2011 Greater Toronto Regional

[Jared Russell]

The natural question is, will the East and West Champions get to play one another (even if it is unofficial and doesn't result in any more trophies)?

[dodar]

They totally should and they should get like a Grand Toronto Champion, but instead of another gold, Platinum lol

[KrazyCarl92]

Originally Posted by dodar

They totally should and they should get like a Grand Toronto Champion, but instead of another gold, Platinum lol

I think they should. Even if the overall Toronto championship "means nothing" (in terms of qualification for the Champs in St. Louis) and all 6 (or 8?) teams would qualify regardless, it would certainly be worth it to have the two regional winnners compete for if nothing more bragging rights. It would be all the more interesting if it wound up being 1114 and their alliance v 2056 and their alliance...

[dodar]

or the "overall champions" could get next years payment paid for automatically, like IRI does, for either Toronto East or Toronto West

[Karthik]

This season's event will be the 10th Greater Toronto Regional. This was the first FIRST event played outside the United States back in 2002 and has been home to of the most memorable moments in FIRST history. This year's event will be a double regional, with two separate regional events happening in the same building. We're expecting at least 80 teams at the Hershey Centre for this three day extravaganza.

To help celebrate the event's 10th anniversary, we're hoping that some of our friends from down south will make the trip up for what we expect to be the most exciting events of the 2011 season. The event has always been supported by some of the top American teams and we'd love to see that tradition continue!

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by KrazyCarl92

I think they should. Even if the overall Toronto championship "means nothing" (in terms of qualification for the Champs in St. Louis) and all 6 (or 8?) teams would qualify regardless, it would certainly be worth it to have the two regional winnners compete for if nothing more bragging rights. It would be all the more interesting if it wound up being 1114 and their alliance v 2056 and their alliance...

This idea has kicked around with the Minnesota Regoinals for awhile, but it apparently takes too much effort to plan / staff / officiate such an event just for fun. Granted that event would take teams crossing the street, but still, I wouldn't get your hopes up.

I'd LOVE to tell you all 2791's going to GTR, but it's not in the cards financial wise this year.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Karthik

This season's event will be the 10th Greater Toronto Regional. This was the first FIRST event played outside the United States back in 2002 and has been home to of the most memorable moments in FIRST history. This year's event will be a double regional, with two separate regional events happening in the same building. We're expecting at least 80 teams at the Hershey Centre for this three day extravaganza.

To help celebrate the event's 10th anniversary, we're hoping that some of our friends from down south will make the trip up for what we expect to be the most exciting events of the 2011 season. The event has always been supported by some of the top American teams and we'd love to see that tradition continue!

Well it looks like you guys got a team from WAY down south in Mexico to come.

[Racer26]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

This idea has kicked around with the Minnesota Regoinals for awhile, but it apparently takes too much effort to plan / staff / officiate such an event just for fun. Granted that event would take teams crossing the street, but still, I wouldn't get your hopes up.

I'd LOVE to tell you all 2791's going to GTR, but it's not in the cards financial wise this year.

I really doubt it would be THAT difficult to bring up FMS with any 6 teams to play 3 matches on one of the two fields that will be there for fun after the regional is "officially" over. Even if you used FMSLite to create a separate mini-event consisting of those 6 teams alone.

It couldn't be that hard when the fields, staff, and teams are all there already, under one roof.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by 1075guy

I really doubt it would be THAT difficult to bring up FMS with any 6 teams to play 3 matches on one of the two fields that will be there for fun after the regional is "officially" over. Even if you used FMSLite to create a separate mini-event consisting of those 6 teams alone.

It couldn't be that hard when the fields, staff, and teams are all there already, under one roof.

I'm more thinking getting 6 refs, field reset, moving 3 whole teams of stands across to other stands, moving the robots, maybe repairing them, and starting another match when a lot of the teams are trying to leave that would be a big deal.

[Racer26]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

I'm more thinking getting 6 refs, field reset, moving 3 whole teams of stands across to other stands, moving the robots, maybe repairing them, and starting another match when a lot of the teams are trying to leave that would be a big deal.

have you seen the setup that GTR has used for the past few years?

Its been much like championship, in that the pits were housed in the next ice pad over from the fields. For the elimination rounds, they've brought the elimination teams out from the pits, onto the ice pad with the field, and left the pits for the teams packing up. Its held in an Ontario Hockey League arena, capable of seating several thousand. Finding seating hasn't been an issue before with upwards of 80 teams on one field. I don't think it would be an issue when you split that over 2 fields.

It seems easy enough to me, with a minimum of disruption. There may well be factors I'm failing to consider though.

[Alex Cormier]

Originally Posted by 1075guy

It seems easy enough to me, with a minimum of disruption. There may well be factors I'm failing to consider though.

For instance, during the awards ceremony the field is already well underway of being broken down.

[Jonathan Norris]

Originally Posted by Karibou

Since they are separate events, teams will be able to compete in only one regional - you can't sign up for two events in the same week. But they should be able to choose which one they attend - I can't imagine that FIRST would want to get into the whole geography battle that it would take to segregate teams based on location.

I believe its been said that you can sign up for either event, and once all the teams have been set the teams will then be randomized into two separate regionals.

I'm personally excited to see how the two regionals play out, its nice not having to scout 80+ teams in one super regional. Hopefully the amazing atmosphere that was the former GTR Super Regionals returns. I would also like to put out the call to get as many of our American Friends to come celebrate 10 years of great competition at GTR!

[EricH]

Jonathan, Bill's Blog stated that teams could sign up for any regional, but FRC reserved the right to equalize the double regionals such that they weren't all rookies, or so that the regionals had about the same number of teams. (From http://frcdirector.blogspot.com/2010...efore-you.html )

As regards having a "championship" match at double regionals, Alex is correct. By the time awards are over, teams just want to get out of there. The only people that want to get out of there more than the teams are the volunteers, and the FTA and teardown crew don't leave until the truck is being loaded, or in the FTA's case, has left fully loaded. If half the crew has to stay an extra half-hour or so due to teams playing more, I don't think the road cases, and therefore the truck, will get loaded as fast.

As it is, teams wanting pictures on the official field have to do it quickly, because the field is coming down around them as they do it.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by EricH

Jonathan, Bill's Blog stated that teams could sign up for any regional, but FRC reserved the right to equalize the double regionals such that they weren't all rookies, or so that the regionals had about the same number of teams. (From http://frcdirector.blogspot.com/2010...efore-you.html )

I wonder to what extent they will do this. Is it just a "okay a few of you go over here" kind of thing, or drastic measures like "we're splitting up 1114 and 2056, have fun kids"? The latter I'd be much less okay with; if my team was going to an event with a friend team we'd like to compete with them...

I guess I'm skeptical of the precedent.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

I wonder to what extent they will do this. Is it just a "okay a few of you go over here" kind of thing, or drastic measures like "we're splitting up 1114 and 2056, have fun kids"? The latter I'd be much less okay with; if my team was going to an event with a friend team we'd like to compete with them...

I guess I'm skeptical of the precedent.

The precedent has yet to be set. My guess is that they'd contact some of the teams in the target group (rookies, teams in GTR West/East) and ask them one-on-one to switch competitions before doing an enforced random draw/deliberate splitup (though I must say, most of the GTR teams would probably love it if 1114 was in East and 2056 in West, or vice versa).