How to Start an Off-Season Event

[Wendy Holladay]

Our team is trying to have an off-season scrimmage with a full field, but on the FIRST website it appears that you have to pick up the rental field in New Hampshire, which is pretty far away from Louisiana. We were wondering how everyone else does these off-season events. Do you rent a field, or use your own?

[M.Wong]

I would recommend building your own. At our practice facility, we constructed a playing field with mostly 2x4s and plywood and chicken wire fencing.

[RoboMom]

We are blessed with the support of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center through the legacy of the late Mike Wade (and continued to be supported by Rob Thate.) This field travels up and down the coast from VA to NY. But it takes loyal volunteers and cooperation among all parties to make it work.

One suggestion is you reach out to others in the south to see if you can coordinate with one of the already traveling fields to cut costs. See if your Regional Director has any advice.

Planning and implementing an off-season is a huge amount of work, but can be a really satisfying experience.

[Phil Ross]

Originally Posted by whollada

Our team is trying to have an off-season scrimmage with a full field, but on the FIRST website it appears that you have to pick up the rental field in New Hampshire, which is pretty far away from Louisiana. We were wondering how everyone else does these off-season events. Do you rent a field, or use your own?

Check this out. When they say "pick up the rental field" they mean hire a truck to go pick it up in NH. Also, NASA has a field that they build and bring around to off season events. I assume that field is separate from the ones you can borrow from FIRST.

You can also use your own field (I wouldn't go out of the way to build one just for the event, it would likely drive your registration costs through the roof).

If you look here you can find the schedule of off-season events. If you can avoid it, don't make it on the same day(s) that another off-season in your area is occurring. Since you are in Louisiana I don't think that anything scheduled so far will conflict.

Hope this helps and Good Luck!