Inaugural 2011 Texas Robot Round-up!

[jessjank.]

Team Leaders, make sure you check your email for updates! Here are the contents of my email to teams today:

PLEASE RESPOND (jessjank@gmail.com) IF INTERESTED IN ANY OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES:
1. If any of your team members would like to sing the National Anthem on Saturday.
2. If your team is interested in participating in Friday's Mentor Tournament* (See Below).
3. If you have an extra 2011 robot available and can bring it to the event.
4. If anyone from your team will be in Austin/available on Thursday night and/or Friday morning to help with set-up.
5. How many people involved with your team will attend Intermediate/Advanced LabView Training provided by National Instruments (no computers needed) at 10:30am on Saturday.


ADDRESS & PARKING:
Anderson High School
8403 Mesa Drive
Austin, TX 78759

Anderson High School is on the corner of Steck and Mesa in North Austin, near MoPac (Loop 1).
The main entrance for the event is off of Steck Avenue. ONLY park in the student parking areas, DO NOT park in the street. There will be signs indicating where to enter.


TEAM LOAD-IN:
Parking spaces by the main entrance to the event will be reserved for temporary drop off of robots and supplies. When you arrive, you can begin unloading your vehicles, but please first send in a representative to pick up your registration packet and find your pit location. If necessary, at checkin you can request to drive your vehicle closer to the entrance and will receive a pass to do so. There is not a limit to the amount of equipment you bring in to the facility, however please be mindful to respect the space of others and keep your things within your pit space (10' x 10'). Pits will be in the cafeteria.


TEAM CHECK-IN:
Teams coming in on Friday can checkin starting at noon. On Saturday morning, doors will open at 8:00am. Teams who did not checkin on Friday will need to make sure to do so then. Opening ceremonies are scheduled to start promptly at 9:00am. At checkin, your team will receive a packet which will include information about the event, driver passes, awards ballot**, etc. Match schedules will be placed on your table in the pits on Saturday morning.


UPDATED SCHEDULE:
Friday, July 29, 2011 (OPTIONAL DAY)
11:00 AM - Volunteer Check-in (for those not assisting in morning set-up)
12:00 PM - Doors Open
1:00 PM - Practice Matches Begin
3:00 PM - Central Texas Robotics Alliance Meeting
4:00 PM - Practice Matches End
4:30 PM - Mentor Tournament*
6:30 PM - Pits close
7:00 PM - Team Social

Saturday, July 30, 2011
7:00 AM - Volunteer Check-In
8:00 AM - Doors Open for Teams
9:00 AM - Opening Ceremonies
9:30 AM - Matches Begin
10:30 AM - NI LabView Training
12:00 PM - Lunch Break
12:00 PM - Skills Challenge
1:00 PM - Matches Resume
1:00 PM - Non-Engineering Mentors Organization (NEMO) Meeting
3:00 PM - Matches End
3:00 PM - Alliance Selection
3:30 PM - Eliminations Begin
6:00 PM - Eliminations End
6:00 PM - Awards**
7:00 PM - Pits Close

NOTE: Please remember that there are a few important rules changes that we feel will benefit teams. See my previous email/posts for more details.


*MENTOR TOURNAMENT:
If your team is interested in participating in the mentor tournament, please make sure to respond ASAP! We need to make sure all interested teams are accounted for. Reminder, we will be holding a CANNED FOOD DRIVE at the event. Alliance selection order will be based on the number of canned goods your team donates. Please turn in your canned goods when you checkin on Friday (or Saturday).


**AWARDS:
Reminder: the event will not have Judges, however, teams will help decide who will be recognized. Upon check-in, your team will receive an Awards Ballot on which they will be able to nominate other teams for specific awards (you may not nominate your own team). In order to be eligible for an award, you must submit an Awards Ballot (signed by both a mentor and a student) to Pit Administration before finals on Saturday. You will be asked to include the team number and a brief reasoning as to why you think the team should receive the award. Full details of the awards will be provided with the ballot.

Team Judged Awards will include:
- Gracious Professionalism - Recognizes outstanding sportsmanship and gracious professionalism in the heat of competition, both on and off the playing field.
- Team Spirit - Recognizes extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit, and exceptional teamwork.
- Play of the Day - Recognize a team that did something really exciting on the field during the competition. (This is an "old-school" FIRST award that we were interested in bringing back.)
- Creativity in Design - Recognizes a team who thought outside the box when developing their robot, creating a component or overall design that is really cool, unique, etc.

Non-Judged Awards will include:
- Champions
- Finalists
- Mentor Tournament Champions
- Skills Challenge Champion
- Most Canned Food Donated