Re: How Does Your Team Support Your Regional?
 

Our team has made volunteering part of what our team does. One our stated goals when the team was formed in 2000 was to see a regional in our home state of South Carolina. To that end, starting in 2002 we offered members of our team to serve as volunteers to build a knowledge base to draw from for running the SC regional. One of our adult members is actually the volunteer coordinator for both the Palmetto (we succeeded! we have a regional in SC) and the Peachtree Regionals. We will also be supplying volunteers for nationals.

As a more personal response I have been a volunteer in the past, as a field coordinator (not sure if that's the correct title? I made sure teams got on and off the field in orderly fashion), as an inspector and as the Pit Announcer at the Nationals. It really brings you close to an extraordinary group of people, the FIRST staff. I have really enjoyed working with these people. I also really enjoyed the chance to meet so many of the participants. This is such a great way to be part of something that I see as the birth of a new and exciting direction for teans around the world. This year I will also be volunteering.

For those that read this and wonder, "How can I get involved?" Contact FIRST through their web site www.usfirst.org or if you would like to volunteer for the Palmetto or Peachtree Regionals visit our team’s site, www.metalinmotion.com and post a message stating that you would like to volunteer. We'll get you in touch with the coordinator! You can also PM me and I'll put you in touch.

Be a volunteer! Give back to FIRST! Get a whole lot more than you give!

P.S. FIRST takes care of the volunteers. There is always plenty of great food and refreshments

Re: How Does Your Team Support Your Regional?
 

Team 698 Chandler, Arizona
Its not what are team does for the phoenix regional its what our sponsor does. Microchip (our main team sponsor) started the Phoenix regional.They got some companies in Arizona to help sponsor the entire regional. And to back them up every year at Hamilton High Team 698 always invites all the teams in F.I.R.S.T. to come a mock competion. Team 60 and Team 64 always helps us out.(Thanks) Now just if we could get every team in the U.S. to host a mock competion we could have a little more fun through out the whole year not just 6 weeks and a few Regionals and mabye a National compition.

Re: How Does Your Team Support Your Regional?
 

Team 25 works hand in hand with the NJ FIRST regional committee. We do our very best to support the growth of FIRST teams in our area, and work with a NJ FIRST program called RINOS, Rookies In Need Of Support, to provide mentorship to new teams.

Re: How Does Your Team Support Your Regional?
 

I beg to differ...

You won our team's Gracious Professionalism Award at Phoenix Regional

Re: How Does Your Team Support Your Regional?
 

The Georgia Tech mentors and our team the CircuitRunners have done a lot to help FIRST grow in Georgia including helping the regional event. A few of us sit on the planning committee and have been in charge of recruiting GA teams. We have done tons of demonstrations, hosted a 10 week series of workshops in the fall, run a help desk for GA teams, run a remote kickoff and a scrimmage, mentor several rookies, and much more. One of our big problems this year was finding good strong mentors for already existing teams as well as new ones. Our team was able to find sponsors and match them with local teams that needed help.

There are lots of things that need to be done to run a successful regional, and not just for the three days of competition. I encourage all teams to contact their regional coordinator or some of the regional committee members and see where they can help. Don't hesistate to pass on good ideas to them, it helps. And don't forget about Lego League either, it takes a lot of work putting those competitions together as well.

Re: How Does Your Team Support Your Regional?
 

While it's not technically our home regional, several Team 48 team members had a wonderful time volunteering at the Pittsburgh Regional last year (see attached picture). These individuals served as field resetters, match queuer, head robot inspector, spare parts table manager, and referees. The regional staff has emailed some of our returning team members asking for their help again this year, and the kids have told me they are looking forward to it.

Also, while it's not directly considered "volunteering" for a regional event, I'm sure that if your team can spare the time and material, it's always a positive contribution to offer your tools, extra parts, or programming/mechanical assistance to other teams at a competition. A couple Delphi E.L.I.T.E. engineers spent some time getting a few rookie team drivetrains up and running and also helped out with various programming questions from other teams.




Disclaimer: Regarding the picture, the person on the far left is Jim Crouse, the Head Referee at the 2003 Pittsburgh Regional. Jim is a former member of Team 48 who retired a couple years ago from his position as director of engineering for Delphi Packard Electric Systems. He now devotes much of his time toward volunteering for the FIRST program.

Re: How Does Your Team Support Your Regional?
 

I myself am in my first year on my team, so I have not really helped. However, my team provides a few volunteers, such as Dave Lavery and my brother (Jeff) Wetzel. There are probably others, but I have not been involved in previous years to know exactly what we give or who volunteers. As everyone else already knows, Dave does so much for FIRST and is known by many.

Re: How Does Your Team Support Your Regional?
 

No offense to Dave "the man" Lavery or yourself, but its both quality and quantity, in my eyes. It's not only about the well-known person who gets companies involved and brings more teams into it, but it's also about the kid that no one knows who sets up the field, and the guy doing pit announcing all day. We're all giving our time to help make the competition better....and every bit counts.

-Jessica B

Re: How Does Your Team Support Your Regional?
 

I completely agree. Every volunteer should be commended. But as I said, I am in my first year on the team and those are the two people that I know help out.