2006 Wisconsin Regional Feedback

[Ricky Q.]

Let us hear it! The committee is happy to hear comments and conerns about our first year doing this regional thing. We want to make every regional better than the last.

[Sean Schuff]

The first FIRST Wisconsin Regional was a smashing success with only a few areas for improvement.

First, the positives...

Pit areas were great with plenty of room.

Staff was awesome - very helpful and frielndly - always reminding me about those darn safety glasses!

Load in - load out was smooth and painless.

Overall event site was good.

Great team social at the zoo! I finally got to see some of Copioli's ancestors in the Ape House! I believe they were spider monkeys!


Now the downside...

Bus parking - we paid dearly to park across the street. Option 2 - the Summerfest grounds - seemed unrealistic.
-
Food - NO TAILGATING IN WISCONSIN??!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!! Is Milwaukee that far from the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau to not appreciate a hot brat and cold soda on a cool afternoon? We did it anyway but were told that it would not be allowed next year. With food prices the way they are at any competition venue (and I understand they need to make some money) and most restaurants downtown being either sports bars (not good for kids) or expensive (not good for kids), our best alternative was to tailgate. We've been doing it for years at all the events we go to and even did it on the sidewalk in Cleveland! It makes attending the competitions much more practical for our kids, all of whom have already shelled out enough money just to attend the competition.

All in all it was a good event and we're glad we attended.

A HUGE thanks to all of the teams who recommended us for the Johnson & Johnson Sportsmanship Award - what an honor! We're glad to help out anyone who stops by. As Terry Sherman (Plexus engineer) put it on Thursday night after a long day of helping other teams "We were doing FIRST".

Thanks for the good time!

Sean

[Raul]

Ricky, Wisconsin was a very good regional.

Positives:
- I really liked the spaciousness of the venue.
- Hotels were within easy walking distance
- Very well run event - well staffed with volunteers

Negatives:
- The scoring system kept having an allergic reaction when team number 111 was on the board and they shot balls into the center goal during the autonomous period.
- How can a venue in Wisconsin sell polish sausage instead of brats? Seriously, they need a better selection of menu items if they are not to allow food to be brought in (this is a problem at almost every regional).

The negatives would never keep us away though. You were a very good host. Thanks!

[Beth Sweet]

Overall, great job Ricky

+'s
-The nicest seats ever at a regional. Padded and closed stands were nice
-I don't know about other teams, but we had very ample pit space
-The team party was fun, the kids enjoyed watching the monkeys and their... actions...

-'s
-Concession stand prices were out of control and to make it worse, we couldn't bring in our own food. If prices are that high you've got to get a pre-order lunch thing...
-At the team party there was not enough cheese pizza. We stayed in the pits and arrived a half hour after the start of the party. On our information we requested all non-meat and only 2 team members were able to get pizza. Next year maybe have different color tickets for brats and pizza and require ahead of time selections
-Some of the music was oh-my-goodness swear words! When I tried to go down and tell the DJ that it was inappropriate, I wasn't allowed on the field for lack of a drivers badge
-I'm not 100% sure that some of the judges really understood what the awards that they were distributing were for. When the reasoning for the awards were read, some of them sounded nothing like what the awards were supposed to be for.

And Ricky, you know I'm picky about everything so these were just my opinions. Those who attended the regional from my team felt that it was awesome.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by Ricky Q.

Let us hear it! The committee is happy to hear comments and conerns about our first year doing this regional thing. We want to make every regional better than the last.

1. Positive Judges, refs etc awesome job doing their tough job.
2. Pits were spacious

Negative
1. the spike controller rule for our external air pump for the pnuematics was a joke. I felt SOOOOO horrible for Alan who had to enforce this rule. Who ever was behind this should have had this ammened to the rules and sent out to the teams.

2. Not enough time between end of seeding rounds and seletion of alliances. We spent several hours the evening before going over our scouting, only to basically have to wing it cause the selection started almost immediately. Suggestion at least 15 minutes to politic and discuss.

3. Parking=joke I personally spent over $300 in gas to get our pit tools there only to find out that I couldn't have access to my trailer cause I had to leave it 4 blocks away at the hotel.... and to segway ( pun intended) into the other joke
4. Food. Do people really think Highschool kids and parents are made of money. People should stop worshiping money and do something about this.

The social was a PERFECT way to solve this issue. Couldn't someone get sponsors to donate food for the kids? Heck I spent 20 years in food service. Should I do a business plan based on filling this gap? Look how well AndyMark has done with his venture.

I know I may sound critical, but for thier first venture into A Regional, I think they did a find outstanding job. I wish more regionals in Michigan had a venue as beautiful and spacious as USCellular areana

hope this helps

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by R3P0

1. the spike controller rule for our external air pump for the pnuematics was a joke. I felt SOOOOO horrible for Alan who had to enforce this rule. Who ever was behind this should have had this ammened to the rules and sent out to the teams.

This came up at Waterloo and several other regionals. I'll bring the topic up again at tonight's lead inspector teleconference.

Originally Posted by R3P0

2. Not enough time between end of seeding rounds and seletion of alliances. We spent several hours the evening before going over our scouting, only to basically have to wing it cause the selection started almost immediately. Suggestion at least 15 minutes to politic and discuss.

This was suggested earlier today, and apparently many people agree.

[Ricky Q.]

Originally Posted by R3P0

Negative
1. the spike controller rule for our external air pump for the pnuematics was a joke. I felt SOOOOO horrible for Alan who had to enforce this rule. Who ever was behind this should have had this ammened to the rules and sent out to the teams.

2. Not enough time between end of seeding rounds and seletion of alliances. We spent several hours the evening before going over our scouting, only to basically have to wing it cause the selection started almost immediately. Suggestion at least 15 minutes to politic and discuss.

Both of those things are FIRST issues, the pneumatic thing is part of the rules, and the schedule is set by the FIRST event management. The alliance selection seems to be a complaint of many.

3. Parking=joke I personally spent over $300 in gas to get our pit tools there only to find out that I couldn't have access to my trailer cause I had to leave it 4 blocks away at the hotel.... and to segway ( pun intended) into the other joke
4. Food. Do people really think Highschool kids and parents are made of money. People should stop worshiping money and do something about this.

Both parking and food have already been identified as major issues that will be adressed for next year.

Thanks for all comments so far.

[Kevin Kolodziej]

Originally Posted by Beth Sweet

Overall, great job Ricky

-At the team party there was not enough cheese pizza. We stayed in the pits and arrived a half hour after the start of the party. On our information we requested all non-meat and only 2 team members were able to get pizza. Next year maybe have different color tickets for brats and pizza and require ahead of time selections

Your information never made it to me...I think Ricky was supposed to pass that on. I'll have to have some words with that boy...

That was indeed something we overlooked. We ordered several additional pizzas that showed up around 6:30, I believe - were those gone as well? I had heard that when those arrived, no one was taking any of them.

I had hoped that people would use GP about the pizzas (I even ordered extra to begin with), but we will have a much better system in place for next year.

Kev

[bbguy5]

Beth I think you are talking about the music at the social. I too was a little shocked to hear uncensored music at the social, a lot of us looked at each other and said "UH OH"

Or did they do it at both places?

I can't comment on the food or anything the like, as the volunteer meals were great.

I would agree with the parking. at MWR all voluteers parked free at UIC.




I personally did not agree with having the teams load balls into their robot on the field, but thats just me. I also heard a rumor "if your team isn't in the queing area by the time it moves to the on deck boxes, then you will not play that match"

[Beth Sweet]

Originally Posted by bbguy5

Beth I think you are talking about the music at the social. I too was a little shocked to hear uncensored music at the social, a lot of us looked at each other and said "UH OH"

Or did they do it at both places?

I heard it at least on Thursday for sure. I believe the phrase mother... was said at least twice in one song, much to the dismay of both the mom chaperones and myself.

[Ken Leedle]

Positive
-35 min from home
-helpful volunteers and judges when we needed stuff
-ran very smoothly
-large pits
-few music repeats (but profanity is not GP)
-MC was awesome
Negative
-had to lift robot cart over large bump between the pits and the field
-limited access to the stands
-few garbage cans in the pits
-food and parking was $$$

Congrats on making a great regional!!!