[George A.]

Less than 4 days separate us from the competition at the Sun National Arena (formerly the Sovereign Bank Arena)


That being said, I'd like to offer a few pearls of wisdom to those folks that will be joining us (be you first time NJers or Wily Veterans)

1) Jersey is notorious for bad weather. It has almost become a tradition for us to have inclement weather the week of the competition. So hope for the best but prepare for the worst (we did get about 3 feet of snow this past week)

2) The competition is held in an ice rink. So please dress accordingly. It is always easier to wear extra layers and take them off, than to not bring layers and have to find extra clothing.

3) We have 63 teams and are a week 1 regional. That being said I can guarantee there WILL be glitches to the system. Please everyone remember their GP and take a deep breath before going off the deep end.

4) (this should be a 3a) Everyone is going to be getting 9 matches this year, instead of the normal 7 or so. That being said it will be everyone's responsibility to help make the event run smoothly. With 2 extra matches a team we will be under an even bigger time crunch to make sure that we aren't there until midnight. So before you leave your pit...do you have a charged battery, do you have your driver buttons, do you have your safety glasses? All the little things will add up to massive amounts of delays if we have to keep reminding everyone about it.

5) Please also remember that the people working this event are volunteers. They don't get paid, they are their for the sheer reason that they love FIRST and want to see everyone have fun. We don't get paid...our "salary" is a meal and a t-shirt. We have a number of people there who have worked this event for more than 5 years and do their best to make things run as smooth as can be. Also keep in mind, that if you think you have a long day, theirs is longer. We have to report to the arena at 7:00 every morning (almost an hour and a half before the doors open) and we don't leave until at least an hour after you guys leave.

So while the passion of competition might bring out the "less-GPness" out of some people, take the time to thank a volunteer with a hug, a handshake or a simple thank you...I guarantee it will make their day. (also, I'll be the guy with the mic in the Hawaiian shirt by the scorers table if anyone wants to say hi).


Sorry for the rant, but I figured the more prepared you guys are the better.


So rest up, save your voices and get ready for a fun three days in NJ!