Rookie Awards + National Invitations
 

Our team just got back from our regional, and had a few questions about the awards, specifically the criteria for the rookie awards. We got the awards for the highest ranking rookie team and the most inspirational rookie team at the competition, and during and after the awards, several of the judges told us that we qualified for the national competition, however the FIRST website says that only the Rookie All-Star award qualifies a rookie team for the national competition (unless they qualify by getting the chairmans, engineering excellence, or winning nationals).

We've looked all over for clarification as to what the criteria are for selecting a team for the All-Star award (so we can improve for next year), and a final word as to if we qualify for nationals of not (Either the judges were wrong when talking to us, or the FIRST website has a typo).

Can anyone out there shed a light on the matter for us?

Re: Rookie Awards + National Invitations
 

Only Rookie all-star qualifies you for the championships.

Re: Rookie Awards + National Invitations
 

Rookie All-Star is an invitation to the championship. Unfortunately, Rookie Inspiration is not. Also, I'm not sure what you mean with repect to improving for next year, since you will no longer be eligible for rookie awards.

Re: Rookie Awards + National Invitations
 

Yeah, it's Chairman's the rest of the way, guys.
Have at it!

Re: Rookie Awards + National Invitations
 

Does anyone know the specific criteria for the Rookie All-Star award?

Re: Rookie Awards + National Invitations
 

See section 5.24 of the manual. Also, since it refers to the award as the "Chairman's Award for rookies", section 5.4 will have some additional information. I don't believe there's a published rubric or anything similar for Rookie All-Star.

Re: Rookie Awards + National Invitations
 

Think of the Rookie All-Star kind of like a Rookie Chairmans. What have you done as a rookie team to stand out and spread the word of FIRST and uphold the virtues of FIRST?

Re: Rookie Awards + National Invitations
 

I like to think of Rookie All Star as the judges way of saying "We believe you are most likely to win a chairman's in the future"

As for the criteria... it is basically the same as for Chairman's except they don't judge for "year round" activities.

Re: Rookie Awards + National Invitations
 

Oh my team won the Engineering Inspiration Award....but we are rookies...
can we consider it as an exception or its a normal thing? Cuz we thought that this award was given only to the old teams and it's a beautiful surprise for us!

Re: Rookie Awards + National Invitations
 

Congratulations on winning the Engineering Inspiration Award! While there is nothing in the rules that say that a rookie team cannot win this award, it usually does go to a veteran team. So your team should be really proud of itself, since this shows you really got the whole concept of FIRST! That is an amazing thing for a first year team to do, especially since many of the veteran teams are trying to achieve the same goal! One rookie team was awarded the Engineering Inspiration Award in 2005, Team 1619, from Lockheed Martin/Seagate/NASA & Silver Creek High School, received this award at the Colorado Regional. No rookies received it in 2006.

I hope you can make it to championships in Atlanta, you have definitely earned the right to go!

Re: Rookie Awards + National Invitations
 

Holy crap, congrats! That's a hard award to win. Team 675 finally won it after being in FIRST for 7 years. For a rookie team to win that award is pretty cool, and yes, and invitation to Nationals.

If I remember your team number and I see you at Nationals, I'll be sure to congratulate your team in person. =]

Re: Rookie Awards + National Invitations
 

Oh oh!

thank you very much!

we are very glad for the Engineering Inspiration Award and the recognition of you all...

but, unfortunately, #2244 is not going to the Nationals this year...
just a lil sponsoring mistake, but this year, we are not going =(

So, we hope to see you all doing great at the competition and showing the wonderful level that we've been reaching all those years (well, for rookie teams as mine, those months!).

Am close to tears here, and I hope to see you at the competition next year!


*Ps: hey, if anyone of you want to add me to share experiences and pics of the Nationals, u can add : vivisthebest@hotmail.com in the MSN Messenger*

*HuG!*:)