Email just sent out to 2014 TRR teams:
The 2014 Texas Robot Roundup is just a few weeks away! The TRR Planning Committee and organizers have been working hard to make sure that your teams have a great experience. We have a variety of updates and important information to share with you. Please read this entire email.
LOCATION REMINDER:
TRR is at the
Austin Convention Center this year, NOT Anderson High School! This move is allowing us to expand and create a bigger connection with NIWeek. We'll be sending out maps, load-in details, parking info, and within a week or so of the event.
SCHEDULE:
All robots and drive teams MUST arrive by 11:00am on FRIDAY, August 1st. Mandatory qualification matches start promptly at 12:30pm on Friday 8/1. Optional practice matches take place Friday morning. We are aiming to give teams 10 qualification matches. Please review the schedule at:
trr.txfirst.org/schedule. A few minor changes may be made to accommodate event needs, but this schedule should be mostly final.
I am also working on an option for teams to load-in their robots on Thursday evening if desired. Please let me know if this is an option your team would be interested in.
RULES CHANGES AMENDMENT:
Please see the attached document that outlines rules changes. One small clarification has been made to ensure no confusion for teams:
ASSISTS are earned when an ALLIANCE ROBOT POSSESSES the ALLIANCE’S BALL in any ZONE (i.e. red, white, or blue ZONE) during a CYCLE.
Each ROBOT on an ALLIANCE is eligible to earn one ASSIST per CYCLE.
SKILLS CHALLENGE:
Announcing the 2014 TRR Skills Challenge! This year, the Skills Challenge incorporates a little bit of the Mentor Tournament (that we unfortunately could not fit into our schedule). Please see the attached rules. The Skills Challenge will take place during lunch on Friday 8/1. Teams should reply to this email if interested in competing in the Skills Challenge or sign up when they arrive at TRR on Friday morning.
DO YOU HAVE AN FTC TEAM? REGISTER TO COMPETE AT TRR!
We're hosting an FTC Scrimmage on Saturday 8/2 at TRR! We'd love for your team to participate so that we can make sure to have 12 teams. The registration fee is $100 (also covered by FIRST in Texas if they're eligible!), but if you're tight on funds let us know and we can provide some heavily discounted options! Please go to
trr.txfirst.org/ftc for more details and/or to register your team
TEAM SOCIAL EVENT - BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II:
The Paramount Theatre is providing 300 tickets for team members and mentors to go see a special screening of "Back to the Future II" on Friday, August 1st 9:15pm! We'll be giving out tickets on a first come, first serve basis. More details to come on the distribution process.
VIPs:
Do you have trouble getting those responsible for supporting either your team or STEM education initiatives in general to competition season events? All of us know that's the best way to get support buy-in. We encourage you to send a personal invitation to attend TRR to school or district administrators; local, state, or federal elected officials; sponsor representatives; or others you would like to introduce to FIRST. There will be a special VIP check-in desk and VIP tours led by student ambassadors, just like a competition-season event. Let us know who you invite so that we plan accordingly for hospitality, etc. We'll also send them an special invitation from the TRR Planning Committee. For each VIP you plan to invite (or simply want us to invite), please send:
Name
Title
Organization
Email address
TRR TRADING POST:
Teams are invited to participate in our annual fundraising opportunity: the TRR Trading Post! Teams are invited to sell goodies (no food/beverages/candy) at TRR. Click the link to read more details and to apply:
http://goo.gl/idNdiC
CANNED GOODS DRIVE
TRR will once again be giving back to the local community with a canned goods drive benefiting the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. The team that donates the most canned goods by noon on Saturday will be recognized with the "Austin Can!" Award Certificate. Each attending team member is encouraged to bring at least one canned good with them to support this cause!
NIWEEK:
Teams interested in sticking around and participating in NIWeek activities can find out more information and learn how to register here:
trr.txfirst.org/niweek.
VOLUNTEERS:
Do you have any students, alumni, mentors, parents, or other supporters interested in volunteering at Texas Robot Roundup? We would love to have support from your team for both our FRC and FTC components of Texas Robot Roundup! A great opportunity for team members to volunteer is as Safety Glasses Attendants or Field Reset. Please direct all interested people to:
http://goo.gl/hojtys
MEETINGS & WORKSHOPS:
We're still working on a schedule, but the following meetings and workshops are presently planned for TRR. If you would like to see another meeting or workshop made available, please let us know.
National Instruments: roboRIO Introduction & Training
FIRST in Texas: Grants, Team Diversity
Texas RDs: District Model Meeting
Lady Cans: Chairman's Meetup
SAFETY GLASSES:
Each team is expected to bring enough safety glasses for their team. Because we are at a convention center this year, we must require that anyone in the pit (and of course on and around the playing field) wear safety glasses. We will have safety glasses monitors and safety glasses available for VIPs and volunteers, but will not be handing out any safety glasses to teams! Please make sure that safety glasses are a team packing priority!
As always, send us any questions you might have! We look forward to seeing you all soon!