Chicken or the Egg (chairman's award)

[jonathan lall]

Mother knows best. While there is truth to the statement that good robots are generally found among good teams, that is more an effect of their infrastructure rather than a cause. Chairman's is about infrastructure and partnership, both of which they dance around in the rules outline. Surely a good robot (or a line of good robots) can factor into a Chairman's decision, but not necessarily.

I highly doubt in fact that a robot's on-field performance will have anything to do with the Judges' taking a second look at a submission. I further think that generally Chairman's judges are busy enough that they won't be watching very many matches (maybe one per Chairman's team, but this is of course complete speculation and isn't set in stone anyway). Maybe if a judge saw the team in the pits doing things to help out, or if the robot had a neat way of displaying a sponsor, etc. it might sway their decision, but otherwise, it's about making those four pages count.

It might just break down in the end to the fact that there are good teams and bad teams, rookies and veterans. Perhaps this is why generally you'll find an effective robot made by a Chairman's team. One could say that successful teams understand what FIRST is about and what is expected of them. And FIRST rewards this understanding with a nice medal, be it Chairman's or Champions.

[Pierson]

I would vote for #2... A infrastructure is key and with a viable foundation many good things can then happen.

[Marygrace]

Personally, I don't think the Chairman's Award has anything to do with the robot.

Q: What are u supposed to convey when you apply for the Chairmans Award?

A: Your contribution to the awareness of FIRST in the community. By going out and doing exhibitions, getting robotics threaded into your school. Just do your part in spreading this amzing phenomenom know as FIRST. Mentoring Lego League teams, training for the high school robotics teams.

Also I believe a big part of the Chairmans Award is your team conveying this little thing known as Gracious Professionalism, which I am certain everyone in FIRST has heard of. Helping other teams when they have problems, mentoring, offering a place for them to practice, helping them fundraise, help them with problems they might be having with their school, etc.

Whether or not you end up with a good robot does not decifer whether or not you win the Chairmans award, the actual competition and the award are two completely different things.