Re: Ramp Riot 2006: The Official Thread
 

Yeah! I'm a little bit behind.

I'll post a schedule this weekend. Generally we have team arrival at 6:30 AM, opening ceremony at 8:45-9:15 AM. With first match at 9:15.

With 36 teams we will get in 5 rounds before playoffs. Lunch is generally at 12 Noon. We work hard to keep a pretty strict time schedule. The pace keeps the event action filled.

I'll post the official info this weekend.

Thanks for the wake up call! :D

Re: Ramp Riot 2006: The Official Thread
 

Oh thank you soooo much! Now I can get my team organized.. afterall it's in one week :) And you are very much welcome for the wake up call! I'm just here to help :D

Ramp Riot 2006: THE FUN STUFF
 

The FUN STUFF!!

Opening Video Help: Each year we produce an opening video to honor our participating teams. Please send your team pictures of team members, robots, etc. to aostrow1@comcast.net. We want to include everyone in the opening video.

Canned Food Drive: Each year we hold a contest for the team with the most canned goods delivered. The team with the most cans delivered wins a Ramp Riot Trophy and an Attaché tool case. These cans are then delivered to the Mattie Dixon Community Cupboard for delivery to needy families. (1100 cans last year!) Please contribute to this worthwhile cause.

i-Pod Raffle Tickets: We will be selling tickets to win a 30 GB Apple i-Pod. Tickets will be sold in the lobby for $1 each or (8) for $5. The drawing will be held at 4:30 PM on the floor at Ramp Riot on November 18th prior to the Awards ceremony.

Event T-Shirts: Event T-Shirts in a variety of colors and styles will be for sale in the gym lobby.

Face Painting: Face painting will be available in the gym lobby. Pay as you wish donations will be accepted.

Radio Station Q-102: Q-102 will arrive at our event shortly after lunch and will be giving away prizes at their table in the lobby.

T-Shirt Shooting Robot: Team 306 will once again bring their T-Shirt Shooting Robot. Be ready to catch a prize up in the stands! Thank you, Team 306, Corry Robotics for bringing this show stopper again this year!

Picture Zone: We will once again operate a free picture zone for all teams. Each team will receive a free framed team picture. Photos will be available post-event through our website.

VEX Driving Zone: A miniature field with VEX robots will be located in the lobby for kids to try their hand at driving a machine. This area is free.

Welcome Gifts: On each table you will find a gift bag courtesy of Team 341. Thank You for participating this year.

Ramp Riot 2006: Special Visitors & Events
 

Special Events & Visitors!!

2006 FVC VEX Scrimmage Event: We are pleased to announce that Ramp Riot will host a double field FVC VEX scrimmage in the Lower Cafeteria just a short walk from the FRC arena. This competition will host up to 20 teams playing the 2006 FVC game challenge. We are very excited about this new addition. Thank you to the NJ, PA, MD and DE, FVC groups for putting this amazing event together.


AndyMark Visit: We are pleased to announce that Andy Baker and Mark Koors of AndyMark Inc. will both be attending Ramp Riot 2006. Please be sure to give Andy and Mark a big welcome on November 18th. They will be displaying new products in the gym lobby.


NEMO Workshop: 9:30 to 11:00 AM in Room D-26, (Non-Engineering Mentor Organization) is presenting a workshop for adult mentors on “Teambuilding – Build Your Team before you Build Your Robot” at Ramp Riot, Ambler, PA on Saturday November 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The workshop will provide you with easy to do exercises to take back to your FLL, FVC or FRC teams. The workshop is free but pre-registration is required by November 11. If interested in attending, please e-mail Kathie Kentfield, kathiek@firstnemo.org with your name, e-mail address, FIRST program (FLL, FVC or FRC) and team number.


“Team in a Box” Release: Ramp Riot will mark the release of “Team in a Box” V 3.0. This version is the first under our new sponsorship with AndyMark Inc. The new version has all of the old favorites plus updated menus, interviews with Andy Baker, and new whitepapers from Team 45, NEMO, and many others. Copies will be available at the information table in limited quantities. Thank you to AndyMark for their continuing support.


Sponsors & Partners: Please welcome our sponsors and partners that make this event a special day. Representatives from the following organizations will be honored on the field.

Children’s Hospital
AndyMark Inc.
Rohm & Haas
BAE Systems
Siemens
Johnson & Johnson
DeVry University
TechniTool
Wissahickon Educational Opportunities Foundation
North Montco Technical Career Center
Wissahickon School District.

Ramp Riot 2006: Event Schedule
 

EVENT SCHEDULE

5:30 AM Team 341 Reports to WHS

7:00 AM Doors/Pits open

7:20 - 8:30 AM Practice Rounds

8:40 - 9:00 AM Opening Ceremonies

9:00 -12:00 PM Qualifying Rounds (4 out of 5)

9:30 -11:00 AM NEMO Workshop (Room D-26)

12:00 - 12:30 PM Lunch/Special Events

12:30- 2:00 PM Qualifying Rounds (5 of 5)

2:00 PM Alliance Selection

2:30-4:30 PM Elimination Rounds

4:30 PM Awards/Closing Ceremonies

5:00 PM Field Breakdown

Re: Ramp Riot 2006: The Official Thread
 

Please email me at aostrow1@comcast.net if you need the entire Ramp Riot 2006: Information Pack.

This packet is available to both students and mentors.

Thanks!

Al

Re: Ramp Riot 2006: The Official Thread
 

Wow! So much stuff is going on! And it all seems like so much fun!! I can't wait! It's only 6 more days til the RIOT starts :D

Re: Ramp Riot 2006: The Official Thread
 

After 7 years, I finally sat down to think about the meaning of Ramp Riot both for myself and the teams that attend each year. I wrote my thoughts in the introduction to the info packet, but I thought I would share them here with you. There are many reasons to hold an off-season competition, but one of the most important is to captivate those new members on each and every team that attends.
Our team feels a very personal responsibility to make this a fun experience that keeps people coming back each year. Sometimes you only get one shot to get a kid excited about FIRST! If you are attending Ramp Riot please think carefully about what is written below. Lets put on a show for the benefit of the rookies.
Thanks!

Al

Welcome to Ramp Riot 2006!
We want to thank everyone for taking part in this celebration of FIRST! What has kept Ramp Riot such a successful event has always been the quality of the participating teams. We are grateful for your attendance.
Ramp Riot started in the fall of 2000 with 8 teams in an almost empty gym. The original idea was to hold a scrimmage and train a few rookies. But the teams had such a great time that we decided to play every year.
Now in our 7th year, the goal has not changed. The principal mission of Ramp Riot is to train and inspire rookies. Even though we have grown to 36 FRC teams and 20 FVC teams, the rookies still need that spark of inspiration that will keep them in FIRST. This spark of inspiration comes from YOU!!
Keep this in your thoughts as you compete at Ramp Riot. Be strong in competition, enthusiastic in the stands and supportive in the pits. Let’s all get excited for the benefit of our new rookie members!

Re: Ramp Riot 2006: The Official Thread
 

Ever since RAGE started going in 2004 this has definately been my favorite off season event for that reason. It has allowed our students to be revived with the FIRST spirit for the upcoming season. While in our first year competing down at Ramp Riot it was all veterans to the program attending, we still felt the spirit of the competition and event. We now have gone from a small group of 8 or so students and a few mentors to a group of approx 30 students and adults traveling from Connecticut down to Wissahickon High School for one of the best off season's there is. We now encourage all of our students to attend if they can as it definately simulates the experience of a true to life FRC event but without nearly as much stress as the real deal. It is definately a great training tool to attend offseason's like Ramp Riot and some of the other fall "Pre Season" off season events.

Definately can't wait for Ramp Riot 06'!

Re: Ramp Riot 2006: The Official Thread
 

Wow that is a big statement considering all the stuff you have with the words "BATTLECRY" printed on it.

actully I really shouldn't talk as this will be my first ramp riot, but after this weekend I will tell you for sure ;)

Re: Ramp Riot 2006: The Official Thread
 

222 is ready and we are bringing our crew of rookie drivers who placed 2nd at BE and lost by only four points in the third match of the finals. I am also am going to be full time coach as Camtunkpa can't make it.

Looks like you have a crew of teams attending ready for a competitive riot!

Re: Ramp Riot 2006: The Official Thread
 

Yes, There are definitely many great off-season events, some of which I want to attend someday. ( Like Battlecry, IRI, and a few others) I also love going to PARC each year because it was our first off-season competition back in 2001. I definitely don't want to compare our single day event to some others out there. I just wanted to say what Ramp Riot means to us and encourage other teams to see the same vision that we see for the event. We want every rookie leaving excited about FIRST!!

Re: Ramp Riot 2006: The Official Thread
 

While I may have a lot of stuff with BattleCry on it, I do like Ramp Riot more, for simply the fact that I have more fun. If you want hardcore competition then BattleCry or Ramp Riot will work, but if you want hardcore competition with a lot less stress and a lot more fun then definately Ramp Riot wins out over BattleCry.
Just my $.02 though.

Re: Ramp Riot 2006: The Official Thread
 

Hi Jon:


I appreciate your support of Ramp Riot, but would like to keep this discussion to just issues surrounding Ramp Riot. I am sure that Battlecry is awesome and actually hope to take our team there some day.

I definitely don't want to turn this thread into a discussion comparing off-season events. So lets celebrate the upcoming competition and not compare events in this thread.

Thanks for your help.

Al

Re: Ramp Riot 2006: The Official Thread
 

Hey Team 341 and Al,

I was wondering if there are any local hotels around the venue? I am trying to come up and help out the VEX competition.

-Freddy