2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Twice the teams, twice the awards, twice the excitement. Can't wait to see everyone there.

Who's attending the first ever Minnesota North Star and Minnesota 10,000 Lakes regionals?

171 will be attending one of the Minnesota Regional this year (currently looking like North Star), assuming Wisconsin doesn't fill up too quickly, forcing us to move our registration.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Well Team 2207, of WBL MN is registered to attend the North Star Regional.

My question is does anyone know anything about where these are located, I know on the FIRST website they say Minneapolis, but WHERE, what buildings? Plus i hope to see an update on the regional website with this information about the two regionals, i know this way early in the season but I am way to excited.

Plus a little off topic, on the MN regional website (http://www.mnfirstregional.org) they mention something about the CompactRIO seminar, what time is that happening so I can plan accourdingly

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

You linked to the site with the answer. Right where it talks about the two regionals, it says that they will be at University of Minnesota's Williams and Mariucci arenas.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

WOW thankz, that wasn't there this morning when I checked the website.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Yep, the arenas are right next to each other.

2264's going to the 10000 lakes right now. It'll be good to have a smaller regional this year.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

North Star is at Mariucci Arena, and 10,000 Lakes is at Williams (site of last year's regional). Both are located on the campus of the U of M. Mariucci is the ice arena, and Williams is the basketball arena. And yes, they are right across the street from each other.

I don't know about smaller, my understanding is that they will both be roughly the size of the single regional last year, maybe slightly smaller. I believe there will be 50+ teams at each regional. Should be a pretty crazy weekend, I can't wait!

Here is the link to the YouTube promo video for the double regional: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrCJJ2JHnEU&fmt=6

I don't know any more specifics on the cRIO seminar, but you may want to ask that question in the forum section of the MN regional website.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Jeff, I know that FIRST is showing a capacity of 40 for each regional. Historically, I know most regionals usually end up with more than what FIRST lists due to late registrations with rookies and such. I'd love to see 100 teams competing that weekend.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

They are holding some spaces for rookies. My understanding, from various information I have received, is that the current plans allow for 50 teams at each site. I know that there are several teams in the state that are still waiting to see if they can pull the funding together.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

So we get a chance to compete at Mariucci? That is pretty cool. I go there for Gopher hockey games quite often, and I'm surprised it's available.

It would be even cooler if we could attend both, but they're the same weekend.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

If they were not the same weekend than many teams would go to both, therefore ruining the point of two regionals, which is to let more teams compete.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Exactly, I suppose they could restrict registration for both if they were different weekends but this just works out overall. They can have the same machine shop, volunteer catering, supplies, setup teams, etc. Management will be harder but fiscally it works out better.

-Vivek

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Team #2181 from Blaine will be going to 10,000 Lakes one ^^
Going to be a fun regional for minnesota, there seem to be alot of teams from out of state going to the North Star one. I took a look at the regestared team list for both, 10,000 lakes is more of the local teams; sofar.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

North Star definitly has the veteran teams right now. Things will change in a few weeks when teams start signing up for their second regional. I'd think Appleton and Fondy will both be back from Wisconsin. We'll see if there are any more Wisconsin teams that make the trip. 525 has yet to sign up for a regional as well.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

That's an awfully cynical view.

I know that when the TechnoKats decide where we want to compete, we don't ask "How weak is the competition?" We think instead about meeting new people, visiting new places, and learning new things.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

If I may, I'd like to expand on this thought a little. There are almost as many reasons to travel to regionals to compete as there are stars in the sky.

One that I hear a lot is that teams work hard to obtain funding to travel to different regionals outside their area so that they can interact with other teams from other areas, broadening their experience in FIRST. That experience can encompass the competition, the teams, the locale, the history of the event and the location, the sight-seeing opportunities.. the list goes on.

Competing successfully at the regionals is always a plus and an important part of the competition season but there can be many reasons for selecting the regionals that teams travel to and participate in. It's very exciting.

Jane

Edit: I must have been typing when Alan posted.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

I didn't say it was my view, it was what i had heard. I don't play to win, i play for the fun of it.
But you have to cinsider that some people do have that view in life too. Not everyone can be in competition to have fun line the majority.
there are people who spoil things.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Hear! Hear! There are so many factors to picking a regional and each regional has its own qualities! And lots of newer teams doesn't mean less competition, it means more opportunities to help other teams!

I'd love for my team to pick one of the Minnesota Regionals as a 2nd regional because Minneapolis is a wonderful city to visit! And to have two regionals across the street from each other would be an amazing site to see! But we have other factors to consider and regionals within driving distance usually win out!

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

When we have the luxury of being "choosy" about our regionals, we look at competition strength from the opposite standpoint. The tougher the better. I know a lot of other teams who feel the same way.

-John

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

The Minnesota regionals are on our list for the 2nd regional. Im not sure if we will get a spot though.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

That's why we registered for Minnesota first.

In regards to the competition difficulty:

Competing with the likes of Simbotics, Stang, Beatty, Kil-A-Bytes, Winnovation, Bomb Squad, etc... etc... It is so much fun. We went to IRI this year, we know. We had a blast. We really considered going to Midwest for that very reason.

We chose Minnesota though because of the 90-100 teams that will be there. The explosion of teams that started two years ago has not stopped yet. Minnesota is only going to get better over time. Which is really saying something, considering how huge it already is. Last year, I think there was 45 Minnesotan rookies. (30ish at the regional). From what I've heard, that number isn't changing a whole lot for this year. There is so many awesome people involved with FIRST right now in Minnesota. Who wouldn't want to be part of this?

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Addressing your edit comment first, nothing I see in this thread attaches the opinion to you, but by being the person that decided to post it on CD you should have been prepared for that to happen.

As for the opinion itself (although it has been addressed pretty well by others already), as you stated many of the teams from outside MN are registered for the North Star regional. Examining these teams closer reveals that only 2 of them actually have a regional competition closer to home (171 and 2817). Andy has already addressed why 171 is coming here and I can't imagine a rookie team from Tennessee deciding to travel to MN to get a better chance of winning.

Also, although there aren't any teams that I would put quite on the level of the teams Andy mentioned in his last post the competition coming from MN in the North Star Regional is nothing to scoff at. The Green Machine (1816) has been to Championships all 3 years they have been around including a Division Final on Newton in '07, notched a Regional win as a rookie and grabbed a Regional Chairman's last year in just their third year of existence. KingTec (2169) got a Regional win at Wisconsin in their rookie year and have made eliminations of all three regionals they have attended making finals in two. 2549 snagged a Regional win in their rookie year last year in Wisconsin. 2175 has made at least the semis of the two regionals we've attended, making the finals as the alliance captain in our rookie year in Wisconsin.

And that doesn't even touch all the second year teams who will be looking to break out with the knowledge that they've gained or the rookies who we know nothing about yet.

Minnesota will definitely be bringing the heat in Mariucci, so I hope that none of the out of state teams come looking for an easy win; they sure won't find it here.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

I can't wait to see what these guys roll out with this year. They started out with a $50 robot last year (in addition to the kit). They have grown immensely. 2549 is really a great example of how FIRST can change lives.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Personally, I am really excited for the MN double regionals. Two regionals, 20 minutes from home? It couldn't get much better. Mark Lawrence estimated 84 teams total in Minnesota for this year at our last team meeting on Tuesday. I think there might even be some teams from Minnesota who don't make it into one of these two regionals.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Last year we competed at IRI, Boilermaker, and Minnesota. they were all fun in their own way. IRI is amazing. Boilermaker was also great, we won with 1024 and 111. Minnesota was fun too, even though the team numbers were bigger, the intensity of the matches was still great. I'm looking forward to north star being a good one as well.

By the way, AndyB, I think we had a match against you guys at IRI. It was the one that had to be replayed the next day because one of the balls popped.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Indeed, I loved getting to see you guys compete in Minnesota, and then getting a chance to play you guys later on. You had a very solid robot this year. I still am in awe of how your gearboxes are held in with just a zip tie.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

actually the zip ties don't really do much. the gearboxes are held in with a sprinkle of magic pixie dust.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Team Krunch will probably be coming to one of the regionals, unless something changes with our spring break.
We cant wait to come up to your great state to compete in the 2009 competition and to see the mall of america:D

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

I see about 40 minnesota teams are signed up for a regional so far. Anybody know how many to expect eventually?

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

:( I am slightly depressed that I am going to miss the double regional in Minnesota, I went out of state for college. Then again I am now looking forward to the Oklahoma city regional :) . Go OU.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

I'm just hoping 10,000 lakes fills out more. It would be good for the rookies to see a few veteran teams there.

-Vivek

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

northstar still seems to be getting most of the veterans. It also seems that a lot of rookies have yet to register.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Yeah, I'm hoping it changes by the time registrations for second regionals roll around.

-vivek

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

I'm with Alan on this one. When we attended the Minnesota Regional last year (with the encouragement of many "in the know" about the event) we participated with the intention of helping rookie teams have a successful, enjoyable first FIRST experience. I can say with total confidence we succeeded in our goal. And Mark Lawrence and the rest of his crew put on a GREAT show!!

I've quoted Terry Sherman (Plexus mentor on our team) before and it bears repeating. When we're helping other teams and making a difference at a competition, "we're doing FIRST." For our team, FIRST is a verb; an action you can take to make yourselves and other teams better.

We're "looking forward" to "doing FIRST" again this year.

See you in Minnesota!

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

You guys sure did a lot of FIRSTing last year then! Can't wait to see you back again this year.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Northstar is looking really sweet right now...

Swart Dogs, Green Machine, Wicked Witch, Blue Twilight, KingTEC, Washburn, Calculators, Ultraviolet... a rookie team from Memphis, TN!?

Should be a fun time.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

the average of the team numbers at 10000 lakes is 2586 at this point.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

:ahh:

-Vivek

p.s. Hope if fills out atleast somewhat by tomorrow.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

I see team 79 is coming up from Florida to join our little party. Should we tell them it's usually 30 below up here that time of year?

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

new off season project, weather trapper

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Luckily, Minnesota is a week 6 regional, so they should only need to put 2 jackets on. Expect 40's-50's. But then again, our winters have a mind of their own.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

10,000 Lakes has now reached the "cap" of 40 teams and North Star is slowly climbing its way up with 32 registered.

There are still quite a few Minnesota teams from last year that have not registered (it is anticipated that many of them will be registering).

Although the caps listed by FIRST are 40 teams per event, according to Mark Lawrence, the Regional Chairperson, the actual capacities are 64 teams apiece.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Anyone know the story on why so many returning teams haven't registered? Is this typical?

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

That is if both of the regionals fill up to the max capacity or just about, They have the room and capacity to accept up to 64 teams if need be because of demand of teams wanting to attend the Minnesota Regionals,

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

My guess would be that they are still waiting to confirm funding.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

This is what I believe it is for most teams. It is definitely the reason 2052 (KnightKrawler) hasn't registered for an event yet. We will likely get the funding within the next week or two, and will likely go to the NorthStar regional.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Reminder to teams: payments aren't due until December. I would recommend grabbing a spot at a regional. You can always withdraw if the funds don't work out.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

Update- North Star is listed as full, so 2052 will be attending 10,000 lakes.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

There are currently 97 teams signed up for the minnesota regionals. Wow.

Re: 2009 Minnesota Regionals
 

See you at 10000 Lakes!!!