pic: Los Angeles Sports Arena

[David Brinza]

The areas in front and behind the playing field were really cramped. There wasn't room for the judges to sit across the front of the field as they traditionally do. The pit area was a bit tight as well. However, given the overly constrained floor space, I thought the FTA and regional planning committee did the best job possible with the venue.

The conditions might not seem too bad for teams that haven't been to the LA Sports Arena for previous competitions. Having been there before the competition moved to the Forum, I was disappointed with the "squeeze" the LA Sports Arena put on the FIRST event. With the entire arena floor available, a full-size practice field was in place on the end of the arena opposite from the playing field. There were wider rows between pits, which really reduced robot/people congestion (especially on Saturday morning when the pits are packed with visitors). It just wasn't meant to be this year...