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Originally Posted by sgsdragons
Hey all you rookie teams out there that competed in the regionals last weekend, How did you like your first F.I.R.S.T. compatition? Did you do well? What did you learn? Just wondering.
Josh
Team Driver/Designer
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Things went pretty badly for our team. On Thursday the school cancelled our trip, citing "Inclement Weather." They took away our bus and forbade us to go. Two students "got" their parents to drive. I was "ill" and unfortunately unable to make to school that day, and one girl left early, a doctor's appointment may haps?
We got there to find out robot totally malfunctioning. One transmission gear (the 14 tooth one from the kit) had somehow FALLEN OUT of one our motors. We had to disable practically the whole robot to get at it. It wasn't firing well for a while. We missed every practice match, working from 9am to 7:45pm.
On Friday, most of the team was able to make it (we actually had a bus!) We did some sub-par scouting, we ended up with 5 scouts out, and only got info on 17 of the 64 teams presents! We won 3 matches and lost 2, and the competition was a 1/2 slow, so our match was deferred until Saturday morning before opening ceremonies, 8:15, bright and early!!
So on Saturday we lost match 1 2 and 3. Of all the matches we lost, some were out fault, and some were due to crappy alliances. Having participated in off-season events last year with a borrowed 'bot, I feel qualified in saying this.
We seeded 57th of 63.
When it came time to get awards, we won none. We hadn't really expected any either. I felt we had perhaps had a shot at the Rookie All star. It went to another rookie team. Apparently judges were repeatedly surprised to discover we were a rookie team, they felt we had it very well together. So why no recognition?
It's very frustrating knowing that we worked so hard for so long, and all we got was a "participation medal."
Am I completely ticked off? Of course not! It was one of the most fun events I have ever participated in. It was an awesome experience. The teams I met were all very nice and helpful, and it was overall a very positive experience.
One thing I noticed as awards were being given, there's a pattern as to who wins what. My mentor team won about 6! The teams that traveled from afar all won awards. A team from Ohio, both teams from Brazil. Did they deserve the awards? Absolutely! I will not doubt that they earned them. Also, only the teams with big sponsors seemed to get awards. Johnson and Johnson teams, Mercedes Benz, teams sponsored by PS&G or technical colleges in the area. My team has a bunch of local businesses, and a NASA grant. Mostly the local businesses. One of the teams from Brazil apparently had $45,000 to play with! We read it in their engineering binders they brought with them.
This seems more and more like a rich kids game, the rich kids get to play, the poor kids get to play. Something one of the parents said leaps to mind.It's like the guy that coaches the little league teams, who's son is it that gets to pitch?
Furthermore, I heard a rumour that FIRST is a for-profit organization. WHAT?!?!? I want to know where all the money team, the money
I worked so hard to earn went!!
GRR!
In any event, I needed to vent a bit.
We loved what we did. It was a great experience, and I am totally worn out by it. Our robot was EXACTLY 120 pounds, so that was a lot to keep lifting match in and match out. I love the new friends I made, and the awesome camaraderie I have developed with the other members of the build team. This was a lot of fun, but I think my team should stick with VEX next year. We need to work on the business aspect of our team. I am so grateful to all the people that helped us this year, and look forward to some off-season events, as well as next year's challenge.