Championship Disappointment

[Rickertsen2]

First off i do not mean to downplay the efforts that went into planning the nationals. I am merely expressing my individual opinions.

Today Was my team's first time ever attending the championships and i must say i am disappointed. I was expecting the same sort of environment as our regional only bigger and better. At regionals there is a sense of community and connectness which i am just not feeling. Everything is very spread out and chaotic. The pit announcements are garbled. It feels like a large city in which one is surrounded by millions but interacts with no one. After a while all the robots seem the same. I can't quite pinpoint why, but nationals just arn't very special to me. A number of factors arn't coming together to form the experience i know as FIRST. I am hoping that tomorrow, things will be more organized and out team more energized with a new outlook. Maybie i am just burnt out when it comes to FIRST. I was expecting something grand, and this is definately grand but only in size. I would really like to hear how other people feel. I know that i am probably in the minority.

[sanddrag]

Very interesting. I've never been. Perhaps you could elaborate on what factors lead to your disappointment.

[DonRotolo]

I found that it definitely does take more effort at the Championship. But, everyone is feeling that way, so reach out to the teams next to you, behind you, across from you. Make a greater effort.

By the time Saturday comes along, you'll feel the warm fuzzies...

Don

[Darkforces]

How about the game being changed from aim high to push match 2006

[Beth Sweet]

The Championship is quite a bit different from regionals. Be that its charm or its funny taste is left to you to decide.

Personally, I always preferred it. Mind you I go to the university in the US with the largest student population...

Yes, the environment is very different, however you can make it a little bit smaller. Go around your hotel this evening, or better (so as not to disturb non-robot teams) have a mentor ask the front desk for the room numbers of other robotics teams staying at your hotel. Get together with them and have an outing, go play in the pool.

Regionals force closeness, the Championship allows it. I hope that your experience isn't soured entirely by the large-scale environment of the event!

[Jherbie53]

It's probably just the practice day, they are always a little slower. By tomorrow or Saturday you should feel more connected. Yes it's big, and a bit of a pain to go from the stands to the pits, but just start looking for any teams that might need some help. The matches tomorrow will get everyone fired up and energized.

[KenWittlief]

You spend 6 weeks building your robot, then you ship it off...

at the 1st regional you attend there is a lot of anticipation and excitement, the first time you get to see how your team did compared to everyone else

and there is the added drama of winning a local regional and getting to attend the championship

so, yes - much of that is behind you by the time you get to the championship. The championship is different - its on a different level, with people from all around the world.

[looks at watch] its still only thursday - let us know how you feel sunday morning :^)

[jdhawg]

Well, our team isn't at the Championship this time around, but after attending the past two years, here's what I think.

Regional competitions tend to feel quite a bit like a close-knit family reunion. You are seeing people you haven't talked to in a year, and it's a chance to catch up, reminisce with those teams you partnered with in the finals from previous years, and meet the new babies (Rookie Teams) in the family. Sure, there's the cranky old Aunt or the Uncle that shows up drunk, but you love them anyway. (Wait a minute, maybe that was at my last family reunion!)

The Championship event is like working for someone a month, then going to the company picnic with several hundred people you might have seen across the way, but never had a chance to talk to before. You will feel lonely and out of place if you just sit there eating chicken and not talking to people.

Here's some ideas for meeting new people and teams. If you stay in the pits, talk to your neighbors. I like to walk around and find people who are in their pit with the robot gone to the field. Strike up a conversation and you never know what kind of really neat people you might meet like that. If you are in the stands, look for a team with only a couple of people there and start cheering with them when they are on the field. Their drive team will wonder what's going on when there's suddenly a roar from the stands when the team is introduced instead of the squeak they are used to.

[Will Hanashiro]

I'm with Jherbie on this one... today was only a practice day, and it'll only get better. I've always found Thursdays to be slow, but there will be much more excitement tomorrow... starting off with the amazing opening ceremony, and concluding with the event finals.

[StephLee]

Originally Posted by Beth Sweet

Get together with them and have an outing, go play in the pool.

This is an excellent idea. Centennial park makes a great place to play ultimate frisbee; we spent an hour or so there with Buzz tonight. It was a blast.

Also, try randomly talking to teams. It's a good way to make friends when it's not happening on its own. Come over to 1629's pit in Curie and say hi; most of us are pretty friendly.

[Steve W]

I have always found the Championships to be very hectic. That said I have met more people and made more friends and finally met people that I have only "met" on CD. Make sure that you go to the web hug AND introduce yourself. I also make it a point to visit every team in at least my division. When there I only have Thursday because I usually am announcing. Because I visit every team I find that a lot of the teams come up and say hi when they start playing on the field.

Make an effort to meet others. It is well worth it!!! Wish I were there !!!!!

OOPPSSS Web hug is over. Another idea is to meet up with other team for dinner. I have always crashed team meals and have felt welcome.

[Lil' Lavery]

It's only as distant as you make it. It is completely different from regionals, especially smaller ones like the Peachtree regional that you're used to (45 teams may not be that small, but the venue is fitting of a "smaller" regional, and forces that feeling). Go out, talk to other teams, hand around in the stand or the pits, etc.
It is alot more free if you have the ability to roam, but that isn't always the case, especially if you're on the pit crew or drive team. But when you have the oppurtunity, go around and watch other teams compete, talk to other pit/drive crews, talk to other cheering sections, etc. Find people you know if you're more comfortable with that. It's a big event, but you can find your small little world within it.
And it's just Thursday. I have never liked Thursday, so much stress and so little to show for it. (Well, and my Thursday in Richmond this year I was vomiting, that never helps ). Everything that can go wrong, seems to on Thursday. Teams skip practice matches, and the fact that they don't actually matter means that the matches tend to be dull. Tons of scouting work to do if you're a coach/scout. Repairs galore if you're pit crew. Unpacking your crate, setting up your pit, etc etc etc=TONS of work.
Wait for friday and saturday. Just being able to watch the Einstein finals in person is a reward in itself. The level of play is extraordinary, above anywhere else you will ever find (yes, even IRI).
Yeah, the "commutes" between the pits and the stands/field are a pain. Yeah, its HUGE. Yeah, it's high pressure. But that's all part of what makes it great. Just wait and you'll see.

[yodameister]

My only disappointment with Nationals so far is that the teams are lined up in numerical order, meaning that all of the rookies (like us) are all in a row together. I would like to see the teams mixed up a bit.

[KenWittlief]

Originally Posted by yodameister

My only disappointment with Nationals so far is that the teams are lined up in numerical order, meaning that all of the rookies (like us) are all in a row together. I would like to see the teams mixed up a bit.

with 300 teams there, that is the only way anyone can find specific teams in the pits, they start at Team 1 at one end...

[UlTiMaTeP]

I could not understand one pit annoucement