Registration 2011

[Meredith Novak]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

Why didn't you register for Alamo when your rookie teams did to be sure you all went to the same place?

Have you contacted the Alamo Regional Director and explained the situation linking you to the other Arkansas rookies? Alamo has a lot of space, so it may not become a problem.

You have quite a mentoring challenge with the rookies so widespread.

We are required by our corporate sponsor, Baxter Healthcare, to attend the Midwest Regional (sponsored by Baxter Healthcare), so we have to sign up for that first - good thing since it filled up.

I sent an email to FIRST HQ and contacted the Alamo regional folks before I got waitlisted to let them know what was going on. The local Alamo people did not know FIRST was going to do this. They are doing all they can to get us in. I have yet to get an answer from FIRST HQ.

The 3 AR rookies will be JCP teams and that is why I instructed them to register for Alamo. I did not dream they would shut out the mentor veteran team!

It has been a very stressful situation all around. No one told us about the rookie grants available to AR even though I asked directly about the JCP money for our area. I scratched around and got these 3 teams to register and got a grant submitted in a 2 day period on the weekend after the deadline had passed for the grants.

These new teams have been so tough through all of this. If they are half as good at being a robot team as they have been in this gearing up quickly process, they will be a force! I am so proud of them.

[Mark McLeod]

Originally Posted by Meredith Novak

These new teams have been so tough through all of this. If they are half as good at being a robot team as they have been in this gearing up quickly process, they will be a force! I am so proud of them.

A little too much trial by fire just to get started.
No one needs that kind of stress.

I'm sure the Alamo folks will get you registered. There's always room to squeeze another pit in.

[Meredith Novak]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

A little too much trial by fire just to get started.
No one needs that kind of stress.

I'm sure the Alamo folks will get you registered. There's always room to squeeze another pit in.

I expect they will get us in, but it has been very frustrating and hard on my team. I haven't even told the rookies about it. Maybe we can have a good laugh about it in San Antonio.

We could have had many more teams in Arkansas if I had known about the grants that were set aside for us. It has been an emotionally crushing few weeks.

[Mark McLeod]

No big rush visible at noon when unrestricted registration began on day 35.
Some of that is probably because 70% of the events are now obscured by wait lists.

A bunch of Regionals that were close to being full went to initial capacity and started their own wait lists:
KC, SC, 10K Lakes, NC, UT, Waterloo

Only 15 events have non-waitlist, open registration.

1733 teams are registered.
243 new teams

Here's a chart of when (in days from registration opening) Regionals reached their initial capacity. Events that closed early, such as Texas & Michigan, aren't included.

[JB987]

Lots of room for teams at Vegas Regional guys! Everyone who has joined us has had a great time and found the trip to be economical. The Regional Planning Committee will be posting updated info soon about hotel deals, etc...Stay tuned. 987 promises to go easy on all out of state visitors

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by JB987

Lots of room for teams at Vegas Regional guys! Everyone who has joined us has had a great time and found the trip to be economical. The Regional Planning Committee will be posting updated info soon about hotel deals, etc...Stay tuned. 987 promises to go easy on all out of state visitors

Unfortunately we won't be making it to Vegas this year, but Joe is right. It's a GREAT event, 973 has been doing it for years and has always loved it. There are some really nice, cheap hotels around as well (less expensive and nicer than most hotels we've stayed at the last few years at other events). Highly reccomend it.

[Mark McLeod]

Things haven't moved much since unrestricted registration opened yesterday, but here are the number of teams going to 4 events, 3 events, etc.
This includes Championship/Regionals/Districts.

# Events -- # Teams
4 Events ------- 4
3 Events ------ 53
2 Events ----- 437
1 Event ----- 1246

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

Things haven't moved much since unrestricted registration opened yesterday, but here are the number of teams going to 4 events, 3 events, etc.
This includes Championship/Regionals/Districts.

# Events -- # Teams
4 Events ------- 4
3 Events ------ 53
2 Events ----- 437
1 Event ----- 1246

Are the 4 event teams all from Michigan?

[Mark McLeod]

Yep, Michigan teams 141, 216, 244, & 288

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

Yep, Michigan teams 141, 216, 244, & 288

The interesting part I found was that 216, 244, and 288 are not registered for either MSC (can't be) or CMP yet. They are looking at a potentially 6 event year.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

The interesting part I found was that 216, 244, and 288 are not registered for either MSC (can't be) or CMP yet. They are looking at a potentially 6 event year.

WOW. That is just absurd, they're certainly going to have some experience come champs...

[Mark McLeod]

NJ has reached initial capacity and joined the society of wait listed events.

Michigan (160) is close to surpassing California (161) as the monster team state.

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

WOW. That is just absurd, they're certainly going to have some experience come champs...

And some tired Robots as well.

I couldn't imagine going into the Championship with a Robot that has 5 Events of wear on it already.

Does anyone have registration information for the Championship? I believe we're on the wait list, so I'm curious to how long it is...

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

Michigan (160) is close to surpassing California (161) as the monster team state.

Of course Michigan, theoretically, has no room for any more teams at the 8 Districts. (40 teams each event, each team gets 2 events)

[Mark McLeod]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

Of course Michigan, theoretically, has no room for any more teams at the 8 Districts. (40 teams each event, each team gets 2 events)

Maybe you could rent additional space from Wisconsin?
Travel would probably be better for those upper peninsula teams...

In past years the extreme upper peninsula team has only attended one District. I imagine because the distance to travel can be 9 hours. So, with more upper teams this year there might be more unused District slots to allow for one or two teams over the theoretical limit.

In any case there probably won't be 3rd Districts to look forward to.