. Construction at the Civic Center stop (Scottrade Center) will be occurring.

As someone mentioned; Team check in may take a while. Only one representative will be needed for this process. There will be many people doing their best to make this process as smooth as possible. Please be patient with the folks helping as many of them may be volunteers assisting at the last minute.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Being in charge of Queueing I can explain how it works at champs because it is VERY different from how it works at the regionals.

- First thing first YOU will be responsible for getting yourself to the field. Pit admin will not be calling out individual match numbers. There will be no runners coming to look for you. It's is all going to be in your hands. You have a schedule. You have too learn to read it. Find when your matches are and make an appropriate plan for heading to the field.
SUGGESTION: Leave 30 minutes early!. Earlier than that if can. It's a LONG WALK! Plus the dreaded Can O Worms will be making a comeback and anyone who had to go through it last year can tell you what a nightmare it was and what a nightmare it caused.FIRST insist on doing it. They made their choice. It's etched in stone. We're stuck with it.There's no point in complaining about it. Just head towards your field early.
-Make sure you know which one is your field. There are eight of them. Asking random volunteers if they know where your field is most likely will not be useful. They are assigned to a field that may not be yours and thus they don't know who you are because honestly, they really don't need to know you. Just the 75 teams on their field. Me or Dave could be anywhere putting out fires so make a point to know your field and where it's located so you can get there fast a s possible.
- Do not bring the whole team down with you. Security will cut them off and send them away. All your doing is causing a delay by having them deal with them and holding up the other teams. Just bring the media person and arrange to meet with the team afterwards.
- Do not go to other fields to play. Believe it or not a team actually tried this back in 2011. They wanted to fill and didn't want to wait on Curie so wandered over to Gallieo which had a shorter line and got in and them caused everything to stop cold. If you are not in the FMS it will not work with your number and they have to take the time to find out why. Taking away play time from everyone else. Don't be that team.
- When you get to the field be ready to do business. The Championship is under pressure to keep to the schedule. Making major repairs, revisions (plus you'd have to get reinspected for any major changes to your robot) or downloading a whole lot of code is probably not a good idea. And God forbid your late (aka show up at the match time). I have seen several teams get locked out. This year stood out for how patient the FTAs were with teams at event that bordered on sainthood. Don't test those boundaries here. Be on time and keep the event on time.
-When your match ends it'll be easy to want to just hang around and take in the amazing atmosphere of the event floor. That's understandable but remember if 600 teams choose hang out on the floor then the floor becomes a parking lot. Plus your pits are a good walk away and you may have work to be done so it's best to plan to head back to the pits and get ready to get ready for the next round.

Good luck!

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

Our first time was last year. Line to check in took FOREVER. Be prepared.

Make sure that students get out to see the Innovation Fair, and some of the St. Louis sights. Unless you are going to be falling in the top-15 of your field, having a huge scouting section will probably not be super-useful. Explore.

Family restrooms near the escalators and on the upper level are cleaner and private.

Planet Sub, 4 blocks from convention center, is the best place to eat lunch. Skip the arena food.

Re: Tips for first time at champs?
 

2502 always loves to help other MN teams. I’m unsure if 2502 is taking a bus or flying this year, but I can send you our lead mentor’s contact info if you wish. Good luck, and I'm glad you guys are going to Champs.