Bring back the awards!

[Justin]

Last night I was having dinner with Andy in Boston and we were talking about this very thing in fact so I figured I'd post with my thoughts.

I agree I think that these awards should return. I totally agree withy our comments about FIRST being centered on the "purpose" in the last say 3 years. I find it interesting that these awards were just one year not there and all of the sudden the "Engineering Inspiration" award just appeared. Now I'm not out to diminish the winners of this award which is after all "the second highest honor FIRST bestows" I just don't like how FIRST makes it sound like this award has always existed. I think that the focus of FIRST has shifted DRASTICALLY in the last few years more and more the focus shifts away from robotics and the game to things like entrepreneurial spirit. If you think this isn't true look at the awards but also look at this year’s game. The primary method for scoring was to depend on the human players. I remember once upon a time when FIRST was about designing a robot to compete in a robotics competition. It seems more and more like FIRST is a business fraternity than a robotics competition. I would like nothing more than to see a little more of the focus shift back to the game, design of a quality robot, and strategy. However I think that this would require DRASTIC changes in the mindset of the FIRST community which I do not see happening.

Because the pot should always be stirred every once and a while...

Justin

P.S. Before you bad rep me from now until Sunday I ask you to think about how truly childish that is.

[AmyPrib]

Originally Posted by Jessica Boucher

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. .

Ahhh, could be true, but I think that because it's one vote per team, and it should be a "team decision", it wouldn't get too biased. With the caliber of teams out there, I don't think they're gonna vote for their best friend team who had no exciting plays just because they're best friends.

Since these awards are "fun", I don't think anyone has any reason to be biased, including the volunteer staff. It's just for fun... But, giving votes to the general team population gives a nice large average and would probably ensure that at least someone on every team has seen every match. By having the field crew decide the awards, it takes part of the "fun" out of it for the teams. Besides, as mentioned before, the field crew has enough to think/worry about. If they're gonna let the team students judge animations, why the heck shouldn't the teams judge these fun awards?

I think someone (I don't know who though! - who started this thread? ) should find out if this is do-able, either through FIRST, or a team that wants to do it.
just my thoughts....

[DarkJedi613]

Originally Posted by AmyPrib

Ahhh, could be true, but I think that because it's one vote per team, and it should be a "team decision", it wouldn't get too biased. With the caliber of teams out there, I don't think they're gonna vote for their best friend team who had no exciting plays just because they're best friends.

Since these awards are "fun", I don't think anyone has any reason to be biased, including the volunteer staff. It's just for fun... But, giving votes to the general team population gives a nice large average and would probably ensure that at least someone on every team has seen every match.

I agree, I doubt it would happen on a wide scale, and I really hope it wouldn't - but it would probably happen at least a little.

I'm just throwing the idea out there that it may not be impartial.

[Pamela]

These were great rewards, my team would always sit down and discuss the most amazing matches we saw that day and then vote for the team who made the match. I think it is a great idea to have teams voting for other teams to win awards, brings about a sense of comraderie among teams and appreciation for good strategy and driving. I say FIRST should bring us back to the old days and let us vote on these three awards once again!

[Collin Fultz]

Originally Posted by Justin

Last night I was having dinner with Andy in Boston and we were talking about this very thing in fact so I figured I'd post with my thoughts.

I agree I think that these awards should return. I totally agree withy our comments about FIRST being centered on the "purpose" in the last say 3 years. I find it interesting that these awards were just one year not there and all of the sudden the "Engineering Inspiration" award just appeared. Now I'm not out to diminish the winners of this award which is after all "the second highest honor FIRST bestows" I just don't like how FIRST makes it sound like this award has always existed. I think that the focus of FIRST has shifted DRASTICALLY in the last few years more and more the focus shifts away from robotics and the game to things like entrepreneurial spirit. If you think this isn't true look at the awards but also look at this year’s game. The primary method for scoring was to depend on the human players. I remember once upon a time when FIRST was about designing a robot to compete in a robotics competition. It seems more and more like FIRST is a business fraternity than a robotics competition. I would like nothing more than to see a little more of the focus shift back to the game, design of a quality robot, and strategy. However I think that this would require DRASTIC changes in the mindset of the FIRST community which I do not see happening.

while i agree with points in this post (the what's happening) I don't think they are a bad occurence. Granted, I haven't been around FIRST too long (three years not long enough to see these old awards) I do plan on being around FIRST for a while. I think one of the biggest problems that people that have been in FIRST for a while have is the fact that it is changing from a competition to something else (what exactly time will tell). But that's because FIRST is getting MUCH bigger. There are a thousand teams from four (maybe more???) countries. This is a good thing. Should there still be a robotics competition...YES...without a doubt. The competition aspect is what drives design to become better and what helps inspire some people (myself my first two years on the team included). Competition drives teams like 45 to create new designs applicable to robots...however...it is the new "entrepenuerial" spirit of FIRST that is instilled in them which leads them to share these ideas with hundreds of other teams. The same can be said for a lot of teams throughout FIRST. Our team has a slightly different focus. No doubt we love the robotics competition and strive to build a competitive robot every year, but we are become more of the Cyber Blue Corporation that builds a robot than simply a group of students building a robot. We do a total design review process (four gates during the season. an exact replica of what is used at Rolls-Royce), we have a business plan. Am I saying my team is better than another? No. Not in any way and I appologize if it sounds that way. We simply play FIRST's game a little differently and it's working for us. Teams should do what works for them (throwback to another thread where I put my foot in my mouth and had to work my way out of it...60 and 254 found what works for them and have obviously been successful with it (a Chairman's and regional victories and overall good showings (both sides of the coin)))

Now, to answer the question. Yes. The awards should be brought back, but awards like the Entrepenuership, Sportsmanship, Engineering Inspiration, and Chairman's Award should retain their prestige. There (in my eyes) is a lot less luck involved with winning these awards at the regional level. I see this as a double sided coin. Some teams will focus on the robot...some on the outreach. The true FIRST teams will focus on both.

45 or 71 would have recieved my vote for best offense. both made it to the semi's in Chicago (45 won but didn't beat 71 i don't think). 45 got the sportsmanship award. 71 got engineering inspiration. both examples of FIRST teams. there are others out there. keep up the good work everybody!

Hold on to the "I" and never let go.

[SkitzoSmurf]

I think this is a great idea, but I also think there might be problems getting it accomplished. Nationals is the BIG BANG and FIRST has grown over the years, making the event a bigger bang. There is so much going on already, that for the panel of judges, or refs, whoever makes the call, and review every match and agree on one team for the award would make it an all night event. Maybe I am wrong and underestimate the FIRST staff's power, but it seems to me that deciding on the awards would be endless.
So that's the bad stuff, for the good stuff, I think it would bring out more competitive spirit in the game, and the game would be much better with everyone competing so fiercely. I'll admit that some matches can be pretty dull during qualifying, and I'd like to see that go away. Awesome idea Andy, keep up the good work.

[Collin Fultz]

Cyber Blue 234 will take care of voting and distribution of these awards for our division at nationals (whatever it may be).
Best Offensive Strategy
Best Defensive Strategy
Best Play of the Day

ps===we are also looking to implement these awards for IRI!

[Pat Roche]

Originally Posted by 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.

These awards could be handed out by the referees. They see everymatch. They can see strategies and whatnot on the field. Yes they are busy but I think if could be a way for the refs to get even more involved and in a sense give them recognition for thier time.

-Pat

[nick180intucson]

yes i know that team 60 shoud have gave a team spirit a award and a lot that they gave last year and all the other veteran teams.


nick brown

[Chris Fultz]

Originally Posted by collin234

Cyber Blue 234 will take care of voting and distribution of these awards for our division at nationals (whatever it may be).
Best Offensive Strategy
Best Defensive Strategy
Best Play of the Day

** Newton Division **
Here is our voting form for determining these awards.
We have chosen the name "The Classics".
One vote per team in the division. We will pass the forms out on Thursday.

Now if someone from the other three divisions can volunteer to do the same.