Bring back the awards!

[Andy Grady]

Here is a thought I had when rummaging through past award winners and the sort. I really think that FIRST should bring back the awards for Best Offense, Best Defense, and Best Play of the Day. It seems to me that the direction of FIRST has been more focused on the design and "purpose" parts of the game. As everyone knows, strategy is also a huge portion of this game...both on the field, and off the field. It only makes sense to me that a teams use of successful strategy should be rewarded...not to mention great plays such as team 67's capping of another robot definately deserve recognition. These awards are fun, reguardless if FIRST feels that they dont focus on the "purpose" of what we are doing. I say...lets get them back!

Good Luck!
Andy Grady

[ngreen]

I think the problem they have is the judges don't hardly see matches and don't see all of them for sure. The ref and volunteers have enough to handle and not to mention more bias than a judge. I just don't see who they would have judge the award how they have it set-up. Who chose the winners in the past?

I agree with them being fun and would be nice to have but don't see exactly how FIRST would judge these. The other awards are all comparatively easy to judge.

[jjdebner]

yes. I agree I never have heard of these awards before but I think from hearing about them they would be a very important part of the awards. You can have the best robot ever made, but with no stradegy you will not win. The only reason I can think of that would make this hard to do would be the fact that the judges might have a hard time picking. Aren't all awards hard to pick. I think it is a great Idea to bring the awards back thanks for brining it up

edit: i was posting as ngreen made the post I think that a way to fix this might be that volunteers just rocomend a bunch of robots or matches and the judges watch matches including them or go talk to them about the stradegy. Most of the matches are video taped anyway. I wouldn't be THAT hard

[shyra1353]

Originally Posted by jjdebner

edit: i was posting as ngreen made the post I think that a way to fix this might be that volunteers just rocomend a bunch of robots or matches and the judges watch matches including them or go talk to them about the stradegy. Most of the matches are video taped anyway. I wouldn't be THAT hard

but watching all those tapes would be .. i mean the judges have to be dead tired by the time they get home and watching more tapes would be a lot of work ...

but i do like the idea for these three awards ...

[ngreen]

You could have the teams vote on Saturday a lunch. Let one vote per team. The scouts from teams should have a good idea of these teams. The judges already have more than enough to do.

You could make it a team award. Sometime people appreciate those more than FIRST awards. It could be team xxxx best offensive robot award and make a award to give them. Vote or choose within your team. The steam engine awards would be cool.

[Jeff Rodriguez]

How about a team ballot? Each team has a piece of paper in their pits with the three awards, and by noon on saturday they have to turn it in.
You could make the awards for each division too, because no one can watch all the matches.

[Jessica Boucher]

How about make it voted on by the field crew volunteers? They're watching matches all day, and this would create added incentive to be a volunteer.

Hehe, I think Andy just wants to be the person deciding this award

[Andy Grady]

Originally Posted by Jessica Boucher

How about make it voted on by the field crew volunteers? They're watching matches all day, and this would create added incentive to be a volunteer.

Hehe, I think Andy just wants to be the person deciding this award

YEAH!!! That definately should be an award for the announcer and MC to give out!!! Actually in the past, i believe they used to poll teams about it, though I'm not positive.

-Andy Grady

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by Andy Grady

Actually in the past, i believe they used to poll teams about it, though I'm not positive.

I'm pretty sure Incredible Play was judged by teams, and best offense and best defense were judged.

[indieFan]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

I'm pretty sure Incredible Play was judged by teams, and best offense and best defense were judged.

Actually, as I recall, back in 2001 the teams at SoCal were handed an envelope that had sheets for voting on each of these items. Therefore, the judges, the refs, and the volunteers had nothing (or very little) to do with the award other than tabulating the results.

indieFan

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by Joe Ross

I'm pretty sure Incredible Play was judged by teams, and best offense and best defense were judged.

While we're at it, what about bringing back my personal favorite, the "fly weight in the finals" award? Of course these days the robot that wins it will probably weight 125 lbs.

[AmyPrib]

Originally Posted by Andy Grady

YEAH!!! That definately should be an award for the announcer and MC to give out!!! Actually in the past, i believe they used to poll teams about it, though I'm not positive.

-Andy Grady

Well, you can have one vote per team, and one vote per volunteer crew, just as if they're a team of their own.
I think a problem with having just the field volunteer crew make the decisions would be that a lot of times, a lot of the volunteer staff are pretty young kids, plus it's hard for them to see the whole match being down at ground level.

I think they would be fun awards to give out. And if FIRST doesn't want to do it, maybe one motivated team can organize it, tally the votes, and present the award.

[DarkJedi613]

Originally Posted by AmyPrib

I think a problem with having just the field volunteer crew make the decisions would be that a lot of times, a lot of the volunteer staff are pretty young kids, plus it's hard for them to see the whole match being down at ground level.

Also a lot of volunteers seem to have ties with teams so they may not be impartial.

[Jessica Boucher]

Originally Posted by DarkJedi613

Also a lot of volunteers seem to have ties with teams so they may not be impartial.

But if you want to argue it that way, a lot of teams have a lot of ties with other teams...so they may not be impartial.

[Rich Wong]

Originally Posted by Jessica Boucher

How about make it voted on by the field crew volunteers? They're watching matches all day, and this would create added incentive to be a volunteer.

Hehe, I think Andy just wants to be the person deciding this award

Yea, I like that idea, most of the volunteers, MC and referees are watching all the games anyway and knows when a good game, a good team strategy, or good driving is made.

I'll vote for that!