Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

2002 GLR

First comp ever - I was a mentor for our team. I have vague memories.
- Unpacking and seeing all the other robots and feeling sick...
- Seeing the drill motors pop out of their motor mounts in our first match. Straight up.
- Wondering what just happened.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

2003 Great Lakes Regional

Our robot broke....a lot. It was a lot of fun though.
The first time our robot got up the ramp with out breaking or falling over, our team went crazy cheering.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Bash at the Beach 2004. Our robot got broken... a lot... really a lot. But I had a wonderful time and I've never looked back. I'm still upset that we didn't go to Bash this year!

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

my first FIRST competition was the FLL Competition what i helped out in...my first FRC competition was LSR. this year

-junx

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

2002 UTC regional.

I was woken up at 4:00 AM to drive all the way to New Haven, Connecticut. I wasn't happy about waking up earlier than I'd normally have to for school. That morning before we got there I was asking myself "Why am I here...?"

It was so much fun! Loud music, tons of robots, tons of excited students. 166 won the Play of the Day award for pushing their partner, 151 who was their sister team back in the day, back on their wheels.

I'm so glad my parents dragged me to that competition now!

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

my first FIRST experience was when i was 11, in 2001, it was the Philadelphia regional and one of my mom's friends from church's son was competing, I remember that the power went out for a while and everyone did the maucharena on the field, it was great, and then 5 years later i'm on this brand new team in idaho, oh yeah, bowchicabowwow...FIRST kicks approximately 30 metric tons of butt!!!

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Oh man.... It was Brunswick Eruption... it's like first year I believe. My brother in Robotics and my dad took me. First thought: I WANNA DO THAT!!! And a few years later, here I am:D

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first FRC competition was Pittsburg in 2005. It was probably the best regional I’ve been to, even though we had some bad luck... We were picked by MOE (seeded 1st) an alliance partner for eliminations and were celebrating afterwards cause we were sure we’d definitely win the competition, when the judges realized there had been a mistake in the rankings and we had to redo alliance selections. We were picked the second time around by the seventh seeded team and lost early in eliminations. I don’t remember if MOE won, but we were really disappointed…

But I made a new friend from 365 out of it… and found a name for my new hammerhead shark (it’s a stuffed toy), so it was all good in the end.

~Smita

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

well, my FIRST competition was at KSC in 1999. Don't think we had our robot working until late Friday or maybe even Saturday. we weren't as pink as we are now but it was there. I still miss being in the rocket gardens and being able to watch a shuttle or rocket launch while at the competition. don't miss the lightning storms that pass through though.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My First FIRST competition was Duel On The Delaware 1. It was great I remember the whole day and how much fun it was meeting new people and seeing the robots move around and do something, It was a day that I will never forget.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first competition was the Buckeye Regional when i was in 7th grade. Our mentor does both lego and high school robotics so he took a bus of lego kids, so they could see what it was like. I didn't understand anything back then, but it was cool. My first event as a member of the team was the Maryland State fair competition. I didn't know anything then either but, I had fun, and i have continued to have fun at the FIRST events, and i have also l learned alot of useful skills.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first competition was the first ever Greater Toronto Regional in 2002, I was only in the seventh grade (12 years old) and my brother was on our team. It was my first competition, and our team's first and only regional win. I also went the next year when my brother was leading the team and we won our first and only chairman's award. Its funny to look back at the pictures and see myself on the field when we won chairmans, I really didn't know what it meant back then. Now that I think of it I have been to GTR every year... and the only regional in Canada I have missed is the Waterloo regional in 2005. :eek:

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first event was the 1995 Manchester Regional. It was at my highschool so everyone on the team had to be a volunteer. I got field reset, which is just about the sweetest job cuz you get to see all the matches.
I remember so much from it too...like Sunny D, grabbing the big 3 point ball, zipping up the middle ramp, deploying velcro outriggers (hrm..i wonder why there's a rule about velcro) and owning the goal and top scoring spot for the remainder of the match. ChAOS 131 was just as good, it was a shootout as to who was faster.

Our team only managed to launch one shot and we missed. That team later went on to become 238 the Cruisin Crusaders.

It was so different from what it is now. Drivers standing on a platform behind the goal, 2 milwaukee drill batteries powering the robot...battery charging station! back to back fields for non-stop action, and Woody as the emcee

And if I remember correctly a grand total of about 76 teams, not all attended Manchester, some just went straight to nationals.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

FLL in fourth grade... and then GLR, I believe, that same year...
I found an essay I wrote about FLL when I was little. My friends shook their heads and said I was addicted young. My essay even mentioned HOT.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

I didn't know FIRST even existed until after I joined the team and they explained everything. My first competition that I saw was when I volunteered at the Lone Star FLL Tournament and my first FIRST Robotics competition I attended was last season.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

The first competition for everyone in our team will be Waterloo this year :). We can't afford multiple competitions, but are also still hoping to attend the larger Toronto regionals so we can witness the full-scale FIRST experience, though. Hey, maybe we'll make it to the finals, then we'll REALLY see some FIRST madness...

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

I was field reset at the first Silicon Valley Competition held in NASA AMES Hanger One (1999?). I learned about the competition since my Dad workes at NASA, and they were looking for employees to help run the competition. We both volunteered, and I became hooked on robotics. That was in Fourth Grade. I started with FLL the year after, and I haven't looked back after over 19 seasons of robotics competitions.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

2005 Colorado Regional would have been my first time to attend a FIRST event but I couldn't in the end because my family wanted to go to Texas. Last year I finally got to join the team(Team 1636 has a pre-requisite in oreder to join). My rookie year, I ended up being the Electronics Head and one of the drivers. The energy rush I felt when my first very first match began was so cool. Match after match I had more and more fun and seeing Gracious Professionaliam in action was very cool. I loved seeing how teams helped out other teams, that was the coolest( and a breath of fresh air because while I was in the marching band, that's another story). It's my senior year and I'm dissappointed I wasn't able to join Team 1636 in it's rookie year(my sophomore year) but I'm a part of it now and become one of the most crucial members. After my last year as a student, I really hope in planning to always volunteer and maybe mentor(depends on my schedule because I'm also helping out students learn about lighting in tech theatre).

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

2005 SVR. 192 didn't have a robot that year, but some of us went to the competition anyways. It was pretty cool. I remember seeing 114's swerve drive. It was freaking AWESOME. I think it was in their animation that year, too.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

!998 Moffet Field San Jose, Calif.

WOW! Held in a blimp hanger at JPL. I think it was the first time I saw teams 330 and 254.

1998 EPCOT Nationals

WOW! WOW! Atlanta is nice but the early EPCOT's were fantastic!

Ken

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first FIRST competition wasn't too long ago... my first off-seasonal comp was Kettering Kickoff in 2005, and my first in-season was the Great Lakes Regional in 2006. As you can see, I'm a newbie to the FIRST program, as you can see from my recent rookie year and my lack of time on CD. (Actually, I've been a lurker for at least a year, but that's a different story. :) )

Though I was a first year senior to my team, I still hope I can mentor teams sometime while in college, and possibly be an advisor to a team when I'm a teacher one day.

I really do miss my team and I wish I had more time on the team, but the year I did have with them was definitely worth it. :)

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Back when our team was team 1056, I went to the pacific nw regional at portland oregon. we totally sucked that time, and were so much in debt from that time on (that was in my froshie year) we wernt able to participate until this year!!! both of us (the only two remaining from that team in the school) are sooooooooooo glad to be back to the stress of FIRST... botball and HURC (underwater robotx) isnt the same kind of stress... its great!!!

gotta love chiefdelphi!

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My First In-Season Event I attended as a Team Supporter was the the Inaugural NYC FIRST! Regional in '01 which was part of a school trip. But the First Event I participated in was the NYC Regional in '02.
My First Championship Event was in Orlando, FL (WDW) in '02
My First Off-Season Event I attended was at Connecticuts Bash at the Beach in '01

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Thread Revival Time? :D

My first FIRST event was an the TDSB East Toronto FLL qualifying event hosted by team 188 in December 2010.

My first FRC event was GTR East of this year.

My first travel event was the FLL North American Open in California, May 2011.

My first travel FRC event was IRI of this year.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

First one for me was the 2008 (and first) Where is Wolcott Invitational.

It was June of my 7th grade year. My friend had called me up and told me his sister has/ is hosting a robotics competition in town, and asked if I wanted to tag along to keep him busy and check it out. I didn't have any other plans so I said why not and went.

I had heard about the High School's robotics team before, and had participated in a Lego camp run by them, but beyond that I didn't really know anything about the competition. I had an absolute blast going and watching the matches, dancing around, and I got to have GUS Pulled Pork for the first time. (YUM!). I pretty much was hooked, and made sure to attend every WIWI after that, and did end up joining the team in 2010.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first FIRST competition... St. Louis regional for Rack 'N Roll.

My best memories from that trip:
- On the way down, there was a huge snow storm we drove through. The wipers on the bus weren't really working, so the driver pulled over at a gas station and bought new ones. Well, the new ones didn't fit onto the arms! 15 minutes later, we had them folly modified to work for him :)

- This picture is still my favorite FIRST picture of all time.

- Losing in the quarter finals due to a hanging piece of decorative tape

- Learning so much from teams like 148 about how robots should be designed, and how far our team had to go.

- Learning all about scouting from 1094

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first ever FIRST (and FRC) event was the Israeli OffSeason compatition of 2010. It was August 28th if I remember correctly.

I just finished 9th grade and joined the team. It was a slow event in comparison to the ones I attended later, but I liked it.

First ever non-FRC FIRST-event (and so far the only one) was an FLL district event, a few months ago.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first FIRST competition i attended was midwest regional 2012 (my freshman year) in UIC pavillion. I was pretty excited since i knew nothing about competitions. I walked around with 2 of my friends and we tried to start people cheering after alliance scelection with some other students from wildstang and from the two other teams on our alliance. Spending approzimately equal time in the pits and stands it was really inspiring for me :)

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first competition was the 2006 Ford Sweet Repeat held at OCC. We did terrible and didn't even make the playoffs, but I've been hooked ever since.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

First regional that I attended as a spectator: STL 2010. My sister's team (and my future team) were competing as rookies. They became the 5th seeded alliance captain and, along with 501 and 1448, made the semifinals, losing to the eventual champions.

First regional that I attended as a participant was STL 2011. 3397 played mediocre for their matches, but ended up getting picked by 1985 and 3284 as the 24th pick. When we ended up winning, and I have never been happier. I have become obsessed with FIRST ever since.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

my first FIRST competition was at a regional in new jersey where I had been picked to be the driver for the season, but I hadn't actually driven the robot from that year yet...took a lot of getting used to! Needless to say I learned pretty quick :)

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first FIRST event was back in 2002 at what was then called J&J Mid Atlantic Regional, which turned into the NJ regional 2 years later. I was only 6 years old at the time and had no prior knowledge to anything related with the program. One day, my dad had talked to a few people at work(Bristol-Myers Squibb) and they talked about this robotics competition which the company sponsored. My dad was really interested in it, and found out how to get involved and mentor a team. Luckily, there was a team in our area, so he got heavily involved. TV shows that I was obsessed with around the time were Battlebots and Robot Wars, so I was thrilled when I heard my dad say something about "robots." Long story short, he'd bring me along to all of the meetings and competitions, and as I became older with the team, I began to understand more and more. We looked for an FLL team in our area, and there were none offered in my school, until about 6th grade, and then I got into the program officially. This exposure led me to go through all three levels of the program, and it also provided a full time hobby and passion for me since I could and still can't be involved with any sports due to a orthopedic condition(completely different story). Sorry to bore you all with these offtopic details, but I thought it was a better way to explain how I was involved at such a young age.
Anyway, that first event was absolutely incredible to me (even though the game was a little bland). I just enjoyed the music, the dancing, and the coolest part, these real live machines doing incredible things. It's something that I'll never forget...

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

None other than the lovely Buckeye Regional- probably in 2008 or 2009. Really amazing. I watched some of the matches, but as a 6th/7th grader I was more concerned with collecting buttons.

ALL OF THE BUTTONS.

I wandered the pits - I wonder what people thought of me?

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

2012 Utah Regional!!! Our team made it to the semifinals and won Rookie All-Star.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Pittsburgh 2008 for me. I think it's still my favorite event that I've competed at. I was a freshman, and most of the students on the team at the time were juniors (with maybe only two or three sophomores and three seniors). Since juniors had state testing the Wednesday we were supposed to leave for the event, we split our caravan into two groups based on who could leave when. As a result, I got put on pit crew as a freshman, and I stayed on pit crew through my senior year. We also made it to the semifinals at that event, which hasn't happened again up until this past season.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first FIRST competition was in eighth grade (winter 2008) and it was an FLL district event in Lafayette, IN. We ended up winning the research award and was the last team to qualify for state competition. It was our teams first year and we were ecstatic.

My first FRC event was DC in 2010 and we came in as the undefeated champions of the regional the year before so there was a lot of pressure from some of the older members. We missed all the practice matches so we could put in our new kicker and ended up getting eliminated in the quarter finals. I had so much fun playing ninja on the metro in DC as well as being Andy Baker's assistant for the drive team which prepped me to be on the drive team at our next event.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

The one in Ypsilanti in '06 (Great Lakes Regional?). It was neat. Saw the team that I would later join for the first time.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

The first competition that I attended was overdrive in 2008, I was in 7th grade. I was astounded by the amount of work put into each robot, and I loved the amount spirit in each pit. This was the year my team took on our knight theme, and so we built a gigantic wooden castle in our pit area. I joined the team as a freshman and looking back, that was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made :D

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first FRC event was a pretty cool one, however, I didn't realize it at the time.

It was Mission Mayhem 2008, I was a freshman and didn't really know too much. Somehow the co-ordinators of this event managed to get Woodie Flowers and all of the previous WFA winners to stop by! It was really cool, looking back that is...

Unfortunately for me, I had no idea who Woodie Flowers was, nor what the Woodie Flowers award was, so therefore, I missed out on a great opportunity. Nevertheless, it's a really cool story :)

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

10 years old, FIRST Frenzy, Palmetto Regional.

Life has never been the same.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

2007 St. Louis Regional. We were a new, small rookie team with little idea of what we were doing, and knew nothing about other FRC teams. There were some other teams there with some very funny names like Robowranglers, Thunder Chickens, Winnovation, Technokats, and Swart Dogs. Who were these teams and how good could they be with such goofy names? We learned.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

First event was the Motorola Midwest regional in 2002, my freshman year of high school. I was sick and I mean sick, I spent the better part of 3 hours one day lying on the floor in the pits staring at the ceiling trying not to vomit or pass out from my fever. One match stands out when I think back to that event. My team at the time, 93, had to face Beatty 71 (those of you who don't know their bot from that year look it up, it lived up to their name of BEAST.). The pit crew had spent the entire time from our previous match in the pits changing out the gears in our gearbox to get faster and try and beat 71 to the goals in the middle of the field. Needles to say 3 second into the match their was a huge collision with us(93), the middle goal, and 71. 71 ended up getting stuck on the center goal and was unable to move the rest of the match. The roar of the crowd when this happened is something I have yet to hear again since. It was the most fun I've ever had at an event, even better than the ones I've won and wasn't sick at.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

2002 NJ Regional in the hot old gym.

I was along as a parent chaperone.
The team won. My hearing and voice were shot for at least a day.

I had no clue what was coming.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

I've been thinking about this thread since it's been 'resurrected'. I knew I had made a post and searched for it to see if it had said everything I was thinking at the time. It did. But... now, I'm thinking about another aspect of that first experience that I respected but didn't fully understand at the the time. The importance of volunteering at the competition event.

I didn't understand that the majority of the people wearing the volunteer shirts came from teams like mine and from interested members of the community. I thought they magically appeared for a few days to help celebrate the event. Around 2006, I decided to begin volunteering for events and one of the first ones was the Florida Regional. It was because 1902's Wendy Austin invited me to come to the regional and I realized that I could also volunteer while I was there. That opened the door to the wonderful world of volunteering to me. From there, I realized that I could volunteer at off-seasons and that I could volunteer at my home regional, too. From there, I realized that I could volunteer for FTC and FLL events, too. Somewhere in there, I realized that I could volunteer at the Championship event. It was when I was fully involved in discovering the opportunities that volunteering at FIRST events and off-seasons provide - that I really felt like I was helping to strengthen the program and to understand a bigger part of the picture.

The program is continuing to grow and competition events are springing up around us, in need of volunteers. Without the volunteers, the events can't happen. Without the events, the teams can't reach their potential. Without teams reaching potential, regions struggle.

This is where I am in my thinking 10 years after attending my first FIRST event. I celebrate that experience and I celebrate it in the way I expressed in my first post in this thread. But.. I've grown in the time since this thread was initially created and since 2006. I blame it all on Wendy Austin. :)

Jane

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

The first Boilermaker Regional in 2005. I had joined the team because my son wanted to join. I really had no idea what this whole thing was about until that event. Our bot was truly awful but after attending this event I knew it was a fundamentally good design that could have been so much better than it was.

I vowed to never let that happen again and I have been hooked ever since.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first regional as the new coach gave me a pretty abrupt picture of just how good some teams are. 2009 St. Louis regional, first qualifier match: allies with Team 71. Wow! Second qualifier match, facing Team 16. Wow! Seeing teams like that really makes an impression when you're new at this.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

The first event that I attended was the 2010 Granite State Regional. The PVC Pirates were part of the alliance that ended up winning the whole thing. I joined the Pirates this year as a freshman and I'm so glad that I did. Watching how the team has changed from then to now is surreal to me. Other than that, the first event I watched was a video feed from the 2008 Granite state regional.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Can't believe I haven't responded...

My first event was either a pre-ship scrimmage in 1999 or the inaugural Silicon Valley Regional, also in 1999. As I recall, the regional was held at Moffet Field, in the large blimp hanger. Pits on one side, field sorta in the middle... and if I recall correctly, the team social was watching Apollo 13.

As for the preship, I can't remember if it was the SCRRF preship or the Fall Classic. Either way, it was held in a high school gym in 1999.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first competition was probably the first ever Granite State Regional in 2003. My mom figured I'd be interested, since I had shown an interest in science and space for quite a while, and I just fell in love with it. 2003 was also the year that my team started, and since I joined in 2010, it has been a life-changing experience, with great friends and amazing times along the way.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Brandon, that was my first FIRST event too! That was back when I was a 1058 mega fan! :p

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first regional was 2007 in Pitt, Rack 'N Roll. Wayne was the MC and it was awesome! In 2006 I mentored by did not attend any events - MISTAKE! Pitt was also the first time I met our friends at Delphi Elite - complete with a YouTUBE moment on Thursday - search "48 Flips" to see it! In Travis' defense, they were driving without thier ramps installed - light robot with lots of power meets inner tube and 1038... Great competition. We had a stong 'bot that hung on the top row in Auton and got to the finals with 48 as a partner, unfortunately they broke down and we lost, later in the year at Buckeye we were beat by 48 in the finals, when our alliance partner blew thier drivetrain - they sat in the home zone all match - but they had great ramps, so we got the elevation bonus - which was not quite enough! Great season, we didn't win regionals, but we were finalists in both and I learned about GP and the addictive FIRST environment! That year is what really hooked me!

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first competition was as a mentor at the 2005 Boilermaker regional. Our alliance of 135, 93 and 876 ended up loosing in the finals in 4 intense matches to 71 1024 and I think 294. the whole experience definitely got me hooked.

When we got there to set up, I saw a team pulling their partially assembled robot and a bunch of pvc pipes out of their crate. I vividly remember feeling kind of bad for them and thinking that they were probably in for a long weekend with that thing. Well, this will tell you how clueless I was at the time, it was team 71, Yeah.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first FIRST competition was in Manchester last March. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life - I'd had fun working with the kids at school during the previous 6 weeks, but I'd never experienced anything like competition and that was when I really drank the kool-aid. I nerded out and wandered around the pits - it was like being at the coolest science fair ever to see what all the other teams did with the same time constraints. Even though our team didn't place into the finals, it was still a blast.

Once the Boston competition was over 2 weeks later, I felt a bit let down, like, "OMG, I have all this extra TIME, what do I do with myself"

Ever since then I've been in deep. ;)

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first FIRST competition was the 2012 Minnesota 10,000 Lakes Regional. Never have I experienced anything so breathtaking. The rest of the team tries to tell me I even DANCED in front of the field in between elimination matches, but I have no idea what they're talking about ;)

The energy was incredible. Call me a stereotypical Minnesotan, but I've played and watched hockey my whole life. The energy in Williams arena when filled with high school kids excited about FRC was infinitely more intoxicating than the energy in an NHL playoff game between rivals.

That competition was the first time I had had real FUN in years. It was also my first time eating fast food since about the fifth or sixth grade. And, as my teammates say, my first time dancing (I still deny this...)

One thing I do want to add:
Really, only people in Minnesota (and most likely the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area) would know this, but Kennedy (where 3081 is from) and Jefferson (where 2470 is from), both in Bloomington, are big rivals. I played hockey and lacrosse for Kennedy so I know how bitter this rivalry is. But when 3081 made it to the finals and 2470 didn't, we didn't have enough batteries. So 2470 loaned us theirs. That's what we should be doing. We compete, do our best, and help everyone else do their best. It took me sixteen years (on the dot! My birthday was the Monday before 10K) and joining an FRC team to figure it out, but I did.

All in all, I wouldn't have traded it for the world. I've got a long way to go, but the last day of that regional was the best day of my life, and it would've been even if we hadn't won that regional or even made it to the finals. I wouldn't trade that experience for the world.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

The first FIRST competition I went to was actually a post-season scrimmage for lunacy at a local science museum, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. My best friend invited me, and I remember it being fun to take up all the duct tape holding the field together. :)
The FIRST official regional I participated in was an FLL regional event at a Western Digital HQ.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Ha! I got on of the best stories for my first regional!

Out here in Hawaii, we didn't have a regional. However, a couple of schools found interest in the competitions, and wanted to start some teams. Thus, my dad became the lead engineering mentor for team 359, the Hawaiian Kids in 2000. I went probably 2-3 times a week to go and watch them....and play with the balls. After build season, I went with my parents and sister with the team to San Jose to watch them compete in the Silicon Valley Regional. They did.....pretty bad, with a robot that basically put all their weight high in the air, resulting in much toppling over. But, the biggest thrill for me was that during lunch on Saturday, my dad took my sister and I to the pits to look at robots. Halfway through looking, he brought us to meet the emcee I now admire and love, Mark Leon. He took us on the field, and the three of us danced the YMCA in front of the entire audience! He's the emcee at the Hawaii Regional now, and every year I make it a mission to go and have a chat with him at lunch, and the best thing is, he still remembers me from that one moment. That was a great moment for me, and what helped greatly in solidifying my love for FRC. FIRST Forever!

(BTW, if Mark's the emcee at your local regional, if you can get him while he's not busy, ask him about a guy named Todd from Hawaii. He'll most likely remember me :p )

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first FIRST event was the 2011 Dallas regional. I was in 7th grade at the time, but I was already one of the more active members of my team. Since we had to send in team representatives for the practice members, and everyone else was working on the robot in the pit, I got to be the "driver" for half of our practice matches. Even with no robot, the energy was incredible. I got to meet several volunteers like that, and they were all very excited to see that there were some young(er) people on the teams. In the end, I never actually drove the robot, but the experience of being out on the field in front of all the other teams, watching the first tube placed at the event, and seeing all of the amazing creations of the other teams really sealed the deal for me. Although I am no longer with the team I was with that year, I have remained in FIRST, and I have now begun my freshman year with more experience than any of the people on my current team. I definitely have no plans of leaving FIRST now. I am hooked.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Sorry Todd, but Mark wont be there.
He will be at SVR during week 6.
Instead we have our former student and current Miss Hawaii USA Brianna Acosta as the MC and Jenny Yang from team 604 as her backup.
I tried to get Karthik and managed to get our Hawaii ROC to pay for his expenses.......however, he plans to be at the inaugural Calgary regional that week as well.
Karthik, there is always next year!

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My FIRST Competition was in '04. In was the only texas regional at the time. The Lone Star Regional in houston texas. That yr. start off bad. We only had a running platform that was very strong. We can push like two goals and two robots all at once. We had a simple dead wrecking auto that work well. We were not fast at all and was a second round pick by 57 and 364. We ended up going 6-0 in playoffs and taking home the gold. I was apart of 457 that yr. It was a hard but rewarding season that ill never forget. My FIRST yr. and My FIRST medal. So many memorys since then and i would not take any back.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Glenn,

As long as there are no conflicts next year, I plan on being there!

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first FIRST competition was the Bayou Regional of 2011. Let me quickly build up to it. In 2011 I was hired as a second year Language Arts middle school teacher to teach High School level Social Studies. When the hiring principal found out that I was pretty good with computers, he said the most fateful words I had heard since "It's a girl." "You can help with our robotics team"

He did not know, then, that the old teacher was not going to be running the team for a second year. I became a robotics coach. Of a FRC team. After almost not raising the funds to compete, learning what build season meant, working harder than I ever had in my life... I was going to quit.

It was just too hard. And then we won the regional. And then we raised 25k in three weeks to go to World Championship. And then I met freakin Morgan Freeman.

Yeah... That was my first time with FIRST.

And now... Well. . . Who needs sleep, relaxation, sanity, family, gaming time, grading time . . . I'm designing robots here darn it. I'll be normal later.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

I got to shake hands with Dean Kamen. Nuff said. :cool:

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Sounds good. I hope it works out.
Imagine both you and Mark here!

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first competition was just this last year, Rebound Rumble in Portland Oregon. I had seen a small off-season event before that, but Portland was my first, and so far my only real event. I am told that Portland lacks the energy of some of the larger events, but I find that hard to believe. That place was rocking. I did not see anyone that was not caught up in the excitement and who did not return changed in some way for the better.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Pittsburgh 2011, LogoMotion! :)

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Granite State Regional 2009, my first event as a member of 1058, the PVC Pirates. We came in last place, and I mean dead last. We couldn't pick up balls off the floor, our drivetrain didn't work right, we got stuck on the carpet around the edge, and we had connection issues. But I was only a freshman, and I knew we would get it right the next year. We did, and won the event in 2010! I was inspired from the start and continued to be for 4 years.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

For me it was the Waterloo Regional in 2007. I was a Grade 8 student at the time, and 781 sent a bus for interested FLL students to come watch for Saturday. I don't remember a whole lot of it, but I did get to ride a segway, and watch lots of robots. I joined 781 in Grade 9, and I haven't missed a Waterloo Regional since. Now I am in my second year of Mech Eng at uWaterloo, and will be sure to drop by the regional again this year.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first FIRST competition was at the 2007 Boston regional where I got to watch my older brother win his first regional. This was where I saw his team 125 win in a last second balance that erupted the whole arena. That weekend was why I got obsessed with robotics and hoped I could do the same thing one day.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

my first FIRST Competition was the FLL State Tournament in Georgia in 2005....

but if we're talking FRC, there's my first one and my "first" one. The first competition I went to was the Peachtree Regional in 08. My brother was on team 1002 at the time, so I went up with my parents to watch. It was pretty cool, but I think my 8th grade mind was elsewhere during the competition.

The one event that really stands out in my mind as the first competition in which I was inspired was Championships in '09. My team (1002) won the regional EI award and we went to championships. We were in the same division as some of the really big names. I just remember walking around the pits, and seeing the robots of 1114 and 67. I was just amazed when I walked by their pits with the robots and the teams themselves. When our team lost in the Quarterfinals to 1114 and 2056, I wasn't even mad. Seeing the best teams at Championships was what got me addicted to FRC.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first event was the 2008 Philly Regional. A few memories.

Being put on the lead of the scouting team, being a freshman rookie in the team, and knowing nothing about scouting. If your team is not in the position to pick, it's really good training, and it's how I learned the basics of scouting. Philly that year was quite interesting to scout also.

The final matches that year were the most epic I've ever witnessed. You had 103/272 which were highly ranked as a first alliance, and you had 365/314 as the underdogs. And the underdogs found a way to win. I still get goosebumps when I watch those matches on TBA.

Oh, and my team got into the Inquirer (largest Philly newspaper at the time), and were featured on channel 6, one of the largest TV news stations here. And my brother got his pic in the paper. I still have the article somewhere...

My ramblings...

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

I remember my first FIRST competition was back in 2005 at IRI. I went as a spectator because my cousin was on Team Roboto, and I was only nine years old. I do not remember much about the actual competition, but I do remember how cool it made me think FIRST is.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

The 2004 Canadian regional was the first FIRST event i attended. My oldest brother was (a grade 9) on the team, and my dad was a first year mentor. I was in grade 4 at the time, but went to the competition with my family. I can remember the massive size of the competition with the two fields and like 70 teams. I also remember a lot of the great robots that were there. My most vivid memory form the event was after Code Red with the Tulip and the Killer Bees won the regional, the blizzard of confetti that covered the field to We Are The Champions. I remember thinking that I wanted to be in that position someday and have been hanging aroud the Kinetic Knights ever since.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Florida (Orlando) Regional 2011

As a mechanic, I was proud of the hard work we put into our robot for the Logo Motion game. But alas it didn't perform too well :/

But randomly, we began to really get into the cheering and dancing side of the competition. Our already super-enthusiastic group become super-spirited! Even when we missed the playoffs, we came back and continued to cheer! And we won the Spirit Award. And have won every Spirit Award since :)

And our robots have been giving us more to cheer about too in the years since :)

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

2007 UTC Connecticut Regional, I was in 5th grade at the time and I remember going around the pits trying to collect a button from every team, everyone was very nice and willing to help or teach me about their robot. My team ended up partnering with 1124 and 558 and ended up winning the regional, the amount of excitement that was going through the stands was incredible and it had to have been one of the most fun experiences I've had in a while, after that I was hooked and couldn't wait to go to the next one or be in high school and do it for myself.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Ah, thanks, Mr. Lee. Makes sense since our competition changed from week 4 to week 6 that he may not be there. Thanks!

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

2003 Robot rodeo in orlando. Thanks 79 for the practice Bot!

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

My first competition was the 2015 CAGE Match in my rookie year(well its still my rookie year;) all of us rookies rebuilt the teams 2015 bot. We had a great design, but went back to pretty much to square 1 on the Saturday before competition, but we got into the finals at CAGE.

Walking into the whole place was just a great atmosphere with all the cheering and coopertition so Im pretty excited for competitions this spring for Stronghold.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Neat thread....I've been doing FIRST for a while now, and I started well after this thread started!

Arizona 2006 Aim High regional, we were rookies, and our pit neighbors went on to do some really neat things. They went to black jumpsuits soon after this, which made them more recognizable as penguins. We'll miss them.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Colorado 2004. I didn't like it much at the time. Looking back, a fair chunk of my attitude about FRC had to do with some limits I pre-set for myself and my students. No WAY could we ever make something as fancy as the other robots we saw there, they must have been made by adults, etc. I am so proud of my team and what they've accomplished since then. We've never made it to Worlds, but I have a feeling this is the year...

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Greater Kansas City Regional at Kemper Arena in 2013. It was the last time the regional was hosted at that arena because of how expensive the rent was. We got chosen for the 8th alliance's second choice and we had to go up against the 1st (and winning) alliance that year. I didn't get to watch all of the Eliminations since I had to go to a piano competition. I got back just in time to watch our last match where we fully climbed successfully. Getting out of the car when I got back to the arena I slammed my thumb in the car door, then later had a ton of the skin on my other thumb get ripped off taking apart out pit.
Given that we lost the match still, it was a success for us.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

i can remember my first FRC pretty well, 2014 EWU district event. Managed to have our robot spin on end, and at one point going straight into the other teams driver station wall at top speed, burning tracks into the carpet (sometimes resulting in the refs stopping the robot) we finally figured out the issue (the code would hang at random points on whatever it was doing) but it was fun.

except for the gearboxes.... we all hated the gearboxes...

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

I have to lay a basis...I was heavily involved in The Fraternal Order of Eagles organization of which I am still a member (since 1996), a great fraternal organization. In 1999-2000 I was President of my local Aerie (our lodge or Eagles home). And before that the Aerie Secretary, and once you are a past President you qualify to run for State Aerie office.

In June 2000 I ran for (won a position on the State Executive Board), and started my personal walk toward the AZ State Aerie Presidency -F.O.E..

www.foe.com

In 2009-2010 I served as the State Aerie President and worked as a troubled Aerie Agent for a number of years by then and since (a volunteer troubleshooter for the Grand Aerie FOE when a local Aerie's Charter is suspended or revoked).

In 2011 I was serving my last year as a State Aerie Officer (the AZ State Aerie -Jr. Past Worthy State President, and my term was to end in early June 2011). Just as a bit of background here, my home Aerie is Lake Havasu City Aerie, and we have over 6000 members in our Aerie/Auxiliary and they supported my walk up the ladder from day 1.

The State Presidents represents every member in the State. Travel almost every weekend of the year is mandatory to effectively do the job of any executive board member, absolutely mandatory of the Presidents...It is a huge personal commitment like FIRST is. I take my given oaths to the organization (and as a dedicated volunteer & organization officer), very personally.

In August 2010, our youngest son Noah (our last child at home, and youngest of 3 boys - I have been a Dad for 40 years now), was entering High School as a freshman in August 2010 (his Grandfather -my F.I.L), who lives with our family, had previously taken Noah to an FRC Regional in Las Vegas, and it - FIRST Robotics, had bitten him pretty good.

We have a local community based (3 High School, 2 Districts, and Home Schooler's), FIRST team (60), with a bit of history behind it that goes almost back to the very FIRST beginnings, and a few long time FIRST involved mentors in town (yes, I'm pointing at you a 2015 Woodie Flowers Award Finalist Winner, Industry Mentor George Williams - Master Machinist and master teacher -Laron, Incorporated employed, and Jody & Kerry Schanaman -Both Mohave County Sheriff's & KUSD employed).

Well, to put it simply "Noah joined the team."

My now FIRST Education Mentor Wife Celeste was asked to handle the duties since our son was now "on the team", by her school district, and gladly took the duties even though she works at the district's Middle School, and not the High School. She's been "TAG, YOU'RE IT" every day since (year round including Lego Robotics teams she personally Coaches at her school each year).

OK, that basis is laid out....Naoh first asked me that August...."Dad, please come mentor too. I'm there, Mom's there...You need to be there also."

I said I would, but first (notice that word? FIRST), I must finish my commitment to the FOE. I'll be finished with that commitment (State President & Jr. Past State President), by next June. Mind you, I had just completed a huge commitment year as the FOE AZ State President, and was tired & just a short 10 months away from completing that long hard walk up through the seats (and never ending years upon years of constant travel), to do so.

Now, the very first FIRST Event I attended....Mom (her and I live the good but understanding life of dedicated Teacher & her Husband....In August we both say Hi & bye hunny, see you during school vacations and occasionally when you/I'm grading papers), & Noah were busy all the time (then magically they almost totally disappeared somewhere in early January 2011, and I rarely ever saw either of them except when they dragged in late looking a bit tired from wear of long hours from something strange called (totally unbeknownst to me at the time),...The Excitement filled and Dreaded "FRC BUILD & COMPETITION SEASON."

I thought someone had kidnapped them, and I'd be receiving a ransom call any day now. So I waited by the phone. That call never came, so....

Dad had no clue whatsoever what he was missing (except maybe his wife and child, and a whole bunch of dinners together...Though Celeste always had prepared food in the fridge for me, though I don't know where she finds the time...I wasn't neglected, just missing them a lot). No idea...I Was CLUELESS about FIRST, or what I was truly missing! The art of mentoring....The excitement of the engineering nightmare disguised as a game. The big CON of....Eventually you get to sleep after Championships is over....

It just so happened, come early March2011, they were competing at Hamilton High in Scottsdale, AZ at the AZ East Regional, and I was attending an Aerie Visitation in Tempe (Mesa Tri-City Aerie), on the very same weekend, and our Visit/Banquet was scheduled for Saturday evening, and the 2 locations were just a few miles apart.

So, like a good spouse & father should & would do...I drove down to the event site Saturday afternoon early to cheer on my family & the team! They were doing very well, I also was lucky enough that my oldest son Nate (he's currently stuck in N.H. by Snowmageddon 2016, and just received his FTA Certification yesterday BTW), and his wife Donna brought out our grandchildren.

Even though I had to leave the first FIRST event early...Before, the elim's., they were qualified up there near the very top of the board. Celeste kept me updated all the way to the finals...The team were Finalists, and Noah was a Driver in just his Freshman year.

I was quite proud, but I was also by now FIRST BIT & Team 60 BIT ALSO. 2 short weeks later, I enjoyed mentoring at the Las Vegas Regional and the team won with 987 (Alliance Captain), and 2984. then a few weeks later, we were off to St. Louis where 254 & 973 won their first World Championship title(s), and 111 won their third....THE REST As they say, IS HISTORY.

Just 5 years later. Nate is now an FTA, I volunteer for FIRST at events throughout the season incl. The Championships. Celeste is still a year round Education Multi-Teams FIRST Mentor, I am an FRC Season Team Mentor.

We are now a FIRST FAMILY FIRSTLY. (We owe FIRST & the Team and the other mentors a huge debt, and are paying it forward together slowly). Noah is off in college (an ASU Sophomore who now visits us on school holidays), and he will come back as a strong FIRST mentor as soon as that degree is finished OK? <I(;-)~. Don't you doubt that for a second George & Co.

BTW, The Eagles miss me a little, OK, some of them do. I miss my friends in the FOE a bunch, but we still see each other occasionally, as those are lifelong cultivated friendships.

Someday...I will be old, bald, blind and grey, and not able to even crawl up on the porch w/ the big dawgs during the "FRC Build Season"....But, it surely won't be in 2016. (I am regrettably old, I am almost bald...and I am very grey, and I am nearsighted....But, I'm also an anal Type "A" techie mechanic, who can stay awake longer than most. And I'm not finished learning just yet....But, I have found & learned that teaching is actually much harder than it looks for this doer.

Oh, I can learn anything...Just don't take away my internet! And...Volunteering for a field side job cures the nearsighted issues completely. You think it is exciting from the stands...Get closer.

When Volunteering. Every FIRST Event, feels like the first event.

Machine Shop 2012
" " " 2013
Practice Field 2014
Field Supervisor 2014
Field Reset 2015
" " " 2015
Official Scorer/Field Reset 2015 "Hopper"
Field Assembly/Disassembly/Shipping 2013~2016
Part Time Keeper Of The Castles 2016...See you at The Championships. Rally that Kingdom.

Re: Question: What was the first FIRST competition you attended?
 

Mine was the Roseville high school pre/postseason competition in MN last October