FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I didn't see a 2010 season thread started yet and the annual where could the world championship be hosted was started in the fall of 2008.

As an affiliate partner for FTC with our local planning committee meeting in June, any solid ideas when FRC kick-off, ship day will be for 2010? We always look at the FRC build window and regional dates as we solicit volunteers from those mentors and students.

A quick check of the GWCC bookings has:
04/14/10 - 04/17/10 FIRST


Going backwards 2 weeks for last regional/Michigan State event, then five weeks for regional/district events, plus another week and a half for ship date, then six weeks of build one arrives at
Kick-off January 9th:) or 2nd:ahh:
Ship date February 23rd or 16th
Regional events
wk 1 Mar 6 / Feb 27
wk 2 Mar 13 / Mar 6
wk 3 Mar 20 / Mar 13
wk 4 Mar 27 / Mar 20
wk 5 Apr 03 / Mar 27
wk 6 xxx xx / Apr 03

World Championship
Apr 14 - 17

If FIRST has kick-off on January 2nd then we again run into the shipping issues of this year for local kick-off folks dealing with kop deliveries during a holiday weekend!:ahh:

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Sigh. I have to get my calendar book for the next year earlier and earlier every year. :D

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

The six week schedule puts me on Spring Break during our team's home regional, assuming it stays Week 3, and the first month of build season.

I'm excited.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Gee- maybe FIRST is thinking of distributing the kits before Christmas this year.....


an interesting thought

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Most of the time you can check the venue's website and see when FIRST has it reserved for next year. (To see that it is still a week 3/on your spring break)

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Call the FTC people at HQ on Tues. They will have the FRC kickoff, ship date and the weeks allotted for the FRC regionals, although will not be able to tell you which regionals are which weeks.

This is a very reasonable request, especially coming from a FTC Affiliate Partner and they need to hear from you.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Based on the countdown that Bill Miller has been doing, kickoff is January 9th.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I either imagined this in my little head, or I was actually told it. But I remember being told that build would only be 5 weeks for 2010. But please remember, I am not 100% positive that I was actually told this.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I somehow doubt build week will be five weeks. Maybe you're just mixing up numbers from another location.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I would see no feasable reason for FIRST to shorten build season by a week, unless they want to give more students more late nights and more headaches :)

-Nick

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

This would probably be the reason! Though, the way it is now, it ends well after schools that have January finals, so I don't think they should shorten it.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I heard from a fairly reliable source that March 13th would be Week 1 next year and we would still have the same 6 week build window. However, my response must fall under the category of "Rumor" for the time being. This potential schedule would move us away from the traditional post President's day ship date, which would be unusual.

Hopefully FIRST can answer this question very soon.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I'm not sure if I would call it traditional, or coincidental. Since kickoff is traditionally the first Saturday of January, it is coincidental that Presidents day (which is the third Monday of February) is six weeks after that. However, in 2004 and 1998, kickoff was the 2nd Saturday of January, and ship date didn't line up with presidents day.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

It would be so weird for the season to be that late to me. I've only ever been in robotics when kickoff was the first Saturday of January. I would be quite unused to something else. Not that it would be bad, it would just be weird.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I heard through official channels that kickoff is January 9, and the first week regionals are planned for March 4-6.
SBPLI will be a 4th week Regional in 2010.

6 weeks of build would probably put ship date at February 23 if FIRST decides to follow the normal pattern.
Seems like it'll be a typical season.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

The only reason I'm a little happy is because a little birdy told me NJ may not be week one anymore :rolleyes:

This = More outside teams having a chance to compete, more practice time with extra base/at other regionals

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I like having Jersey as a Week 1 regional. I thought it was fun at that point in time. Besides, if Jersey isn't Week 1, then some other Regional will be, which would be unfair to those who are used to their Regional being at a later time.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Does anyone know how many weeks of regionals there will be? If we combine the information from Mark and the OP it seems there would only be five weeks of regionals, or there is no buffer week between week six and championships.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I don't know that I would call it "unfair." This year our team competed at the DC Regional (which is a week one). Normally we compete at Philly (week 5 or 6). It is just a different experience, not good or bad, just different.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

There's no fairness/unfairness in regional times. Simple as that. Up your advantage by watching other matches being played at other regionals.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Makes sense to me. Thanks!

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I normally compete at Philly too, it's just this year my team had more money than usual and got to go to Jersey.

I'm not saying it's fair or unfair; your original post made it seem as though competing in a Week 1 tournament was unfair to you. That's what I was commenting on.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Nope, I try not to think of things in FIRST as fair or unfair. Consider that there are usually around 6 regionals running on the same weekend in week 1. You take the good parts about having a week 1 regional and neutralize them with the negative parts of having a week 1 regional and you have yourself a great event regardless of when it is. :) Plus, its not like we have to compete at NJ, we choose to go out and play during week 1 because its fun to see how the game will unfold.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Negative parts of a week 1 regional?!?! What could those possibly be?!?!

Midwest is my favorite regional destination, followed closely by Colorado (that was a whole lot of fun), and that has been week 1 for atleast the past couple years.

I feel that week 1 regionals are some of the most exciting to play in because absolutely everyone is learning strategies that work on the field and not on the whiteboard and vice versa. Especially when you have some of the biggest names in attendance.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Correct me if I am off but NJ was the last week of Regionals in 2003. This was at Rutgers April 3-5. The Championship was in Houston the next week April 10-12.

No buffer between Regionals and the Championship. I remember this as we won an Engineering Award on Friday night which qualified us for the Championship. We had plane tickets by Saturday noon and the school van and tools left Monday morning, in the snow, for Houston.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Week six this past year was the two Minnesota events plus the Michigan Championship event. There was still a buffer week between those and championship so will there be a buffer next year? Not too certian that it is relevant to my needs as I am looking to schedule FTC between FRC build and possible regional event dates for Texas teams as I draw volunteers from FRC.

Definately a consideration for Michigan teams and week six regional events if there is six weeks next year or will things get compressed into five. Just need more fields and crew to get them in but then we are talking about only 3 events dispursed into the existing five weeks of regional events.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I am pretty certain that Minnesota will be 3/31/10 - 4/3/10. However, I do not know what week number that will be.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Build is not being shortened.

Kickoff will be Jan. 9th
Ship will be Feb. 23rd.

Why? Because the first Saturday (the traditional date) is Jan. 2nd which would be too close to New Years day. Thus, everything is being shifted back a week.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

What's wrong with Week 1 Regionals? Is it because the competition isn't as harsh? I think the competition is fun regardless, plus my team actually did quite well in NJ this year, since not everyone had had as much practice in Philly. I'm not trying to sound mad, I just don't understand what's wrong with Week 1 Regionals.

Is that a confirmed date, or are you just speculating?

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

It's confirmed.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

It is just my opinion. I am just too used to competing in week 1 at NJ and want a little change. I wouldn't say there is something "wrong" with week 1, its just different once everyone has played the game for a while versus playing the game for the first time. It is just different. Competition is definitely "harsh," at week 1 regionals. Just look at the Midwest. Those teams are just pure sick. And not to sound condescending, but any time a team does well at a certain regional or competition they tend to think more highly of it. Its of the reasons we love Palmetto and Chesapeake.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Well, yeah, when my team only lost two matches before the alliance picking at NJ this year, we all realized that we should definitely come back again.

BTW, I didn't think you sounded condescending, not even quite sure why you would think that.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Nice, that put's our home regional(assuming same week#) during our spring break.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I've heard officially that there will be 5 weeks of regionals/districts/other events in 2010, so with the first week March 4-6, the last week will be the weekend of April 3. So Minnesota will probably tie everything up.

Of course until venue contracts are all signed FIRST cannot make Regional date announcements, and reserve to themselves the right to make necessary adjustments.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

That's correct 222 was in a similar situation in 2003 as we qualified championships at NJ and had to quickly book flights and such. The only flight we could get out of Houston was an early evening flight....well our team won the national team spirit award that year and due to the flight time members from team 84 had to pick up our award for us.:cool:

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I am really, really sure that it is not yet confirmed. :)

Speculation on the 2010 schedule is not going to be particularly fruitful at this point in time. Why doesn't everyone just relax, take a deep breath, and enjoy the summer off-season without worrying too much about next year. It will be what it will be.

-dave



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Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

was that a game hint? ;P

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Everything Dave puts out is a game hint ... or not :p




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Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

An extreme scarcity of Mountain Dew, caused by the previous 6-week build season. By week 2, the supply chain has mostly caught up...
And what fun would that be? That's heresy, almost rising to the level of discontinuing game hints!

Um, seriously though: Speculation needs to be recognized as exactly that. It is a complete waste of time and effort, aside from the entertainment factor. In the real world, like where I work, we do not speculate*, instead we work with factual information, since wasted effort is, well, wasted. So long as you recognize that anything written here will have little influence upon the 2010 season timeline, go wild. Otherwise have the wisdom to accept what you cannot change.

Don

*Brainstorming sessions excluded! We do that a lot.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

But Daaaaave. We can't relax. There are robots to worry about! :D
We have to know how much Mountain Dew to stock up on.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

What relaxing? My contract doesn't say anything about taking the summer off and relaxing... in fact, my FIRST workload doesn't ease up at all. It's pretty much the same, year round. hmm, gotta call FIRST! :rolleyes:

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

When we first started, Build season was the busy part of FIRST.
With everything else now, I'm sure many teams will say the busiest part is the off-season.:eek:

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

From the FIRST website, Kick-Off is January 9.
That puts ship date on the February 23.
Also from the website, the Championship is April 15 - 17.

Although not impossible, it would be extremely difficult to have Regionals starting on the February 25th -
that would basically be 1 day for shipping (pick up Tuesday, at the competition by Wednesday night).
(UNLESS - everyone goes to the bagging option??)

So that would make a "likely" schedule -

Week 1 - March 4 - 6
Week 2 - March 11 - 13
Week 3 - March 18 - 20
Week 4 - March 25 - 27
Week 5 - April 1 - 3
Week 6 - April 8 - 10
CHP - April 15 - 17

A tight turn for any week 6 teams that qualify for Atlanta!

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I think it was that tight in 2006 or 2007 . . I remember one of those years we advanced to the championship on Saturday, got the OK from the district on Monday had to have all the forms filled out by Tuesday. all the money fund raised by Wednesday, and all the bookings by Thursday so we could leave the following Wednesday . . . . . .I hope they are still fiddling with the Championship/Kickoff dates.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Perhaps FRC is returning to a 5 week schedule? After all there were but 3 events on Week 6, and 2 of them were dual regionals with each other.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Since they are posted on the FIRST website, i doubt that they move. :)

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Confirmation about kick-off, ship date, length of regional season and championship posted on Bill's Blog:

Thursday, August 13, 2009

a few details

Good Morning Teams,

In my travels this week, I’ve heard a few questions from teams. To answer what I can:

• Kickoff will be January 9th.
• Robot Ship will be February 23rd.
• The competition season will be 5 weeks long.
• Championship will be April 15-17th....

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

FRC 2010 dates estimated and confirmed from Bill's Blog

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

I'm so glad it's Janurary 9th this year otherwise I would be missing it on an airplane! :O

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

ahh another year that we have to go through shipping problems XD

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Since the season has been shorten by a week, I'm wondering how there planning on having so many events in such a short time. Unless there have been events that have been dropped.

Re: FRC kick-off 2010 season dates
 

Bill did post about getting more fields.