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

The first FIRST competiton I ever went to was Great Lakes in 2003.

I dont remember anything really awkward going on there but at Nationals in 2003 (my 3rd competition) I remember being woken up at 3 in the morning by my roommate... she gave me whole new meaning to homesickness when i walked into the hotel bathroom and saw she threw up all over.... I dont think i will ever forget that...

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

I remember my first FIRST competition. I'll date myself and geographically locate myself, since most posts here are about the east coast and midwest...

1998 Johnson Space Center Houston Regional. No, not Lone Star, the original Houston Regional that was only around for a year. The event was held at Space Center Houston.

Imagine if you will, a pit for 20+ teams contained in an area the size of a high school cafeteria. With barely existent aisleways. Needless to say, the pits were a mess. The field was in the center of a somewhat large cleared area SSH uses for displays and events of this type, but there wasn't much in the way of stands. There were nearby stairs that occasionally offered decents views, though. The original incarnation of our robot didn't fair very well at that event. We were trying to use a system of PVC rollers to squeeze balls into the center goal, but we used some plywood as the base, and it didn't stand up well to other robots.

Nationals that year was a bit better as we traded out the plywood for lexan and added a third roller to help pull balls through. With the added benefit of removing balls as well. There's nothing quite like the look on a team's face when you cut their score in half... We still had issues with the chain for the rollers coming loose, and it was hard to beat Baxter Bomb Squad loading the center goal with 3-4 balls at a time, though. So we did decently, but not incredibly well.

At any rate, the competitions were fun and all, but I think I enjoyed the build season a good bit more.

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

The first competition I went to was VCU in 2000. I don't really remember much other then there was a lot of good music. The Brazillian Machine stands out in my mind too, for some reason.

The first meetings I attended were in the fall of 1998, but the friends I had at the time were discouraging in my attendence of robotics. They were discouraging in my attendance of school as well, but thats another story. I ended up droping off the team halfway through the build season in 1999. That fall, however, I was waiting to join the team again. This time I stuck through and made it to the competition at VCU. That competition hooked me hard enough that I gradually stoped hanging out with my old friends, and started hanging out with my new FIRST friends.


Wetzel

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

2000 Lone Star Regional in Houston Texas - I remember the team from Hobbs NM - their robot was shipped in upside down and arrived in pieces - those students rebuilt it in a day with some help from others - mostly though they wanted to do it on their own. Also 68 Truck Town -- showed up with their portable machine shop and a truck full of parts and a huge willingness to share and show gracious professionalism at it's finest.

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

My first competition was the `04 Pittsburgh Regional. The best part of the whole time was probably when we were in 2nd place at lunch on Friday - that was (to us) rather unbelievable. Although it didn't last, we were still thrilled to get selected for an alliance.

Ah well, the whole thing was a really great experience - I can't wait for Annapolis `05!

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

Great Lakes Regional in 2003. we were a rookie team and loved it. It's our favorite regional. we went back in 2004 and we're signed up to go again this year.

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

My first was the Midwest regional in 1997. Back when there were only three regionals - Manchester, Chicago, New Jersey. Our team competed in NJ but went to Chicago (Harper College, I think?) to scout and see what this was all about.

I remember the Greenville TX team - they grabbed onto the tree and could rotate it to keep any other teams from placing innertubes. Incredible defensive strategy.

Beatty/Hammond was there - big surprise, they were awesome (students of the game will note that they were natl champs that year). Best offense. Even back then they were masters of the steel frame and PVC arms. That industrial-looking robot is on the cover of my SPI catalog #18W.

When Beatty/Hammond went up against Greenville, there was a serious and entertaining struggle when offense met defense. I don't remember who won, but I do remember in at least one match that Beatty/Hammond got "rolled" by the rotating goal.

For students of the game: whatever became of the mentors for that great defensive team? (JVN is excluded from this question because it is too easy for him)

Ken

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

The first FIRST competition I attended was the Canadian Regional (now GTA Regional) in Mississauga three years ago. My first thought was one part rock concert, one part sporting event, one part dance party. Mix with loads of energy and lots of sound and you have something I have got to be involved in!!! :ahh:

I am now embarking on my third season as a mentor/facilitator to Team #63 - The Red Barons. And I am now up to 6 FLL teams that I work with, maybe 7!! We attended a local FLL tourney last weekend. The team next to us in the pits wasn't faring too well. They had no real technical mentor, just several parents with limited knowledge working with them. :eek: So I just had to volunteer to stop in at their next couple of meetings and help them out!!! :rolleyes:

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

I'll give other people a chance to answer, but I'll leave a little hint. They started a company that some FIRSTers might be familiar with...

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

OOOooohhh! OOOOoooohhhh!! OOOOoooohhhh!!! Mr. Kotter! Mr. Kotter! I know! I know!! I know!!!!

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

My first was Deul on the Delaware 2002. However my first main season event would be the Arizona regional of 2003.

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

The first robotics competition that I attended was the duel on the deleware offseason competition in Salem county community college right off of the deleware memorial bridge. This was the replay of the 2003 stack attack game which I found to be extremley awsome and challenging. :D

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

It became too easy once you excluded JVN from the list. There's exactly one group that I know of being located in Greenville, TX (what else is in Greenville, TX?).

Matt

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

L3, one of the largest defense contractors in the nation?
Team 148?

Something else...?

John

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

Ken,
In the stories I've heard, Beatty wins, but only because of a last minute strategic error by Greenville.
(Maybe the story teller was biased).
I guess we know who went on to fame that year!

For the full story, you'd have to ask someone who was there, with a better memory. (Or the video).

I've got my copy of SPI #18 sitting on my bookshelf next to me. What a cool machine.

Ken -- if you exclude me from every contest where I know the answer, I'll never win anything!

John