Medals or pins--A poll

[Andrew Schreiber]

Pin for participation, the everyone is a winner philosophy cheapens winning. Bronze medal implies 3rd place and a team that went 0-8 shouldn't get a medal implying 3rd place.

[Richard Wallace]

I like pins. They are smaller, brighter, and more versatile. Pin 'em to your hat, collar, sleeve, lanyard, badge, scarf, necktie, etc.

And a supply of pins sufficient for one regional event is fairly easy to manage, from the freight handlers' perspective^*. As a volunteer who has been responsible for FRC event shipments, I support making those shipments lighter whenever we can do so, while maintaining high standards for the FRC experience.

^* Anyone who has handled one of the Medallion Cases at an FRC event knows what I mean. Those things are VERY heavy, and have been known to cause problems if they get loose on a truck, or crash into something at the event venue.

[EricH]

Chris, I know. I realized that after I'd put the poll up. I was thinking like the current RCA/CA pins.

As for medals, of course you'd keep the gold/silver ones in place.

[David Brinza]

I think pins similar to the mentor or volunteer pins would be fine. They are certainly more "wearable" and safer than medals dangling from a ribbon.

Having the year and FRC game title on the pin would be a nice touch.

[Chris is me]

Everyone's a winner is poor word choice, really. I think the idea is that a medal is a better physical representation of what you've accomplished as a team.

[JackN]

Pin, cheaper, more unique and more interesting. I would collect pins from past seasons which you can't really do with medals. Also, you could wear pins to a comp which you can't do with medals (at least not comfortably) .

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

Pin for participation, the everyone is a winner philosophy cheapens winning.

Giving someone an "I was there" trinket is not cheapening anything. Is winning and losing so important that we forget why this program exists in the first place? Hint: it has nothing to do with building robots or entering them in competition. A participation trinket is a recognition that you got off the couch, dropped the video game controller, and CHOSE to do something amazing -- even if your robot didn't win a trophy. I don't think it has anything to do with "everyone's a winner."

In my own program, I feel the awarding of participation recognition does nothing to lessen the feeling of achievement that the kids in Exothermic Robotics have in successfully building robots and winning 25+ trophies in the last three years. I haven't polled all of them, but I'd bet a nickel that the kids in our program wouldn't even care about the question, let alone the answer.

[GarrettF2395]

I voted for pins (buttons) because I have 2 medals from previous years...
Even though I bet they are more intriguing to look at then a pin...
Thats really all there're good for, being looked at.
You can't really wear them, you can't tote them around with you comfortably, and trading them is kinda pointless...
Plus all they really represent, is the fact that you competed in a FIRST competition, and that we are all winners in some way.

But can't a pin mean exactly the same thing?
Maybe even more so then a medal?
The lunacy medals only gave the year,
The pins could have the year, theme, maybe even the regional it was awarded at?
Plus, you could trade them outside of FIRST events for non-FIRST pins, and help spread awareness about FIRST.
I think a Pin would be a much better idea, under one condition...
They can't be some cheap little pin, where you have to squint to read what it says.
If FIRST switches to pins, they need to be THE GREATEST PINS EVER!

I also think FIRST could give out award pins to teams that won awards during the competition, along with stickers they can put on their robot, saying that the robot won the :blank: award at the :blank: regional.
(Think robot bumper stickers)
But thats just my $0.02

(actually that was more like a $1.50. Sorry if I over did it )

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by GarrettF2395

I also think FIRST could give out award pins to teams that won awards during the competition, along with stickers they can put on their robot, saying that the robot won the :blank: award at the :blank: regional.

Currently they give out pins for winning the chairmans award. Chris is me posted a link to a picture that has the chairmans pin in it, second to the bottom.

But it would be cool if some not all of the awards come with pins. Like winners, engineering inspiration winners, and maybe the finalists.

My $0.02

[ATannahill]

I didn't know about the bronze medals during my first regional last year. I remember how I felt when we packed up the pit after we were elimanted. It was probably the best feeling I've ever had. When I heard about the participation medal I considered asking my coach if we had any left, but I was weary about it because I didn't feel it carried much weight.

Now I look at the gold and silver medal I have from the season this year. They make me feel gratified, like I accomplished something. The pit crew button I have on them reminds me I worked hard to get them. I look at the pin the whole team got for having plenty of safety tokens, again I know I worked for it.

I do not feel that I needed that bronze medal from last year, and know that I didn't lose anything from not getting it. My team and I earned these awards and I am proud to have them. I do not like the idea of participation medals, I have gotten 6 participation trophies in bowling yet they don't mean anything to me while I can look at the trophy I got from winning the 2007 season and feel proud of myself and my teammates. Like Mr. Lim said I for one wouldn't bat an eyelash if these medals were to disappear next year. Am I wrong for thinking only winners should get awards? I hope none of you will look negatively upon me or my team for having an opinion.

[Robert Cawthon]

Lets make the bronze medal a third place medal (maybe for both teams eliminated in the semi's) and give pins to everyone, even those who got gold and silver medals.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Rick TYler

Giving someone an "I was there" trinket is not cheapening anything. Is winning and losing so important that we forget why this program exists in the first place? Hint: it has nothing to do with building robots or entering them in competition. A participation trinket is a recognition that you got off the couch, dropped the video game controller, and CHOSE to do something amazing -- even if your robot didn't win a trophy. I don't think it has anything to do with "everyone's a winner."

In my own program, I feel the awarding of participation recognition does nothing to lessen the feeling of achievement that the kids in Exothermic Robotics have in successfully building robots and winning 25+ trophies in the last three years. I haven't polled all of them, but I'd bet a nickel that the kids in our program wouldn't even care about the question, let alone the answer.

Medals are not a trinket, in nearly every other competition a bronze medal denotes third place. I am fine with a "I was there" trinket but not giving out an "I was there" medal.

[NorviewsVeteran]

I like the medals, and here's why.

You put on a pin, and people can miss it in the fold of a shirt or see it upside down on a hat.

You WEAR a medal, and you remember you're wearing that medal, partly because people see it and maybe ask you where you got it.

I think that is part of the R in FIRST.

[Stormnnormn]

I thinks pins would be interesting.

Also: While FIRST is not about winning, the competition aspect is what is attracting NEW people to science and technology. After all, FIRST is the Foundation for the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. If we lose the competition aspect, we will likely lose some inspiration and recognition.