[FRC Blog] Dallas Regional Final Matches – Resolution

[Hallry]

Posted on the FRC Blog, 3/4/15: http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprogr...hes-resolution

Dallas Regional Final Matches – Resolution

Blog Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2015 - 13:03

As I noted in an earlier blog, we have been gathering data from participants regarding the events that took place during the final matches at the Dallas Regional. Based on the information I have, I believe the teams were not treated in a way that meets FRC standards. At a minimum, it appears two teams were not given the opportunity to make the ‘quick remedy’ promised under G7 to get them in a compliant starting position before the final match. Beyond the rules themselves, I believe the teams were not kept well informed of the situation, with at least one team not knowing they had been disabled until the match started and their robot did not move. Also, I got the sense the teams were not being treated as respectfully as they deserved, at least on occasion. While some may characterize this situation as a problem with the decisions of a few volunteers, I do not. Ultimately, the responsibility for ensuring all teams have a positive experience at FRC events falls to me, with, of course, the support of the rest of the FIRST staff.

Our volunteers have very difficult jobs, and my working assumption is that every volunteer has the best interests of the teams at heart. Every day I am thankful for their commitment and dedication to FIRST. FIRST would not exist or be what it is without them. However, volunteers do not train themselves, and FIRST has the responsibility to train and regularly reinforce the need to make the team experience the priority, balanced, of course, with proper consideration for the rules to ensure fairness. We also need to acknowledge that our many different volunteer roles require different skill sets, and not every volunteer is suited for every role. We need to make sure we have a good fit between our volunteers and the roles we need filled.

Immediately, we are contacting our key volunteers to reinforce the idea that the team experience should take priority at events. Longer term, working with the FIRST Volunteer Resources Department, we will be reviewing our key volunteer training process for 2016 to ensure it properly emphasizes the team experience. Other specific actions may also be taken.

The teams involved in the final match at Dallas were 624, 118, 2613, 987, 148, and 3802. Five of these six teams have already earned a slot at the FIRST Championship, with the lone exception being 3802. As a way to attempt to partially make up for the frustrations of the final match, I am offering 3802 a Wild Card slot at Championship. This should not be interpreted to mean that I believe that, had all robots been enabled, the 987/148/3802 Alliance would have won that final match. I would not attempt to predict that. The 624/118/2613 Alliance are the Winners of the Dallas Regional, and this offer is not intended to minimize that very significant accomplishment.

I apologize to the teams involved in the finals, the rest of the attendees in Dallas, and the FIRST community for this. We are working to make it right, and minimize the chance of it happening again.

Frank

Another +1 for Frank and FIRST.

[ehochstein]

Frank for President.

[Chris is me]

It's just incredible how much Frank "gets it". I have so much more faith in the whole program knowing that, at the top, leadership is doing everything they can to ensure the FIRST experience is fair and team-oriented.

I'm glad he agrees that teams should NEVER wait until a match starts to learn what has happened to their robot, as has happened SEVERAL times at Dallas (987 was disabled in a semi-final for taking too long to set up - I imagine if they knew that they wouldn't have firmly gripped a recycle container and tote...). Those kind of events are where teams develop the perception, true or otherwise, that refs are "out to get" / "screw over" teams, and the vast majority (if not all) are really not.

[String]

I'm so glad that 3802 is getting a spot. Frank is great.

[Jacob Bendicksen]

Glad that this whole thing finally has a happy ending. Frank continues to impress.

[IronicDeadBird]

Man that maximum respect to Frank. Not about to say case closed cause it wasn't my case, but this was handled very well.

[Michael Corsetto]

Frank,

Thank you.

-Mike

[Paul Copioli]

As someone who has been in FRC quite a long time, Frank has instituted swift and sudden complete reversal of team attitude at FIRST.

The transparent, "buck stops here" attitude is greatly appreciated.

I still can't get over how quickly he was able to change policy when it comes to team communication. This can only mean that Frank had support from above so I also extend my appreciation to Steve Chism and Don Bossi because without support from them there is no way Frank is able to make some of the changes he has made, even if he wanted to.

[Brandon Holley]

The key takeaway here is that Frank is focused on the Team Experience.

This is so unbelievably important. That value should be the guiding light for Volunteers and Event Staff. Asking yourself "Is this making a good experience for the team(s)?" should be a very common activity.

Having a guiding principle such as that will help through any number of situations. While Dallas is the focus, this is not the first or last time Event Staff will cause a team or alliance angst (there are many examples now in the past that I will leave out of the conversation).

Key volunteers have a staggering amount of weight as far as how a team experiences an event. From inspectors, to safety advisors, to judges, referees, queuers, pit administration, safety glasses folks- all of these people GREATLY affect how a team experiences an event. An inspector with 'pet rules' they are choosing to enforce without rule backing (potentially quoting safety as the trump card enforcement). A safety glasses pit enforcer who FORCES people to rewalk 2-3 steps because they removed their glasses as they were leaving the pit entrance threshold. A head referee who verbally acknowledges to other volunteers that they see a team waiting in the question box but likes to 'make them sweat' before they engage in a conversation.****

All of these examples are 100% unacceptable IMO. They ruin the experience of teams and students and do not reciprocate the gracious professionalism being shown to them by a vast majority of teams. Teams are forced to bite their tongue in the name of GP, and to avoid their name (or number) being dragged through the mud (ie: given to judges with a black mark).

This is a slippery slope, and there needs to be a better system of checks and balances in place that a team can implement without fearing backlash. Bottom line, we need to hold people accountable who step into key roles.

I'm extremely pleased to see Frank putting Team Experience first, and I look forward to doing everything in my own ability to ensure this is the path forward at any event I have the pleasure of attending.


-Brando


****All of these are 100% true, first hand accounts of real events within the past season or two.

[lemiant]

Thank You.
The new FIRST is awesome.

[g_sawchuk]

3802 has literally became one of my new favourite teams. It was sad to watch the match where they had to try and push totes onto the scoring platforms. Thank you Frank, good move.

[Mr V]

Frank is the man!!!

In the times I have been blessed to talk with him I've always got the impression that the team experience is very important to him and this is just additional proof of that.

[Jim Zondag]

Frank,
Thank you.
This is great to see and such an inspiring change from some episodes from the past.
Keep up the great work.

Jim

[SciBorg Dave]

Thank you.

[Oromus]

It's great to see FIRST acknowledge that mistakes have been made and to attempt to remedy them both short-term and long-term. Thanks for making this happen, Frank & FIRST!