A little note about the prediction and who is best threads...

[Don Wright]

A little hint to everyone...

It doesn't matter what someone thinks about your robot, or even what you did at xyz Regional. You can post endless videos and talk yourself up until you're blue in the face...

It only matters what you do with your robot Friday and Saturday morning. You'll either dominate and be in position to control your own destiny, or you'll make people take notice and they will hopefully want you in their alliance.

I suggest you read these threads as amusement, get some rest (or practice), and get ready for an exciting weekend!

If anything, us the scouting as a way to find some things that maybe you want to see while you are in Atlanta because you might want to do something like it in future years.

Talk to the teams that have the swerve drive you've always wanted to try to learn about what they learned so you don't make the same mistakes. Or find out how a team does their programming. Or find out what some teams do for their Chairmans Award if you are thinking about really competing for it next year. Bring a memory stick and see how much code you can get or how many Solidworks or Inventor models you can leave with.

It's obvious that we all like to talk...and really like to talk about our robots. So use it to seek out those designs that interest you and make it not only a fun and exciting experience, but a learning one as well.

Nobody can guarantee what teams will leave with an award or a division win, especially a championship win. But I can guarantee, with 100% certainty, that you can learn a TON in these 3 short days...and have a blast doing it. And I bet you'll make some great friends along the way.

Don't waste the opportunity because you were too focused on "winning" the championship.

[/soapbox]

[BandChick]

Thank you for this post!

Sure, it's always nice to get recognition in a thread about your division, but right now, it's all talk! Now is your opportunity to go out there and prove to thousands of people just how good your machine can be. Show them all the things that you love about your accomplishments, about how well you can operate as a team. This weekend is about putting your best foot forward and learning something from everyone else you encounter.

Have FUN this weekend, work hard, but play harder! Remember, this is supposed to be the celebration of the 6 weeks of hard work you've ALREADY put in! Good luck teams!

[Bharat Nain]

Don is right. Don't be so hell-bent on "winning" the championship that you don't have fun. The Championship event is a time to network, make new friends, look at other robots, meet different college advisor's and get scholarship information, attend workshops, meet people from different companies, establish friendly relationships with other teams around the country etc. It is most definitely one of my best weekends of the year. Hope it is the same for you.

[Ben Martin]

Very, very well put.

The Championship is great fun, and your robot doesn't necessarily have to win in order for you to have a good time. In all the years I've been on Cyber Blue, my team has never passed the quarterfinals. However, I have a great time each year.

The Championship is great. Let's all have some fun competing with robots.

[Mark Pierce]

Originally Posted by Don Wright

Don't waste the opportunity because you were too focused on "winning" the championship.
[/soapbox]

Well put. I'll add don't waste the opportunity because it's so comfortable to just sit in the stands or hang out with your team all week. Get up and enjoy being with all these great people. Talk and play with other teams. Learn from them and share your experiences. Visit the suppliers showcase and scholarship tables, check out the FLL and Vex areas, and walk through the Hall of Fame displays. Take a turn in the pit showing off your robot and talking about your team. It just might become the highlight of your weekend when someone compliments your robot or your team.

If FIRST is about anything, it's about getting society out of it's comfort zone. Let's all commit to taking advantage of this incredible oportunity this week.

[SSMike]

Couldn't have said it better myself. Well Done.
Winning is important, but it is more important to come together as a FIRST community at Championships. I think that its better to create friends and memories than to win a trophy.

Also it is fun to read the prediction threads but I also use them for scouting, to see clips of what robots can do and to see who might just be a diamond in the rough.

[wsansewjs]

Like A Pizza. . .

When FIRST's competition part is the bread/dough, values and ourselves are the sauces, cheese, and toppings that makes it yummy!

So lets make the Championship the best PIZZA for everyone!

-Josh S.

[Tom Line]

I have to agree.

I made a HUGE mistake this year. I had my head so buried in the programming side and the pit support that I missed nearly every match but our own. I also never got to walk through the pits and take pictures of, you guessed it, swerve drives.

During I second Regional I did get to take a breather and see a couple extra matches - but we didn't make it to Atlanta and now I feel like all our season became was an extra long build season.

So especially for you programmers, pit crew, and drive teams. Take a deep breath. This is a once in a life time event for many of you guys. ENJOY it!

[SSMike]

Sorry for the Sidetack but...

Originally Posted by Tom Line

I have to agree.

I made a HUGE mistake this year. I had my head so buried in the programming side and the pit support that I missed nearly every match but our own. I also never got to walk through the pits and take pictures of, you guessed it, swerve drives.

During I second Regional I did get to take a breather and see a couple extra matches - but we didn't make it to Atlanta and now I feel like all our season became was an extra long build season.

So especially for you programmers, pit crew, and drive teams. Take a deep breath. This is a once in a life time event for many of you guys. ENJOY it!

You didn't get any pictures!? What regionals did you go to? I'm sure that I could ask around and find some pictures for you if you want. Just PM me.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Personally, I use the prediction threads as entertainment. Sort of like Fantasy FIRST. It also gives me an outlet to openly and "theatrically" display my team's abilities. See this post.

I had a lot of fun writing that post. Sure, it may be annoying to some, but I'll never be not-annoying to everyone.

[Brandon Holley]

Good Post!


I would just like to add that EVERYONE works hard on there respective (and sometimes not even their respective) machines. Everyone IS out there to have fun and hopefully win. I think promoting your team on here is great, but like said above don't go crazy trying to win the championship.

Go out there, and make your robot perform to the best of its ability. Talk to teams and see if you are being noticed...if not, tell them to watch a match of yours. DO NOT make this your ultimate goal though. I lost track of how many competitions I've been too over the years (its a ton), and I have been in every possible position. From #1 to dead last...high expectations, to low expectations, and the best way to go is to expect the best of your robot. If the stars don't align for you, don't take it the wrong way, come back next year and prove the doubters wrong...see everyone out there.

[Vogel648]

I'm all for telling people that they missed a great robot. People put up predictions that they think are right, I put up a counter-prediction I think is right. No one should be offended by this.

Also, going onto the first practice matches(though I know practice matches don't mean much) the only thing you have to go on is this preknowledge of what teams are good and do what, for those matches to know what you're up against, it is important to have some basis of knowledge when you get there.

[Kevin Ray]

Ditto to all previous posts. Finally, someone said what many of us have been thinking--just do it.

My absolute favorite part of the whole season--from kickoff to Championship finals is Thursday morning as I stroll about the pits and see how everyone solved the same problem I had, in a more innovative, efficient and simpler way. It's even more enjoyable when they've done better than what we thought was the best solution. I've stolen more ideas that way (oops, I meant borrowed). I really enjoy seeing other bots--especially those who have dared to be different.

Even though we'll probably only get 6 or 7 matches at most at the Championships, we were more than happy to spend all the money it took to get here; The experience for the students is priceless!