I would like to collect some background on what kinds of awards are given out at the various off-season events.
Are judged awards valued?
Thanks in advance.
For what it’s worth, here are the awards given at last year’s CAGE Match:
Friendliest Team
Gracious Professionalism
Best Robot Feature
Unusual Design
Safety
Best Pit
Team Spirit
Best Elevator Speech
Winner
Runner-Up
It should be noted the CAGE Match is geared toward accessibility for laypeople. It’s designed to introduce people to FRC competitions, so it’s a more laid-back atmosphere than most other events. The driveteams are usually made up of rookie members. Nowhere near as prestigious as other offseason events, but we like to think it’s still fun.
I LOVE this one. I spend time each year training lots of Student Ambassadors in Elevator Speech 101. It is such a valuable skill for FIRST and for life experiences to come.
BattleCry’s Awards:
Campaign Medals - One per each team that arrives on scene
Medal of Honor - Judges’ award to team that does the “most with the least”
Purple Heart - Judges’ award to team that becomes most grievously injured through valiant campaign effort
Engineering Excellence - Judges’ award for best overall robot design in terms of quality, creativity, and control
Noncombatant Service - Judges’ award for most outstanding team spirit displayed during the finals by a team eliminated during the eighth- finals
General Staff - Judges’ special recognition awards (3), criteria TBD
Awesome Offense - People’s choice award to team with most scoring potential/performance
Dominating Defense - People’s choice award to team with best score-neutralizing or score-denial potential/performance
Best BattleCry - Emcee’s award for best spirit shown by a team during combat
Air Superiority - To the team that fields the top Payload Specialist in the Saturday contest
Top Gun - To the number one seed in qualifying
Runners-Up - To each team on the three-team alliance defeated in the final match
Victors - To each team on the three-team alliance that wins the tournament
BattleCry STAR - Special Team Appreciation & Recognition award, adult mentor award presented by team selected by STAR reviewers (see below)
BattleCry STAR
Student team members are encouraged to submit nominations for their outstanding adult mentor. These nominations are due by 30 April (electronic format preferred to [email protected], 500 words or less) and will be reviewed and judged by past STAR winners. Student members of the winning team will be notified by 4 May and offered the opportunity to publicly announce their champion during the awards ceremony.
Taken from http://www.wpi.edu/news/Events/BattleCry/updates.html.
Awards from IRI 2009 can be seen here.
Based on feedback we have received from the judges over the past few years, I would say a resounding “NO!”. Few teams had students in the pits to talk to judges for the judged awards and even fewer voted in the “team vote” awards.
Rah Cha Cha Ruckus Awards are Halloween Themed:
Rulers of All They Survey Rah Cha Cha Ruckus champions.
Henchmen Rah Cha Cha Ruckus finalists.
**Restless Spirits **The team that best exemplifies the spirit of FIRST.
**Zombie **The robot that has taken the most abuse and keeps coming back for more.
Mad Scientist The most creative robot design.
It’s Alive! The rookie team that stands out the most.
**Slasher **Best offensive robot.
Ghostbusters Best defensive robot.
**Spellbinder **Best play of the day.
**Crypt Keeper **The robot and team with the best imagery.
Deadheads The team that exemplifies all that FIRST is about. From Gracious Professionalism to the manner the team conducts itself.
**Voodoo Doll **Best Autonomous mode.
Alien Invaders The farthest travelling team attending the Ruckus.
Igor Ruckus Volunteer award.
At Ruckus each team gets a sheet to vote on the categories above (except the first & last two) and can choose from all of the attending teams. Sheets are collected and the Ruckus committee acts as tie breakers/spreads the field a bit.
I have to say I disagree with Collin from what I have seen. By no means are the awards as sought after as the Official FRC awards, but I have seen teams jump and scream and get incredibly excited to just win an offseason award. For some of these teams, its the only awards they ever win. For some its a great way for their rookie members to feel valued and accomplished. At Ruckus, somewhere around 16/24ish teams get awards, a much better margin than any FRC event. Same with a lot of other off seasons. I know 1511 has all of the offseason event awards just as proudly displayed in their school display case as the official FRC awards. Teams go to offseasons to have fun and get new students excited, or to rehash old games with old friends… so sure the trophies dont mean as much, and teams are “trying so hard” to win the awards that they leave members to talk to judges or anything, but I think the awards are nearly as valued by most teams.
I would say the team values the award we won at IRI last year much more than any award we’ve gotten at an official FIRST event, simply because of the level of team at IRI vs. a regional event.
Here is what last year’s award The Chachi looked like.
I hope next year’s design turns out just as well. It’s gonna be a tough act to follow.
Here is a list of the awards that were given out at Brunswick Eruption 8 last year:
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**Brunswick Eruption Champions **
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Brunswick Eruption Finalists
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Evil Sundae Survivor
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Goes to the team whose champion was first to consume their Evil Sundae (side contest)
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Guitar Hero Champion
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Awarded to the winning team member of the GH contest (side contest)
- Food Drive Champion
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Awarded to the team that donated the largest food contribution to the North Brunswick Food Bank effort.
- Alumni Favorite Award
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Given to the team whose robot has the greatest appeal to Team 25 alumni based on overall appearance, performance and intrinsic qualities.
- Mike’s Favorite Award
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In commemoration of Mike Wade of NASA Goddard and a long time friend of FIRST- Goes to the robot chosen by NASA representatives based on preferences, not necessarily the top robot but one worthy of recognition for some interesting feature.
- Best Autonomous Mode
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Awarded to the team with the most effective or unique autonomous mode.
- Aloha Spirit Award
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Awarded to the team with the best team spirit, in honor of our Hawaiian friends where the friendly Aloha Spirit is a way of life.
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Don’t Be A Bobo Smart Play Award-
Given in honor of Dave Beck of Team 103 - Awarded to recognize the smartest play on the field during the seeding matches because often smart operators can surpass great robots. - Big Kahuna Award
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Don’t Be A Bobo Smart Play Award-
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Awarded by Team 25 to the volunteers in the year prior who went above and beyond for the team.
Last year we also had an “Army Strong Robot” award that was selected by an Army representative at the event who was demonstrating a military robot. Depending on pre-rookie attendance, we also give out a “Future Glory” award.
The winners of each award receive a coveted Tiki trophy!
That sure is a pretty award! 
I saw that for IRI 2010, there was no longer going to be judged awards. As a judge last year, I have to admit to being slightly dissapointed. It was great fun tracking down teams who were never in their pits because they were always in the queuing line. My favorite was spending time with Team 116 in that queue line with the students on their hands and knees showing us robot design features and having the lead queuer coming by every few minutes and yelling “116 and judges, move it up!” I hope there is a reconsideration at least for the “Spirit of Indiana” award, since to me that epitomizes IRI.
At Monty Madness we have the following Awards:
Champions: The Alliance that wins the competition
Finalists: The Alliance that loses in the Finals
Judges Award: This is for a team that the judges deserve an award, but do not fit the other categories
Fan Favorite: We have a giant board with every team number, fans and team members can come and put a sticker under which team they like, and the team with the most stickers wins this award.
Rising Star: This is given to a rookie team, who exemplifies the qualities of FIRST
“WOW” Factor Technical Award: Given to a team, for having a WOW factor in their design
Woody Flowers Jr. :This award is given to mentors who dedicate their time to FIRST and its participants. And go out of their way to make FIRST better
Based on student response.
Mechanical Marvel: Building an outstanding robot, that effectively and creatively tackles this years challenges.
Most Gracious Team: The team that shows the most Gracious Professionalism
Cougar Robotics Volunteer of the Year:Given to a Volunteer who is very dedicated to FIRST and is willing to go beyond the norm.
Best Team Presentation - The Team who best presents themselves as members of FIRST and their team.
Team Spirit - The Team who has the best Spirit.
Our award list grows every year, as we get more ideas and our event grows.
At the WIWI we have many of the same awards that are listed so awards that are different are
Best Human Player (hard to determine this year)
Jack of all Trades
Play of the Day
First to Find Wolcott
We Really Like You (As determined by our Farmingbury Woman’s Club volunteers)
To answer the question, “Are judged awards valued?”, let me just say this:
Many people in my community do not know the difference between an off-season event (the RaChaCha Ruckus is the one we attend, thank you 1511!!!) and the real events… When they read in the local rag that 1551 has won an award, it’s good PR – for the team, for our sponsors, and for my students.
Does it mean “as much” as an official FIRST award? Frankly, no, it does not in many ways. But in community outreach and publicity, as well as in general braggin’ rights (especially for those new to the team), it matters.
And while I’m here, a giant thank you to all teams that run off-season events. We don’t all have the resources to do so, and it is a wonderful opportunity – especially for new recruits.
Quite a few of the off seasons I attended as a student had optional fun competitions for the robots as well as the regular matches… but it seems like many teams have backed away from running them.
Kudos to you if you come up with a fun challenge for teams!
Here are some of the ones I remember…
Duel on the Delaware:
I recall a “bin round-up” in '03 where we pasted pictures of cows to the steralite bins; and a “nano-surgery” challenge in '02 where robots had to “extract” the three goals from the “body” without knocking over/damaging any of the organs/obstacles.
Ramp Riot:
'01:Best end zone celebration competition
Championships 2003(TX):
Chariot Races (Robot pulling driver on robot cart)
As well as Mentors/Alumni matches (IRI and Baltimore Expo(?)) & Ladies only Matches (Brunswick Eruption)
Duckie,
I just had a flashback to the mentors and assorted others only (there were very small children involved as human players) driving match at the Capital Clash. I was laughing so hard I had to sit down.
I was one of the organizers. It was in a very public venue (the Digital Edge Expo at the DC convention center.) I kept thinking “I don’t know how this looks to the public in the stands” but it was so much fun we didn’t stop it.
It was also the very first time I heard Greg Needel as announcer. We were swapping people in and out. He was/is amazing.