What to Expect In Atlanta

[Drivencrazy]

Hey guys, I am a rookie on my team this year. Even though our team has been to the championship in Atlanta 4 out of its 5 years of existence, I am still having trouble grasping what the experience will be like. I have an ever growing amount of questions on almost all topics. I was wondering if anyone could give me a better idea as to how it is in comparrison with regionals and what, if anything, I need to be ready for so I don't pass out.

All comments will be helpful

Thank You.

[Brad Voracek]

What are your questions?! Post em up.

First things first is there are four divisions, of the top teams in the world competing. there's four, slightly large regionals running simultaneously. It's hard to grasp until you see it. The winners of these divisions will play on Einstein, to become world champions.


The biggest difference though, in my opinion, is the pits are a half mile away from the arena. It's quite a hike for every match =)

[andrew348]

There is no comparison between regional and the Championships. The pits are massive. It is a 5-10 minute walk between the pits in the convention center and the field in the Dome. The experience is one of the best I have had in FIRST

[EricH]

4 extra-large regionals in one venue. Stand clear of the doors when they open, because you'll have tens of thousands of people heading for their pits/the fields simultaneously.

Oh, and throw in FLL and FTC teams for good measure.

When Championships were in Houston, there were two sets of ramps into the pit area. A volunteer reported that he got to the middle of the pits and then the door opened at one set. There was an immediate river of people.

[Akash Rastogi]

You'll see a lot of copied, ahem, similar uniforms in Atlanta.

Looks like 1730 and 11 will be matching this year.

[Creator Mat]

Is there a difference between the divisions beyond names or is it just random?

[Alex Dinsmoor]

Originally Posted by Creator Mat

Is there a difference between the divisions beyond names or is it just random?

It's all random

[Chris Fultz]

Some basics for you

there are four divisons of randomly grouped teams, based on team number. the mix provides a similar level of experience levels in each division. the only difference between the divisions is their name - there is not one that is intentionally better than another.

in the dome, there are 5 fields. the four division fields and einstein.

each division will have about 70 - 75 teams, and you only play teams in your division, unless you get to einstein. you will probably have practice time on thursday, and then about 7 matches friday day and saturday morning. Then, the top 8 select partners, and there is an elimination tourney for each division, with division winners. the divison winners, with one alternate backup, then play in 2 2 team brackets to determine the world champs. these matches are on einstein.

in the pits, teams are arranged by division, and there are two practices fields, two divisions share each one. There are large video screens in the pits so you can watch the action on the field and see rankings.

there is no audio queing - you have to pay attention to match times and the video screens.

it is about a 10 minute walk with the robot to from the pits to the field. make sure you have a cart. only the drive team can go on the robot path, everyone else goes a different way from the pits to the fields.

there are also presentations from FIRST teams and mentors, Autodesk, lus companies and colleges there with materials on display.

and, the hall of fame, with previous years championship Chairmans Award winners and some awesome displays about their teams and their programs.

opening ceremony is Friday morning, awards are mixed in with the final tourney matches on Einstein. There are no awards or closing program on Friday night.

saturday after awards is the closing finale.

hopefully this helps!

It is an awesome time - have fun!

[A_Reed]

Originally Posted by Chris Fultz

in the dome, there are 5 fields. the four division fields and einstein.

Plus one more field for FTC called da Vinci, and the last time I went ('06) Einstein was used for FLL on Thursday and Friday.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by A_Reed

Plus one more field for FTC called da Vinci, and the last time I went ('06) Einstein was used for FLL on Thursday and Friday.

DaVinci has two FTC fields on it, and Einstein is still used for FLL.

[Carol]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

DaVinci has two FTC fields on it, and Einstein is still used for FLL.

The two FTC fields are Da Vinci and Franklin. They are used only Thursday and Friday.

And to be technical, the Einstein field is only put up on Saturday. The space where the Einstein field used for FLL on Friday and Saturday (and maybe Thursday? I don't remember).

Attached is a photo form 2005 of the dome floor. (Kudos to whoever crawled up and took this - it wasn't me!). You can see the six field locations and get a sense of the enormous space.

And don't forget the robot conferences, programming seminars, FIRST store, etc. As rookies you should particularly check out the conferences - lots of good information there. (And not just because I'm helping with one of them).

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Carol

And to be technical, the Einstein field is only put up on Saturday. The space where the Einstein field used for FLL on Friday and Saturday (and maybe Thursday? I don't remember).

To be technical, the field border is up all three days. However, anything in the middle, other than carpet, typically is replaced by about 3-6 FLL tables Thursday and Friday, and then put in Saturday morning, if I remember the timeline I've seen in action.

[wendymom]

Make sure you take time to walk through the FLL and FTC pits. It is truely a WORLD championship. In FLL you will see teams from all over the world and they bring all kinds of treats from their countries. They are just as excited to talk to you as you are to them. Some of the displays in the FTC pits last year were really impressive as well. Sometimes teams get so wrapped up in FRC that they forget about the other two competitions.

Convince your team to get a team pass to the conferences. You can send several different team members to different seminars. Parents can go to. You can learn all sorts of things there.

[DUCKIE]

Other things to remember / bring...

-Bag/Backpack to carry your stuff... and to carry (or pin) all the buttons, bling, and items you may trade with/gather from other teams throughout the day.

-Water Bottle (I'd recommend another drink... but I do not know how strict the Dome is on bringing in drinks)

-Safety Glasses!!!

-Appropriate Shoes (Pit Area Legal & Good for lots of walking)

-Team Spirit Items (Colored Hair Spray, Face Paint, ect...)

-Chief Delphi Web-Hug Tickets if you are attending.

[JaneYoung]

These are always a few things I suggest for travel in general, and especially at the Championship.

1. have a buddy system and use it. Let an adult with the team know where you are at all times. There is a lot of distance between the stands and the pits, for example. Check in and out with a chaperone or mentor.

2. have a central meeting place. The team will be spread out in different areas of the venue. Have a plan and have a meeting location.

3. make sure that the lead mentor and parent chaperones have a current cell phone list of all the traveling members. Keep your phone charged and check it for messages on a regular basis.

4. It's always good to to have a nightly team meeting and go over the plans for the next day and what to expect. Schedule, shifts, lunch plans, dinner plans., etc.

The more organized the team is, the more the team can relax and enjoy the experience. It is a very special time.