| ManicMechanic |
04-06-2007 16:04 |
Re: [FVC]: Longer competitions
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Mitchell
(Post 630419)
Although that would have been great, (we were trying to get a stair put in in atlanta for a while), an easier solution would be to simply have an extra team member in the stands.
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My primary rationale for wanting to open up the stands is to give the field personnel (drivers, coaches) a place to rest their feet, and an extra member in the stands doesn't address this. Scouting for 30 minutes (rather than scurrying) is only a secondary benefit.
In 2005, I counted 7 round trips from pit to Dome on the first day alone -- 5 qualifying matches, one drivers' meeting, and Opening Ceremonies. Add to that one practice match and the trip to the interview room (which they didn't have in 2005), and I believe that you're looking at diminishing returns: physical exhaustion and mental distraction --> more missed matches/no shows/poor performance for non-robot reasons --> less fairness, rather than more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KathieK
(Post 630420)
One of the reasons teams at Championships needed to return to their pits was for the judges to interview them! Several teams that had been identified as potential award-winners never seemed to be in their pits when we came around. :(
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While judging at an FLL State Championship, I found that the most successful way to find teams was to snag them as they left the competition floor immediately after a round. With a schedule in hand, I knew exactly when and where the teams would leave the field, and I had 3 rounds during which to catch them. On rare occasions when 2 teams were leaving the field at the same time, I would simply grab the first, then ask them to stand by until I grabbed the second. In this way, 88 teams were successfully found and interviewed in 8 hours.
One thing I don't recommend is trying to interview teams while they are queuing up in preparation for a round. They are usually distracted/focused on their field performance and will give a much better interview after a match than before.
Yolande |
