Building a Practice Field

[akoscielski3]

For the past couple years we have been practicing in our smaller Gym or on the stage at our school with a 1/4 of the size carpet, that was nice for just our team. But for next year I am looking at making a Full sized practice field because the Windsor & Essex Area will have more teams, all rookies except us. We already have a few possible locations for the field, so location isn't an issue. The field would really only be used the last weekend and then in between competitions and champs with our practice bot. Assuming that none of the rookies will have practice bots, we'd be the only one using it inbetween competitions (unless the rookie teams had the same robot we did, which is EXTREMELY unlikely).

So I'm wondering how other teams got their practice field and how many teams usually use it. Would it be possible to buy a field from a team or from FIRST. and would it be better to build a metal field or a wooden field? If all goes well we would have about 6 or so teams from our area using it. And I am also thinking we would invite other teams to our area. I would like to be able to use this field for many years to come, so it wont be made specifically for this game.

Thanks for the idea's and help!

[IndySam]

We practiced on a full sized field for the second year in a row and I think you can see the results.

I don't believe a metal field is necessary, you practiced on the field we use at Queen City.

The big thing is you just can't duplicate the real feel of the game for your drivers without a full size practice space.

[CalTran]

IndySam has it right. While we don't have a permanent field, we still mange about a half size field (~full length field, half width) that's simple enough to put up and take down. The low cost field usually isn't all that bad for practice upon; you simply take a few trips to the practice field and calibrate your skills back over to the competition field. Generally the big practice is the same and it's the fine motor skills that just need a little tweaking form field to field.

[akoscielski3]

Originally Posted by IndySam

We practiced on a full sized field for the second year in a row and I think you can see the results.

I don't believe a metal field is necessary, you practiced on the field we use at Queen City.

The big thing is you just can't duplicate the real feel of the game for your drivers without a full size practice space.

I was thinking that.

Also how did you guys get your field? Donated, bought yourselves, multiple tems pitched in??

[IndySam]

Originally Posted by akoscielski3

I was thinking that.

Also how did you guys get your field? Donated, bought yourselves, multiple tems pitched in??

1024 got a grant and have managed to get the space free (or relatively so) both years. Teams bring the game specific things like this years goals and bridges.

It has been available for all Central Indiana teams to use but it has been mostly used by 1024 and us. 234 and 1018 also used it a lot his year. It was set up late this year so that hampered teams that didn't have practice bots.

[MARS_James]

179 up until this year used a half size field and this year upgraded to a full one that was primarily made of wood so if you message one of their members I am sure they can give you finer details. One thing you might want to look into is hosting a scrimmage the Saturday before bag and tag for all the teams in your area, which is what 179 does as well.

[Jimmy Nichols]

We have been investing in constructing a full size practice field. We found the drawings here. We built all the side borders at the beginning of September and hope to have the driver station walls built by the end of the year.

We received donated wood, bought some wood, then just spent a couple work sessions putting everything together. We have the carpet from QCR last year that we use.

Our plan is to put the field up towards the end of build season at our location in the Cincinnati Mall and make it available for any area team who wants to use it. We also plan to use it as the practice field for QCR, that way 1024 and 829 don't have to drag theirs over again this year, thanks again for that.

[BlacksmithPedro]

From our teams history, we have on occasion built a half-practice field. Honestly for all intents and purposes it would not matter if the field were to be made out of wood or metal. From this information wood is the better choice because of its "mad cheapness" compared to metal