[dlavery]

Almost all of the important things that we all extract from the FIRST process come about as a result of doing the process. The value of entering a robot in the competition is the experience of creating, designing and constructing the robot. The competition rounds at the end are just the frosting on the cake. The value of the animation competition has to do with the creation, development, and generation of the animation, and what you extract from that process. That experience is what is important. Actually submitting it in for judging at the end adds little to the experience.

Applied to this question, when you have never been through that experience, you are a rookie. If your animation team has someone with professional animation experience, but has never been through a FIRST animation competition before, then they are a rookie. But if you have been through the experience of creating an animation for the FIRST competition before, then you are a veteran. Whether you actually submitted it for judging or not actually doesn't matter. Particularly when the choice to submit or not is entirely your choice.

Let me put it very bluntly, for the case of our hypothetical team mentioned above. They work during their first year to create an animation, and it turns out it is not quite up to the cinematic standards of Cecil B. De Mille. But they still submit it and let the world know "I may be a rookie, and not at the same level as the veteran's but I want you to see what I have done" and they let the awards chips fall where they may, then they deserve our respect and approval. Whether they win or lose the "rookie of the year" award or not doesn't matter. But if they withhold their animation, work on it for a year, and then submit the following year as a rookie just because they are afraid to be fairly and honestly judged for their original rookie efforts and afraid of losing, then they don't deserve our attention at all.

The rookie award should only go to those that are in the competition for the first time. As I said, we disagree on this. Let's just leave it where it is.

-dave