What Do You Think About Teams Winning More Than One?

[Alex_Miller]

I think that if you win one award in a regional, then go onto the next regional you should not be able to win that award again at another regional (unless it's like winning the regional or something like that). This way it gives more recognition to more teams (this is true for Chairmans and Woody Flowers, right?)

[JesseK]

These are just rumors, but let's look at two case studies that seem very logical to how judging works out:

Case A:
Bluabot and Redabot have the most magificent and simple launcher you've ever seen. Both teams display and demonstrate this to the judges. Redabot also has a stupendous business plan for team sustainability that no other team at the regional can match. Hence, in the judges room, most judges are able to justify giving bluabot a technical award since redabot obviously deserves the entreprenuership award.

Case B:
Redabot and Bluabot are rivals at it again at a different regional. Redabot brings back their business plan and launcher but bluabot has trouble repairing theirs for demonstration to the judges. In the judges eyes, no team can touch redabot for entrepreneurship and now it also appears they clearly have the superior launcher. Since no other team compares to redabot at the regional for entrepreneurship and for innovation, redabot receives both awards.

Also, from what I've heard, judging goes a bit differently at different events. I've seen judges who are interested in only a certain aspect of the team, and I've seen judges who are interested in every aspect of a team. I've seen little "dots" indicating a team has already been judged on an aspect of a team (hence no other judge stops by for that aspect) and I've seen a team swarmed by judges throughout the day because they're all interested in seeing the team from every angle. Both scenarios have happened to us in the last 3 years at 5 different competition locations -- VCU, Vegas, Palmetto, Philly, and then the championships. Usually the awards we've won have been secondary to the team doing what we do normally, which is to try to be competitive while projecting a professional image and conveying our core team values. For teams that win multiple awards, we applaud them twice as much

[JesseK]

Originally Posted by MasterAlex

I think that if you win one award in a regional, then go onto the next regional you should not be able to win that award again at another regional (unless it's like winning the regional or something like that). This way it gives more recognition to more teams (this is true for Chairmans and Woody Flowers, right?)

You may only submit chairman's at one regional. However, your team may be SO deserving of an award at two events that clearly the inspiration you give to other teams needs to be recognized at both events.

[waialua359]

Everything is subjective to a point where judges are all humans, and where one judge thinks someone/something is the most outstanding, may differ at another regional.
Its like anything else in life......sports, academics, interviews, etc. etc. etc.

Unless FIRST deemed it illegal to enter more than one regional event, every team at every regional should be allowed to compete for awards, with the exception of awards that can be only entered at one.....WFA, CA, etc.

The only exception we will make personally, is not entering our CA at the same regional, if we already have won it. Its not that we think we can win again, its just that other teams rightfully deserving of the award, can have an opportunity without having a previous winner in the mix.

[Tom Hand]

I was a judge and I can tell you we worked VERY VERY hard to "spread the wealth". As pointed out, some awards are not judged that day or weekend.

FIRST truly stresses strongly to be fair to all and I was very proud that at ours, it worked great. Some teams still did win multiple awards but again, they earned them in competition or by other things (WF award, RCA, etc.).
Tom