[FRC Blog] FRC Events Being Posted and AMAA on FUN

[Hallry]

Posted on the FRC Blog, 6/20/16: http://www.firstinspires.org/robotic...nd-AMAA-on-FUN

FRC Events Being Posted and AMAA on FUN
Written by Frank Merrick

FRC Events Being Posted
We just posted our first official events for the 2017 season! More will follow shortly, as we get contracts signed or otherwise have solid confirmation on dates and locations. Check out the ‘Events and Teams’ page here, click ‘Event’ under ‘Filter’ in the upper left, then uncheck all but the ‘FIRST Robotics Competition’ boxes, and you’ll be able to see them.

AMAA on FUN
I’ve been invited to participate in an AMAA* on the community webcast First Updates Now (FUN), Tuesday 6/21, at 8:30PM EST. You can watch the show on Twitch here. Hope you can join us for some fun and conversation about the season and who knows what else.

Frank

*One of our 20-something FRC staffers told me, when I asked, that AMAA stands for American Medical Athletic Association. That’s not right, is it?

Ask Me Almost Anything, Frank

EDIT: I've made a Google Doc for my own purposes of keeping track of Regionals and MAR District Events, but here's the link if anyone else is interested in having a copy: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?usp=sharing. I plan on updating it over the next few weeks/months as more events are announced. I don't plan on adding in any other district events other than MAR.

[bdaroz]

This is interesting...

The Finger Lakes Regional look like it's moved to a Week 3 event for 2017 (from week 4 in 2016). I wonder if the Tech Valley Regional will also shift up a week as well?

[Brian Maher]

Originally Posted by bdaroz

This is interesting...

The Finger Lakes Regional look like it's moved to a Week 3 event for 2017 (from week 4 in 2016). I wonder if the Tech Valley Regional will also shift up a week as well?

It will most likely be Week 2. RPI and RIT have the same spring break, the week between Weeks 2-3.

In other news, yay, I have a four day spring break this year that covers both of my high school team's probable events (Mount Olive and Bridgewater).

[Chris is me]

RPI and RIT have had the same spring break for years. When this happens, RPI typically schedules their event for the start of spring break and RIT for the end of spring break. The events have almost always been back to back, and will almost certainly not be on the same weekend.

Originally Posted by BMSOTM

It will most likely be Week 2. RPI and RIT have the same spring break, the week between Weeks 2-3.

In other news, yay, I have a four day spring break this year that covers both of my high school team's probable events (Mount Olive and Bridgewater).

Welcome to being a Shaker Robotics mentor in college! My advice is to not go home at all, because you'll probably spend all four of those days off machining and implementing upgrades anyway. This mandatory back-to-back regional schedule is brought to you by the ever growing march toward districts in every state that isn't New York, and FIRST's stubborn refusal to allow anyone to join a district that isn't within the arbitrarily drawn borders they came up with. FIRST - valuing the team experience above all else since... uh... never, I guess.

[PayneTrain]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

This mandatory back-to-back regional schedule is brought to you by the ever growing march toward districts in every state that isn't New York, and FIRST's stubborn refusal to allow anyone to join a district that isn't within the arbitrarily drawn borders they came up with. FIRST - valuing the team experience above all else since... uh... never, I guess.

Tell us how you really feel, Chris.

[mdituri]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

This mandatory back-to-back regional schedule is brought to you by the ever growing march toward districts in every state that isn't New York, and FIRST's stubborn refusal to allow anyone to join a district that isn't within the arbitrarily drawn borders they came up with. FIRST - valuing the team experience above all else since... uh... never, I guess.

So I have a proposal, your team and my team switch addresses and you compete in FIRST Mid-Atlantic all season and I will go to NYC (since it is the closest event to me) and two other regionals so we can play with/against different teams this year. Although we would be sad not to go interdistrict to Waterbury this year.

[Kevin Leonard]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

RPI and RIT have had the same spring break for years. When this happens, RPI typically schedules their event for the start of spring break and RIT for the end of spring break. The events have almost always been back to back, and will almost certainly not be on the same weekend.

Every source I've talked to said that TVR and FLR will be the same weekend, because it's both more convenient for RIT/RPI, and because they want all hands on deck Volunteer-wise for the new Hudson Valley Regional, which should be a different weekend. I'm hoping HVR is either week 1 or week 6 so we can actually have a break between competitions.

Originally Posted by waialua359

I saw that too.
Looks like we wont do Iowa or Bayou this season, or Arizona West. Hawaii is week 5 this year.
FLR is a possibility.

Yessssss! I'd love to compete with 359 again, and with TVR/FLR being the same week, and Ontario going to districts, there might actually be room at FLR this year for 359. (Also TVR is almost guaranteed to have openings if it's the same week as FLR, so if you wanted to come back there again, that would be cool too! Maybe they won't throw you in the corner pit this time )

[waialua359]

Originally Posted by Kevin Leonard

Yessssss! I'd love to compete with 359 again, and with TVR/FLR being the same week, and Ontario going to districts, there might actually be room at FLR this year for 359. (Also TVR is almost guaranteed to have openings if it's the same week as FLR, so if you wanted to come back there again, that would be cool too! Maybe they won't throw you in the corner pit this time )

Based on the 31 events posted so far, we would do Palmetto, FLR, and Hawaii.
FLR is definitely competitive and would look forward to coming back to NY.
NY Tech Valley regional is still the #1 regional event I have ever been to. Everyone from the teams to the volunteers/venue are 1st class. Every other event including our own Hawaii one could learn a lot from that event. Kudos to the RD for setting the tone on how a good regional should be run.

[Jay O'Donnell]

Originally Posted by bdaroz

This is interesting...

The Finger Lakes Regional look like it's moved to a Week 3 event for 2017 (from week 4 in 2016). I wonder if the Tech Valley Regional will also shift up a week as well?

I'm afraid it won't be. RPI's Spring break is the same week that FLR is currently scheduled. If TVR and FLR end up both being week 3, then they both become very different events. It would also cause more NY teams to want/need to travel, which is getting very difficult given all of the districts around us. The only events a decent distance away for 229 are the NY regionals, Montreal and Pittsburgh.

[Sperkowsky]

Originally Posted by Jay O'Donnell

I'm afraid it won't be. RPI's Spring break is the same week that FLR is currently scheduled. If TVR and FLR end up both being week 3, then they both become very different events. It would also cause more NY teams to want/need to travel, which is getting very difficult given all of the districts around us. The only events a decent distance away for 229 are the NY regionals, Montreal and Pittsburgh.

The move may have something to do with the regional planned for the Westchester area. This doesn't help you much though.

[Jay O'Donnell]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

The move may have something to do with the regional planned for the Westchester area. This doesn't help you much though.

To be fair I don't expect there to ever be an event within an hour drive of 229. I just want more options. Having New England, MAR and now Ontario cut off from us is very annoying. Districts are great for those not cut off by them.

[Hitchhiker 42]

Originally Posted by Jay O'Donnell

To be fair I don't expect there to ever be an event within an hour drive of 229. I just want more options. Having New England, MAR and now Ontario cut off from us is very annoying. Districts are great for those not cut off by them.

NY should move to districts. Then they can be competing with NE again

(Not meant to start a debate here).

[Brian Maher]

Originally Posted by Hitchhiker 42

NY should move to districts. Then they can be competing with NE again

(Not meant to start a debate here).

We are all well aware, especially us district-to-NY transplants. Unfortunately, it's much more easily said than done.

[plnyyanks]

Originally Posted by BMSOTM

Is there any information about when the regional will be?

I haven't heard anything either. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how all the cards fall

Originally Posted by Hitchhiker 42

NY should move to districts. Then they can be competing with NE again

(Not meant to start a debate here).

[Brian Maher]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

The move may have something to do with the regional planned for the Westchester area. This doesn't help you much though.

Is there any information about when the regional will be?