Georgia District Location Speculation

[kristinweiss]

Originally Posted by Anupam Goli

I'm not a huge fan of this. District events should be centered around team population areas. It makes sense for there to be multiple in the metro atlanta area. I'm not sure there are any teams near Northwest Georgia Technical College or Mercer. I think an event in Columbus, KSU, a larger high school near Suwanee, GT, and maybe in Macon makes sense. District Champs at UGA seems fine, but I'd definitely prefer it to be held at an engineering school

I'd love to see a district event held at GT, although I highly doubt that it will happen considering we don't really have anywhere to host it. As for the district champs being held at u[sic]ga, my understanding is that it is being hosted by the college of engineering.

[DonShaw]

GT does not need to showcase themselves as they get the cream of the crop of students and UGA needs to showcase themselves to get students in their Engineering program.

I bet KSU, Albany Coliseum (X-bots venue) and Mercer for districts and UGA for State.

If this happens a majority of teams will need to greatly increase their travel expenses.

State will make 99% of the teams travel. If the prediction for locations above happens many more teams will have to travel to go to two district events.

Still waiting to see more out of GAFIRST on details. They must still be in the planning/negotiation stages.

[kristinweiss]

Originally Posted by DonShaw

If this happens a majority of teams will need to greatly increase their travel expenses.

Not necessarily. With districts spread out all over the state, most teams will probably have a "home" event and an "away" event meaning they will really only have to travel to one additional event. Most "successful" teams in Georgia already do this when they go to a second regional, so if anything, it will probably be cheaper for many teams.

As for traveling to the state event, I agree that it is not an ideal location (I go to GT so trust me that I wasn't thrilled when I heard the news), but they did step up and are willing to host the district champs, and I think that most people would prefer to travel a little bit farther then compete at GWCC again.

[Anupam Goli]

Originally Posted by NorthernTaco

Not necessarily. With districts spread out all over the state, most teams will probably have a "home" event and an "away" event meaning they will really only have to travel to one additional event. Most "successful" teams in Georgia already do this when they go to a second regional, so if anything, it will probably be cheaper for many teams.

As long as they host the events around concentrated areas of teams. I'm not sure there are more than a couple of teams in Albany. I feel that having 2 of the 4 district events in the Metro Atlanta area would be better just because of the team density. In the early stages of the Michigan system, most of the district events were around the Metro Detroit area.

As for traveling to the state event, I agree that it is not an ideal location (I go to GT so trust me that I wasn't thrilled when I heard the news), but they did step up and are willing to host the district champs, and I think that most people would prefer to travel a little bit farther then compete at GWCC again

.

I'd rather compete at the GWCC again. It was a great venue in 2014. In 2015 they kind of screwed it up, but with less teams it should be great. I also don't see why we can't go back to the Gwinnett Center, now that states is going to have less teams. The Gwinnett Center was a great venue for less than 50 teams and many teams were able to commute there.

I'm also wondering why we have to be special about our events and can't just host them at the larger high schools (e.g. Walton, Kell). Everywhere else in districts hosts at high schools or community centers. I'd imagine renting out a university facility costs a lot more.

[kristinweiss]

Originally Posted by Anupam Goli

I'm also wondering why we have to be special about our events and can't just host them at the larger high schools (e.g. Walton, Kell).

I know that many of the "larger high schools" are not as supportive of robotics as you may think which is why so many "high school teams" are not actually affiliated with their schools. Also, most schools use their gyms during the school week and you can't ask schools to let several hundred students from around the state take over part of their school during the school day. Even if the event is only on the weekends, there is a large amount of setup and load in required which would would most likely cause a disruption to the school day.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by NorthernTaco

Also, most schools use their gyms during the school week and you can't ask schools to let several hundred students from around the state take over part of their school during the school day.

FiM does it - about 16 venues at HS last year, 2 at colleges.

[Hallry]

Originally Posted by NorthernTaco

Also, most schools use their gyms during the school week and you can't ask schools to let several hundred students from around the state take over part of their school during the school day. Even if the event is only on the weekends, there is a large amount of setup and load in required which would would most likely cause a disruption to the school day.

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

FiM does it - about 16 venues at HS last year, 2 at colleges.

and 9/11 of the PNW District Events, 3/4 of the Indiana District Events (one of which is their District Championship), 7/8 of the MAR District Events, and 4/11 of the NEFIRST District Events are hosted at High Schools.

[DonRotolo]

Originally Posted by DonShaw

State will make 99% of the teams travel.

That depends on how you define "travel". If we speculate that the State Championship (GACMP) is at GWCC, how is that different from attending Peachtree?

Originally Posted by NorthernTaco

you can't ask schools to let several hundred students from around the state take over part of their school during the school day.

Oh, sure you can! They might say no, but asking is free.

MOST district events are Friday load-in/inspection/practice (starting at 4 pm), Saturday & Sunday competition. School boards love this, no missed school time. Mentors love this, no vacation days needed. Students have fun anyway. And those who attend church on Sunday can still do so - just early.

Georgia Teams, if you run an off-season event, you can run a District competition. And even if you don't (why not?) you can still do this. And, if you work the concession stand right, it can even be a major fund-raiser for you: 1000 people for breakfast & lunch - twice - means how much $$? Just raise your hand to the committee.

[Hallry]

Originally Posted by DonRotolo

MOST district events are Friday load-in/inspection/practice (starting at 4 pm), Saturday & Sunday competition. School boards love this, no missed school time.

Well, there is some missed school time for the gym(s) and maybe cafeteria of the host school on Friday, the field and pits have to be set up sometime.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by NorthernTaco

I know that many of the "larger high schools" are not as supportive of robotics as you may think which is why so many "high school teams" are not actually affiliated with their schools. Also, most schools use their gyms during the school week and you can't ask schools to let several hundred students from around the state take over part of their school during the school day. Even if the event is only on the weekends, there is a large amount of setup and load in required which would would most likely cause a disruption to the school day.

Actually, as noted, in the PNW most of our events are in High Schools. At the school's option we do have Sat/Sun events with Fri drop off and set up. We do not interrupt the regular school day at all on those Sat/Sun events the truck shows up after or at the end of the school day depending on where the truck can park to unload. We typically are out of the venue by 9ish at the latest and usually well before then. For some of the schools that have Fri/Sat events it has coincided with a Fri they did not have school often due to spring break. Others have specifically asked for the event to be Fri/Sat so that other students at the school could watch the event.

So holding an event at a HS does not have to cause any disruption to the regular school day. Also it is important to note that the events we hold at universities have usually been during their spring break to prevent interruptions in their activities.

So no difference in interrupting regular school activities between a HS and a University.

Originally Posted by Hallry

Well, there is some missed school time for the gym(s) and maybe cafeteria of the host school on Friday, the field and pits have to be set up sometime.

Nope not even a second, at least for the Sat/Sun events in the PNW. We schedule the truck to arrive at the time school gets out or sometimes after the last bus is scheduled to leave because we have to unload the truck in the bus lanes. The first event of the season sometimes takes a little longer for set up but the following weeks we manage to start set up at 3pm have the pits ready for teams to start load in at 5pm, kick the teams out at 9pm (with 75-90% of them fully inspected) and we leave by 10pm.

[Anupam Goli]

Tentative dates and locations of the district events and state championships were announced today at the MAC meeting:

March 10-12, 2016 at the Columbus Convention Center

March 17-19 2016 at the Dalton Convention Center
March 17-19, 2016 at the Albany Convention Center

April 8-10, 2016 at Kennesaw State University

April 14-16, 2016 State Championships at University of Georgia

[Ginger Bread]

Originally Posted by Anupam Goli

Tentative dates and locations of the district events and state championships were announced today at the MAC meeting:

March 10-12, 2016 at the Columbus Convention Center

March 17-19 2016 at the Dalton Convention Center
March 17-19, 2016 at the Albany Convention Center

April 8-10, 2016 at Kennesaw State University

April 14-16, 2016 State Championships at University of Georgia

Shoot!!! I was really hoping for one in Macon since we have Mercer and the Centreplex. I will still be looking forward to competing at whichever ones we (4941) go to.

[FrankJ]

Columbus is listed as tentative until the contract is signed. Highly likely though. The date is firm.

Mercer was in the running, but the AD would not sign off on the venue. It being basketball season and all.

[Ginger Bread]

Originally Posted by FrankJ

Columbus is listed as tentative until the contract is signed. Highly likely though. The date is firm.

Mercer was in the running, but the AD would not sign off on the venue. It being basketball season and all.

O yeah, i forgot about basketball, but I figured since most of March is after regular season, but it is what it is.

[FrankJ]

Georgia district events are on First's web site. No changes to the previously announced, but being on the event list makes it official.