First Time in Atlanta

[Overyourhead]

Hey,

Congrats on getting to Georgia.My team will be there also! Here are some of my answers to your questions.


How big is Georgia Dome and the rest of the venue at the championships?
- It's pretty big, the first year I went there(I've been there 2 times) it was pretty overwhelming. There are often signs everywhere, and event staff everywhere to ask directions, so getting lost shouldn't be a problem. As the championship gets closer FIRST will post maps and directions on the main sight, you will also get them emailed to you.


How much will I be running around from field to field?
- Not entirely that much.You really only go to the dome when you have a match. You will be in the pits the rest of the time. It takes about 8 minutes to walk from the pits to the dome, depending on how much human/robot traffic there is.



The event is 3 days, there's 100 teams, approximately how long do I have between matches? How many matches will I get?
-You are FTC. The event is actually only 2 days long. Only the FRC competition is 3 days. The first day will be opening ceremonies, judging, practice matches and qualifying matches, and some awards are given. The teams are split into 2 divisions (Franklin and Edison) of 50. I believe we had about 7 matches last year, not counting the finals.


Do I have time to visit some friends around Atlanta? We're leaving on the 18th and arriving on the 14th.
-If your friends are in the Dome also yes you should. You will be very busy if it is just you and your dad. You will have the 18th all to your self. My team normally catches up on all the sleep that we missed in the previous 2 days. Then we head over to the Georgia Dome to watch the FRC final matches on Edison. I don't know what time you are leaving on the 18th but you may want to stick around for the after party. Last years was pretty awesome.


Will I have time to peak over at the FLL and FRC field?
-I would like t say yes, but you have a tiny team of just 2. You are going to be so busy you will be pulling your hair out. I suggest your father stay in the stands and scout. When you compete he can come down and coach or take pictures. On the third day FTC doesn't compete so you can watch the FRC games all you want, you can also go into the pits. The FRC pits are crazy, there are kids elbow to elbow, robots everywhere and trains or robots being queued. It's definitely worth taking a trip through, just stay out of the way.


We're taking an FTC robot and a big storage unit across the border, has anybody ever had any problems crossing the border (I've never crossed the border by car, not sure exactly how it works)?
-My team drives down from Rhode Island, it's about 18-19 hours of driving, so we don't have a problem. Border patrol may ask to see the robot. If they do ask I suggest you be very nice to them, perhaps you could print out some information about the competition from the FIRST website to show them. I have heard stories of team that ship their robots and when they arrive TSA essentially striped their robot down because the micro controller may look suspicious.


Anything I should know? I know I'm forgetting a whole bunch of questions I have.
There is so much you should know.
1.)I don't know what hotel you are staying at but we took our robot back to the hotel everyday. This means in the morning you will need the elevator. Wake up early because the elevators are always packed. WE stayed at the Marriott Marquis last year we had to wake up about 15 minutes earlier so make sure we could grab an elevator.
2.) Last year the Georgia Aquarium closed down it's doors the the public and only FIRST students and mentors could get in at half price. I suggest you go to this. I believe it is the worlds biggest aquarium(I may be wrong) and with thousands of FIRST kids it's a great place to meet kids.
3.)I'm not sure how old you are but if you are interested in College Scholarships there is an entire hall dedicated to colleges and industries that give out millions of dollars in scholarships. They'll give you more information at the competition.
4.) Wear comfortable shoes.
5.) Don't leave valuables in your hotel, there were many stories of hotel staff stealing money from luggage last year. If you don't need your laptop don't bring it. If you do bring valuables, call your hotel ahead of time and see if there are hotel safes in the rooms.
6.) If you stay in the Marriott Marquis on the second night there is usually a party for FIRST kids. It is thrown by another FRC team ( sorry, I forget what team throws it). There is usually a thread made closer to the competition date about the party.
7.) Explore Atlanta. It's a great city. It can get sketchy at night, but there are often cops around the hotels because of the amount of kids there. You are safe as long as you stay on main-well lit roads.
8.) Three words. Hard Rock Cafe.
9.) My team has never gone to the World of Coke, maybe this year. I hear mixed reviews about it. Maybe others who have gone will leave there opinions of it.
10.) The after party is a blast. And it has lots of food, games and entertainment.
11.) BRING BRING BRING some type of cart to push your robot in as you walk to the Dome. Even the lightest robot will feel like it weighs a million pounds.
12.)Have fun.


I'm sure I am missing things to. Hopefully others will leave their opinions too. PM me if you have any questions.