How do you recognize teams?

[Gregor]

Originally Posted by rachelholladay

I only know a team's location by what regional they compete in (if that). For example, I know the HOT Team 67 and Killer Bees 33 are from Michigan because they compete in the districts. However I have little idea where in Michigan.

I can one-up you on that. Milford and Auburn Hills respectively. Now if only I knew where in Michigan these places were

[Rangel]

I typically associate the team number with the team name. Makes it easier for me to recall them. Now that I'm finally getting the hang of remembering teams that are over 2000, I have 3000 and not to mention the rising 4000.

[Ekcrbe]

Originally Posted by Gregor

I can one-up you on that. Milford and Auburn Hills respectively. Now if only I knew where in Michigan these places were

And one-more-up (I know I have an advantage ) Auburn Hills is about 30 miles north of Detroit on I-75, Milford is maybe 20 miles west, and our team is longitudinally between the two and about 20 miles north.

For easy reference, here's a Michiganian's* tip: They're all on the right thumb muscle in your handy-dandy Michigan Hand Map.

Back to the topic at hand, I generally remember number and name, but number a bit more often. JosephC and I were in sparring wars with our team captain and then our team leader over who could remember the most team names based on their number. It was no competition.

*I hate saying Michigander. It sounds so uneducated.

PS. Woo! Vote 47.

[Karibou]

I usually recognize teams either by their name or number, but I often have issues putting the two together unless it's a team I hear of/see regularly (i.e. HOT/67, Killer Bees/33, Juggernauts/1). If I don't know both, I can usually at least remember the general location. 343 is from NY, Los Pollos Locos is from SC and sponsored by USC and their number is some combination of 2, 8, 5, and 1.

Then there's the occasional team whose sponsors I can remember, but not many (Finney Highlanders, Motorola/Wildstang, GM/Simbots/a variety of others).

For most teams above 3000, I usually recognize the logo first before I can remember their name and actual number.

I usually introduce myself by former team number, then I give the team name. I don't know why I do that, since people usually remember my former team's name before the number, but that's how it goes.


TL;DR, it varies greatly and there are a lot of exceptions.

[JonathanZur1836]

Team name, number, colors, and logo are really important. The number is the first thing that people see, but after that, the team name, colors, and logo help create a memorable image.

[Koko Ed]

Numbers.
There are certain teams I ID by name but there are numerous cases of name overlap in FIRST (anything that begins with Robo or Techno are the usual suspects). I went to Buckeye a few years ago and we had three Robotcat teams at the event alone!
Ironically due to my involement in FIRST it has helped me memorize combinations better by thinking of which FIRST team the numbers are assoiated with and then the name. My old combo for my office was Grasshoppers. Red Barons.

[Jon Stratis]

Personally, I go mostly by team numbers, although there are a few teams I also know by name. As an inspector, it's really the only way to keep everything straight. Besides, it's also the easiest way to find teams, since they're usually laid by number in some pattern.

[GaryVoshol]

I had a hard time picking - and maybe I picked wrong.

Some teams I know more by name, others by location, others by number. I guess my answer is the time honored, "It depends ..."

And you forgot one of my favorite methods - team shirt. I was checking in teams before alliance selection one time and I was marking off numbers just by looking at the shirts. You know you've been around FIRST too long when ...

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Karibou

If I don't know both, I can usually at least remember the general location. 343 is from NY, Los Pollos Locos is from SC and sponsored by USC and their number is some combination of 2, 8, 5, and 1.

Not quite--343 (Metal In Motion) is from Seneca, South Carolina.

Though it's funny you put our digits that way--this year, we (2815, Los Pollos Locos from Columbia, SC) shared Archimedes with 2851 (Crevolution, from Sterling Heights, MI). Never has an alliance selection been more painful for us than hearing "Teams 2590 and 1218 would like to invite team twenty-eight-fif-tee....one".

(And note how Kara refers to the University of South Carolina as USC. We'll get the world straightened out someday! )

[KelliV]

Numbers all the way.

When I first started I remembered team names, I hated numbers, I remember coming home to my mom and telling her "thank god my team number is 111, it's so much easier to remember than 217". I spent the first year I was on 'Stang learning team names, and then the next year everyone changed their names on me and I had no idea which team was which. Now I just remember the team numbers, followed by their locations.

[Karibou]

Originally Posted by Billfred

Not quite--343 (Metal In Motion) is from Seneca, South Carolina.

#!@%$, at least I was on the right side of the country! Clearly, I'm not as good at this location thing as I like to think I am.

[LeelandS]

Originally Posted by Karibou

#!@%$, at least I was on the right side of the country! Clearly, I'm not as good at this location thing as I like to think I am.

You may have been thinking of 333 or 353! Both are from New York.

[Brandon Zalinsky]

Most teams are numbers to me- mostly because when I'm in school and spewing random numbers, I feel like I'm talking in some secret code

[Jay O'Donnell]

Originally Posted by Flak-Bait

Most teams are numbers to me- mostly because when I'm in school and spewing random numbers, I feel like I'm talking in some secret code

And we wonder why the football team thinks we're weird...

[Brandon Zalinsky]

Originally Posted by Jay Money 1058

And we wonder why the football team thinks we're weird...

well then, I guess they're just another set...



of tools.

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