Code Red Robotics MOCK Kickoff 2011

FIRST General Forum
1

Code Red Robotics (2771) is hosting this year’s MOCK Kickoff on December 10 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The event is designed to energize and sharpen the skills of veteran team members and to give new members of the FIRST family a peek at what to expect. If you and your team may be attending, please RSVP by November 16 so we can plan for seating, breakout rooms and snacks.

We will present a game then breakout into small facilitated groups for hands-on:

Game Analysis
Strategy Development
Research
Focused, Creative Thought
Problem Solving
Brainstorming
Robot Design
Idea Presentation

The event is for all team members, coaches and mentors, so come on out to refine your game-planning, design and teamwork skills! Last year, we had over 35 teams in attendance, making the MOCK Kickoff a great way to rub elbows with some very fine FIRST people from all over the Midwest!

To register, RSVP (with approximate number of attendees) by November 16 to:

mocko@coderedrobotics.com

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thank you!!

2

Do you have any generic documentation on your mock kickoff, not on the game but perhaps instructions or guidelines on what each of the breakout teams groups in expected to produce? How much time do you set aside for the activity?

I’ve been planning to do the same, for at least my team which has enough members that we can simulate three teams. We’ll try to host a local event next year given your success. Thanks for the idea.

George

3

We have been hosting mock kick-off/build season days for 3 years, this year will be the 4th year. We make up a KOP with different items in it and then pick a past game and challenge the students to do all the same activities that you are doing, but alos build a scale prototype of their designs. The teams seem to really enjoy the aspect of getting to build a prototype to back with them and the feedback we got was to keep doing it this way.

4

George
We at Code Red Robotics FRC 2771 would love to assist please send me your contact information via email
Ken@coderedrobotics.com

5

Every time I see Code Red Robotics on CD, I think its us, only to be disappointed. Keep on being awesome, other Code Red!

6

Thanks Simon. I hope our teams will have a chance to get together sometime. Maybe we’ll both make it to St. Louis!

7

There is still room for a few more teams for this event on December 10, so unsigned teams should RSVP right away.

Over 35 FIRST Robotics teams from Michigan and Indiana are heading to Grand Rapids for the 4th Annual MOCK KickOff, and we cant wait to get started! Please bring as many students and mentors as you can to what we hope will be a very helpful and fun event. Grand Valley State University’s Padnos College of Engineering and Computing has kindly offered use of their facility in downtown Grand Rapids.

There will be a free pizza luncheon at the conclusion of the event before sending all the teams out the door. A Code Red sponsor has insisted on springing for the pizza, so that’s another good reason to get here.

There is a cost this year … sort of. We are asking each team to bring at least two items from the list below to help a very hard-working organization serve Michigan families. The staff at Lutheran Child and Family Services of Michigan is outfitting their family support facilities and could use the following:

• Crayons
• Coloring books
• Construction paper
• Kid-friendly books
• Kid-friendly games
• Toys for children of all ages
• Hand sanitizer
• Baby wipes
• Diapers
• Baby bottles
• Band-Aids
• Clorox wipes

There is no charge for the MOCK KickOff or for the pizza, but please consider donating from the list. It’s a wonderful chance for FIRST Robotics teams to band together and make a difference, so please help if you can.

Additional MOCK KickOff details
When: Saturday December 10, 2011 from 8:00 to 1:30 pm

Where:
Eberhard Center
GVSU Grand Rapids Campus
301 Fulton St W
Grand Rapids, MI 49504-6430

The event begins in Teleconference Room, which is 201-3 in Eberhard Center.
(Room EC 201-3)

Free parking will be at the Mount Vernon lot, Item 16 on the attached map. Park there and walk under the highway to the back entrance of the Eberhard Center/Kennedy School of Engineering, buildings 6,v7 & 8 on the map.

Also, the conference lot on Fulton should be accessible on Saturday morning. This is the lot below the 131 viaduct, #15 on the attached map.

Here is a link to more information on the Eberhard Center:

www.gvsu.edu/meetatgvsu/index.cfm?id=158D5BB1-04B1-DE65-2E91730A2EBA4BE5

What to expect at the Mock Kickoff: At 8:30 am, we will unveil a game to attendees then send everyone to designated meeting rooms. Teams will be divided up and mixed with others to form groups of 8-12 people. A trained facilitator will guide each group in analyzing the game, brainstorming on game play & strategy and eventually designing a robot to carry out

There will be some work involved, and we don’t believe in spectators. We would like to see maximum participation by students and some input by mentors to get the brainpower and creativity cranked up to produce something special!

At 12:00, we will regroup for pizza, pop and presentations. Students selected by each group will provide a 3-minute presentation to the large group on what they came up with!

What else teams should bring: Pens, pencils, notebooks, Laptop computers (WiFi will be available), a camera to take some photos.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact the Code Red MOCK KickOff Committee:

mocko@coderedrobotics.com

Thanks for coming out to this great collaborative event. We hope this will be fun and beneficial for all who attend!

God Bless,

Jeff Nelson

8

If you are still interested in attending and have not sent us a RSVP please do so. We can still make room.

**Please send RSVP to **
MocKO@coderedrobotics.com

9

GVSU has confirmed that the parking lot on Fulton will be open for Saturday’s event. This offers free parking at the rear entrance to Eberhard Center. Here’s a map to that Fulton parking lot:

Also, please don’t forget to help out if you can. We are asking attendees to bring an item from the list below to help a very hard-working organization serve Michigan families. The staff at Lutheran Child and Family Services of Michigan is outfitting their family support facilities and could use the following:

• Crayons
• Coloring books
• Construction paper
• Kid-friendly books
• Kid-friendly games
• Toys for children of all ages
• Hand sanitizer
• Baby wipes
• Diapers
• Baby bottles
• Band-Aids
• Clorox wipes

There is no charge for the MOCK KickOff or for the pizza, but please consider donating from the list. It’s a wonderful chance for FIRST Robotics teams to band together and make a difference, so please help if you can.

Thanks everyone!!

10

Great job, Code Red and all of the volunteers who helped with today’s mock kickoff!

I especially liked the touch of realism added when some of the volunteers interrupted our group’s brainstorming session to give us a “Team Update”, modifying one of the rules. Just like the real GDC!

11

Will you guys be posting any of the media from the event, such as videos, the mock rules or pictures of teams’ designs? I’m really interested in seeing what went down.

12

Seconded, I’m sure many teams are interested in learning more about this and the details of the mock kickoff.

13

Thanks, Richard. The MOCK KickOff truly was a collaborative effort, with men and women from many different teams serving as facilitators.

It was great having you and the Average Joes out there. We hope that the event was beneficial to your team.

14

We’ll see what we can do. Maybe we can post some info on our website in the next couple of days.

15

I see you guys posted some information online. Did you just use the 2008 game and kit or did you mess around with it at all?

16

We used the 2008 game as presented by FIRST, but we did introduce a rule update way through the day. Just a little fun modification to the game that forced a few teams to adjust their strategy and robot design. :slight_smile:

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