What to Expect at Nationals

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Sean Marks

I know its early to be talking about it. But as a rookie team going to Nationals, i wanted to see what to expect.
Is it like Regionals?
Is it Completely different?
Any shared experiences will be greatly appreciated. Stories are fun to hear too.

P.S. I know how it runs with 4 divisions eventually ending in 1 Final. My question is more on what to expect.

Thanks in Advance,
Sean

1. At the Championship, you graduate from basketball/hockey arenas to an NFL Stadium - Atlanta's Georgia Dome. Five full FIRST fields are set up on the dome floor. The central field is Einstein, where the "Final Four" takes place at the end of the competition.
2. Get ready for a lot more walking - some of it outside, but the weather is usually nice. If it does rain, however, it will rain A LOT!!!!
3. The Championship Wrap Party "team social" is held at Centennial Olympic Park on Saturday, immediately after the competition has ended. It is a great time with lots of food, performances, a really, really good fireworks show against a scenic downtown backdrop, inflatable games (boxing, bungee races, pugil stick battles - stuff like that), and other goodies. It's a nice way to end the weekend with all the other teams.
4. Each division is named after a famous scientist - Archimedes, Newton, Curie, and Galileo. Each division holds typically between 70-80 teams, and divisional play is conducted exactly like a normal regional. Because of the huge number of teams in each division, be prepared for fewer matches than you'd expect at a typical regional - make each match count!
5. FIRST typically assigns divisions by ordering the Championship team list by team number and counting off 1, 2, 3, 4.....1, 2, 3, 4.....and so on until the divisional lists are filled. They will release the list sometime after the last regional has played (a week or so afterwards, IIRC) and all qualifying teams are given a chance to register and pay for their events.
6. The overall quality of the teams attending the Championship will be nothing like you've seen at most regionals. Divisional team lists will be filled with great veterans and impressive rookies. A much higher percentage of matches will be competitive.
7. The pits for all teams are set up in the Georgia World Congress Center convention hall, which is right next to the Georgia Dome. Each division has its own section of the hall, color coded by divider curtains. Nothing prepares you for the first time you see over 280 pits and robots together in the same place. You are free to walk throughout the hall to any divisional area, but ALWAYS be aware of your team's schedule and don't lose track of time, especially if you are on a drive team or pit crew!
8. For those who may be tied to the pits most of the competition, FIRST provides a video feed of each field, as well as a continuously-updated rankings list, so you can follow the action from the pit area if you have to miss a match or two.
9. If you are fortunate enough to make the divisional elims, the distance between the pits and field makes it impossible to go back and forth swapping batteries and such, so make sure you bring all essential batteries, chargers, tools, spare parts, etc. with you to the dome floor. Only so many people will be allowed around the field during elims - your entire drive team, your coach, and typically 3 designated team members who must wear a "Pit Crew" sticker. Power is typically supplied to teams behind the curtains on each field, but bring plenty of power strips! Your team should really plan ahead for the best case scenario and be ready to roll in case you seed as a picking team or are picked by another team.
10. Someone else's turn......