Build your site for your users and not for the award. The criteria for the award is spelled on on page 32 of the awards documentation. It's more about content then technique.
You need to understand your users. Your website goes beyond your team, it reaches your families, your sponsors, your potential sponsors, random surfers, search engines and more. You have no control over how your website is being viewed.
- How many of your users don't have or want to have flash installed?
- How many don't have speakers or have their sound turned off?
- How many surf at 800 x 600?
- How many for security reasons, have java and ActiveX turned off?
- How many have pop-up blockers?
- How many are on corporate systems that will not install the latest and greatest versions of browsers?
That's a short list of what you need to consider when you code for the general public. There is a lot you cannot control. If you code websites for profit, then you must render is all browsers.
FIRST is about teaching you how to succeed beyond
FIRST. It is not meant to be easy. If it were, it would not be so much fun.