FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

I've started knocking together some FRC rookie workshop materials/info. and would like some other viewpoints.

• Communication - how and from whom a team gets FRC information
• Organization - the groups/people who impact a team
• Event Who's Who - the myriad sub-groups/people at a competition, where to go, who to see, and why

This material is intended to act first as a briefing and second as reference material, since some of it gets rather lengthy. This may just be scary to a rookie leader.

I've attached some primitive slides I'm using as a way of exploring ideas.
Each slide is further supported by brief descriptions of each entry, why they matter, and pertinent links if appropriate.

Thoughts?
Thanks.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

This is a really awesome idea. it may be scary to see, but it has alot of good information for rookies. Looks good, just one or two thoughts
For FRC organization and FRC communication channels what about sponsors? Any machine shop/engineering company can be very helpful during build season with questions as well as important to organization. As a nit picky thing for me, have you though about putting a color behind the key competition people to show that their interpretation is final at the event.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Spell out the acronyms - rookies won't know an FTA from a CSA.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

This is awesome, I think it's well organized, I like the use of the arrows, and some of the info is new to me. As reference material, I'm sure it will serve veteran teams well.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Is CD an "official FIRST source"? I know it is widely recognized, but didn't think it was official. If giving this information to rookies, I'd be sure to note during the presentation that any rulings found here are pure speculation and will not stand up to ref decisions.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

I don't think CD is an "official FIRST source". I think anything enclosed in a blue shape is official as indicated by the legend, but I don't know what the blue curves denote, it probably categorizes competition staff and external channels.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

For the FRC Competition Event Who's Who, the Safety Adviser does not really fall under the Judge Adviser. Safety, WFA, Web site and Animation judges are a separate category of judges, not sure where they should go, under the volunteer coordinator would be my best guess. Dean's List judges would be under the Judge Advisor.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Mark,
This is a good start for rookies. If there were a way to show priority, the LRI is one person who is trained to help with pit and event problems. We have been training LRI's to meet with rookies daily at events to explain the day's tasks and flow. They need to know that the LRI will be available whenever the pit is open. Other than pit admin, they are the only one that is easily accessible during all hours. The majority make themselves available prior to events and often for pre-season and pre-ship events as well.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Adding Sponsors as a group I missed is a good suggestion.
Dean's List judges, too.
I've also since added Shipping and Crowd Control as well. More people teams should be aware of. I always feel sorry for the crowd control volunteers as sometimes getting the least respect from the crowd in the stands.

I think I'll create an additional category for the groups that don't directly interact with teams, such as the website & WFA judges.

I'll remove the confusing thin blue stripes from the first chart. The diagrams began as full wheels and degenerated into what you see. After the basic info's vetted I'll worry more about esthetic design. I need to decide on a more versatile drawing tool than PowerPoint.

For the Event Who's Who I may try an initial chart with just major categories to limit the frightening clutter, then go into detail in subsequent charts.

P.S.
I'll try to cover in subsequent pages who to go to for what: LRI/CSA are your technical starting points, Pit Admin for administrative issues, Judge Advisor if there are judging issues, who should the conspiracy theorists talk to (our LRI usually handles that too), etc. I can try to highlight them on the initial chart and I'll add your LRI training comments to the LRI job description Al. Does this training hold true across all Regional/District events?
Give me some more opinions on that.

As a side note, I tend to think some kind of event omnibudsman is necessary. That may be the LRI or it may be the help desk depending on the particular event staff. The people to talk to has varied widely between events I've attended as you'd expect with volunteers. Sometimes it's the LRI and sometimes they are only helpful if it's, say a mechanical speciality. The CSA is good if they have full systems experience, but I've run into rookie CSAs too. The trick with a volunteer acting as omnibudsman is that they need to be able to quickly identify the root issue and pass the problem on to specialists, so the omnibudsman quickly becomes available for the next team in line. I think of that as more how pit Administration or the help desk should assist. They should always be at their desk, something the LRI or CSA cannot be if they are out helping people.

A lot of problems I see going by at competition are the result of not knowing the right people to ask. It's great when you get help from the pit next door, but not so great when they don't refer you to the LRI or CSA or FTA or other Help Desk assistance that's available. At every event someone has the answer to any particular problem, but I've even seen inexperienced event staff getting tunnel vision trying to solve problems themselves without communicating the issue to those around them that may already have the answer. The key is to learn to keep asking everyone I suppose, but then how to identify the true expert a rookie's first time at an event?
For our local Regional I'll be able to name names and give contact information. I'll keep that as a separate chart so as to maintain the bulk of the presentation as generic.

Part of the presentation will address how many of these people are often available to help ahead of competition. The difficulty with rookies is getting them introduced and connected ahead of time. Of course, the other side of the coin is getting folks to recognize when they really need to ask for help ahead of time-sort of knowing what you don't know.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

How about a simplification like this for the Event Who's Who?

The detailed sheet can be next, followed by why's and wherefore's for each job.
Probably should structure the others the same way by adding a following chart detailing the jobs under each category.

Have to figure out how to mention pre-event interactions without accidentally sending rookies looking for the Website Judges or thinking there's a Woodie Flowers Finalist interview.

P.S.
FIRST has a Decision Authority Matrix (attached one from 2006) and a simplified variation aimed at individual teams might be a useful way to present the information.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

If you are looking for software with more features to make the image in
Inkscape is an adobe illustrator kind of program(a favorite of mine for any kind of project)
http://inkscape.org
GIMP is more like photoshop.
http://www.gimp.org/
There is a little bit of a learning curve because they are free if you have not used them before, and since they are opensource if you use the right order of tools it may spontaneously crash so save often.
I like the new FIRST Competition Event chart. If you add the description when you show the chart, it basically is the FIRST flow chart. For any rookie who does have a Event management question pit admin would be able to point them to the correct person, and that is the only column your chart leaves out.
What do you think about putting a tab under pit administration for specialist. From my experience, pit admin is the best place to go to find a volunteer specialist who can help with a problem specific to your robot(or they can announce it to find another team with a helpful mentor).

P.S.
I generally recommend to rookies to use Pit admin as a omnibudsman of sorts. Even the rookies I have seen at pit admin are able to point you on the right flow chart path.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Mark, there's an IFI support reference in the middle column of that decision authority matrix. Might want to check on that.

Also, if you need it, a couple years back I started a reminder thread for who gets talked to for what at an event and how to identify them: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...?postid=707437

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Mark was saying it is an older FRC flow chart, probably from when ifi was at regionals

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Yea, that one is from 2006, but I only meant the concept of a single sheet with the appropriate names for a local event.
There's stuff on it that Teams won't care about, like AV & catering, that I'd remove.

Descriptions are a good idea and where they're each likely to be found.
Maybe I'll call it the Field Guide to FRC Personnel. I could even add photos for repeat key volunteers at our local Regional.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Not sure why this is titled "Who's Who for Rookies", it could be called "Who's Who for Everybody". I bet a majority (or a very large minority) of the people at the competition don't understand who to go to.

If it doesn't make it too busy, I think a visual descriptor would help for each one; knowing you need to talk to the FTA doesn't help if you can't pick them out of the crowd (once you get close you can read their shirt). Something along the lines of (I think I have these right):

FTA: Dark Blue Denim Jacket
LRI: Black Mesh Vest (& Neon Yellow Hat)
Head Referee: Yellow Referee Jersey
Safety Advisor: Dark Green Collared Shirt
Event Manager: Black Collared Shirt
Judges: Royal Blue Collared Shirt
Regional Director: Light Blue Denim Collared Shirt?

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

I agree with you about the ombudsman.

I played this role informally during the years I was Senior Mentor, at the Chesapeake Regional. Sometimes the event management would ask me to step in, sometimes the LRI, sometimes the venue contacts (USNA) and sometimes even the Judge Advisor.

But most of the questions came through Pit Admin. I would usually be able to answer them really quickly, or could pass them on to right the position/person. I had no official role listed in the regional planning guide but often felt like the expediter/traffic cop/head cheerleader.

Issues/questions ran the gamut. Crying students over an award not received, crying mentors who just couldn't make one more decision, angry mentors who feel like the event/volunteers/venue was not being fair, and a bijillion other examples. Pit admin often turfed the questions because they realized it wasn't theirs to answer. Often we were all getting up to speed together and the "where is" or "what time is" or "how does this work" questions would decrease as the day went on as the event got things nailed down.

There seemed to be less questions by rookies because they didn't know what they didn't know. The most time consuming issues came from the veterans.

Sometime it took a while to actually figure out what the issue was. People under stress may start at a place that isn't actually where the issues are. I remember numerous times taking a mentor back to a quiet area, giving them a cold drink and then trying to sort out the problem. Sometimes all they needed was a quiet space for a few minutes and the problem would seem like less of a problem and would solve itself. Sometimes people under stress just need someone to listen to them.

I know this will vary greatly between events, but the Senior Mentors are often a great resource for this type of role.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

I think I had omnibus on the brain...:)

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Here are some updates of the detailed charts.
The overview charts are still pretty much the same-same as the detailed ones without the sub-bullets.
They are still changing every time I look at them, but see what I may still be missing. The follow ups to these charts have detailed descriptions of each position and why you'd want to know them.

I was also playing with a one-pager crib sheet of who's important to know at competition. I'd add the personal descriptions you all suggested here as well. I don't want to list everyone here, thereby obscuring the most important people.
Something along the line of the following.

(loves?/hates?/Gah, you can't be serious!/drivel?)

---------

• FIRST Technical Advisor (FTA)-Field/robot issues
• FTA Assistant (FTAA) - same reason
• Lead Robot Inspector-robot doesn’t work and you blame the mechanics/electrical/pneumatic system, inspection, construction rules compliance
• Head Referee-game rules compliance, Match calls (see immediately-not later)
• Control System Advisor-robot doesn’t work and you blame the control system/radio/FMS.
• Pit Administration Supervisor-team support & help, first aid, registration, shipping
• Lead Team Queuer- will hunt down your team if they don’t show up at the field on time
• Spare Parts staff - just because things break.
• Machine Shop staff - just because things break

• Game Announcer-proper pronunciation of team/robot name
• Judge Advisor-Chairman’s presentation scheduling, judging issues

• Regional Director- she’s (or he’s) the boss
• Event Manager – from where’s my banner? to why are we playing this music?, plus harassment/discrimination/abuse/crime/security threat
• Lead Safety Advisor-report unsafe conditions, smoke, fire, sparks, hazardous spill
• Venue Safety-smoke & fire response, Fire Marshal
• Volunteer Coordinator-team members/parents volunteering to help an event report to this person

Finally, I've attached volunteer descriptions of just the event volunteers teams are likely to meet or need.
These were extracted from the Regional Committee Planning Guide and shortened just a little.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

For traditional shipping events, I would add "Shipping POC" often SES.

I don't believe most teams ever meet the Judge Advisor. RCA interviews usually scheduled through pit admin.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

I'll add Shipping/Drayage.
Some person fulfilling the role is also at bag & tag Regionals to at least hand out shipping paperwork & bags to the 6 or so teams qualifying for Championships.
One of "my" teams didn't know that this year when they won for Engineering Inspiration at SBPLI. I happen to stop to talk to them outside the arena as we were all packing up and discovered this. Fortunately I knew they should have gotten donated FedEx shipping forms to take their robot to Championships and knew how to track down the forms for them.

I have them listed under Pit Administration, although at crate events they are their own thing.

I'm interested to hear when things are handled differently in different parts of the country/world. At SBPLI the Judge Advisor sets the Chairman's schedule after the initial team leader meeting.
I'll shift the Judge Advisor to a "may meet" kind of person.
P.S. Maybe I'll just add a note, based on Richard's experiences too.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Any judging issues, including working out RCA interview schedule conflicts would be done with the JA. Pit admin merely holds the interview schedules for teams to review.

Might be different at other regionals, but this is how I have seen it work at the Southwest regionals I've been to.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

What conflicts would arise over scheduling the RCA interview where the JA would step in? Richard, can you give an example?

Indeed, the JA is the POC for all judging "issues". But I don't think it is necessarily under Mark's heading of "would meet at least once." But interesting that this may vary at the different Regionals.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

For the JA and scheduling, it might be that your interview is during one of your matches. Usually, you'd talk to either the RCA judges or the JA (and/or another team) to reschedule and avoid the conflict.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

For the one pager I was thinking about sample photos along with the descriptions and where they are found (sounds like an Audubon guide).
Just for the uniquely costumed folks.

I found a Head Ref photo that John Boucher posted, and I had a Judge in my collection (photos attached). I have a Regional Director photo but it's specific to SBPLI. The Event Manager is usually over dressed in a sport jacket, but I don't know what the ladies typically wear.
I'm looking through my photos for others, but I don't have them all-at least not officially costumed.
You can also see the questionable quality of some of the ones I've posted, so if you have better...please.

Anyone have the back of an FTA vest with the distinctive lettering? I found plenty of face/front shots, including ChrisH in his tube skirt...
Hey Eric, take a photo of your dad's back for me would you, tube skirt optional :-)

I need

• LRI (cap & vest)
• FTA (back)
• FTAA vest

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

I just happened to have an RCA judge sitting next to me, so I asked. Most scheduling conflicts are worked out between the RCA judges and the teams. The teams would not interface with the JA unless there was a conflict between the team and the RCA judges that couldn't be worked out.

So, I was not quite right on my earlier statement based on this, but I still say the Pit Admin is merely the holder of the RCA schedule.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

So, think I should add RCA Judges (and Pit Judges too I suppose) to the Critical People list?
Although rookies won't be meeting RCA judges.

Judge Advisor shifted to the Might Meet list.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

I think....

RCA Judge and Pit Judges to the People You Will Meet at Least Once
Judge Advisor to People You Might Never Meet

...would be correct.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

I can only speak for the south east regional, but usually for mechanics/electrical/pneumatic system failures you would go to pit admin and they would call over a volunteer that specializes in one of those systems.

I would also down grade the Judges Assistant, but perhaps add the Judges Assistant? For our regional they usually have more info on Judge issues a team might have then anyone else who is not a judge. They also generally know the judges schedules, and which person/judge a team should talk to.

For your volunteer list you might want to add the clothing that distinguishes the different volunteers to your volunteer list. Including things like all volunteers will have a large badge on their neck with their name on it, and Safety Advisers will have a green polo on. The volunteer list also is a bit had to decipher for a rookie. It includes a lot of information on the training and schedules of key volunteers that a rookie does not need(as well as some positions you will never meet). I would recommend giving the list you created out to rookies, and leaving the detailed list out of their information.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Your LRI would be a better choice as they should know the teams on the floor and which have the resources and man power for each situation.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Here is a pic from me at the Boilermaker Regional this year:



This work by you is a great resource, Mark. Thanks!

Andy Baker

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

We did something similar to this on the Championship Volunteer training. Honestly, it's easier to have a picture of the outfit from front face without a person in it. There's many people that fill these roles and the point of the picture is to look for the shirt, not the person. This was recommended by HQ and I agree.

There's a few ways to do this:
1.) Those of you who have the shirt handy: hang it on a blank wall and take a picture. Alternatively, your bed will work if you stand on a chair and take an overhead shot.
2.) For those of you who don't have the shirt handy: head over to a screenprinting site and look up the shirt (or something similar). Photoshop the FIRST logo onto it.

I really recommend that you keep the images consistent via angle, zoom, and lighting - it will keep the focus of the viewer on the shirt, not what is going on in the picture.

Thanks!

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Wait a minute, we get a Who's Who flowchart AND a picture of Andy Baker?

Has there ever been an offer this good?

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

I'll get a picture of an FTA in both color phases tomorrow. I didn't see this until after it got too dark to use the only convenient blank wall.

Chris

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

I've got this photo of a Referee and a Volunteer Coordinator... and I can see what you mean about it being distracting Jess.


Here's a sample with the photos as I currently have them (pending better ones).

Start hacking this apart-who, wording, layout, what have you.

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Nice job Mark, thank you.

Will you publish in PDF form at some point?

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

When the photos and comments dribble off I'll post final versions in this thread and in CD Media.
I'll make the links in this thread updateable so they can be easily modernized in the future.

I used images during this discussion because I seem to get more responses when people can see a teaser instead of a text link.
For example, the original Communication chart was looked at by 300 people, however the one position description link has been clicked by one person.

Probably in pdf, as well as PowerPoint/Word so they can be easily incorporated as a part of other presentations and customized for specific Regionals/Events if people want to. I've seen the staff innovate differently at each event I've been to giving every place a unique flavor.
The first job of any team is to research for themselves who is best equipped/available for which kind of problem. I've never run into anyone holding all the cards.

More information than anyone will probably ever want, but I feel driven somehow...

Personally, I plan on introducing it to my local rookies in two parts. Something like:

• September/October - Organization/Communications overview
• Post-ship - Who's Who at the event

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Let me start the dribble. The PDF looks incredible, I think the pictures are even big enough you can tell what you are supposed to look for. I will look forward to seeing the power point. I will deffiantly making sure the Knoxville rookies have a copy

Re: FIRST Who's Who for Rookies
 

Got one more for ya.

I was thinking of the attached pillar chart as a first slide before getting into the nitty-gritty.

If it looks like I spent all of 5 minutes on it you'd be close. Yellow text on a yellow background...