Rookie All Star Award
 

Hey guys, was doing some googling and read on a fairly old post from 2009 that you need to make a submission in order to win the rookie all star award? Is this still the case because i see nothing mentioned about on http://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/awards

Thanks

Re: Rookie All Star Award
 

No submission is needed.

Re: Rookie All Star Award
 

Writing a Rookie All-Star submission is a great way to practice award submission writing styles, and is greatly a greatly beneficial process for a rookie team. It can also be helpful to take to potential sponsors/supporters as a summary of your team's identity/mission etc. as it effectively summarises your team.

From my understanding, some rookie teams that received sponsorship from a particular sponsor (might have been NASA) were required to submit for the Chairman's award as part of the sponsorship agreement, despite not being eligible. Hope that helps!

Re: Rookie All Star Award
 

Appreciate all the answers guys!

Re: Rookie All Star Award
 

RAS is optional at each event and often replaced by Highest Rookie seed.

The way we won it was we ranked #21 out of 60 our first year and when they interviewed our pit they were pretty amazed at our business plan and the story of how we came into being literally from scratch..that seemingly resonated with the judges.

Come end of event there were "better" performing rookies than us and those with "more spirit" so when we got chosen we all were very surprised, all of us . In fact I left already.

So don't underestimate the value of the pit visit have a story to tell and documentation to back it up, let the students present/introduce the team to FRC. Don't leave at end of event even if not selected for elims. It may be you.

As a side note the trip to the worlds that year spurred us to do better. We saw what it took and here we are the selection or the chooser...so far.

Re: Rookie All Star Award
 

It's not replaced by Highest Rookie Seed. There's always a HRS, unless there just aren't any rookies at the event.

The optional part is that if none of the rookies at the event demonstrate the qualities needed for the award, the RAS is not given out. My guess is that this was written so that if there was an event with just one rookie team, that team wouldn't be guaranteed a RAS award and the advancement that goes with it. They have to earn it.

Re: Rookie All Star Award
 

In all my travels, only twice has no Rookie All-Star award been given out:

-Palmetto 2015 (no rookies present)
-UNC Asheville District 2016 (the only rookie, 5854, had already won RAS at an earlier district event and was thus ineligible to win it there; they won Rookie Inspiration).

In short, it's rare.

Re: Rookie All Star Award
 

Our team got the RAS award today at an event. What is the Advancement that is goes with it?

Re: Rookie All Star Award
 

If you were at a regional, you'd have qualified for Championship automatically.

But since you're in the district system, 8 points towards qualifying with the robot. Per Section 7.4.1.4, you are in contention for the Rookie All-Star Award itself at the District Championship regardless of whether the team qualifies to attend with a robot.

Re: Rookie All Star Award
 

So we get 8 ranking points that help increase our likelihood of advancing to the District Championship to compete with our robot?

But, if we don't qualify to bring a robot we could still win an award at District Championships?

Thanks for your help and quick response!

Re: Rookie All Star Award
 

Correct. It is possible to win Rookie All-Star at the District Championship without having your robot there.

Re: Rookie All Star Award
 

I believe the contingency is only in place for extreme stuff like the only rookie team at an event threatening to burn down the whole building or making voodoo dolls of a judge or referee.

Re: Rookie All Star Award
 

I'm not sure on this, but I'm fairly certain there was no RAS given out at GSR 2013, where there was only one rookie present. There was no reason given.

Re: Rookie All Star Award
 

FIRST has reinforced the point that RAS is an optional award and does not need to be handed out.

Midwest 2015 there wasn't any rookies so no RAS.

At my first DE this year we did not give out RAS because the judges felt the only rookie team had not earned it. It's rare, but it happens.