Has there ever been a rookie team that won Chairman’s award?
IMO, teams that have won it have usually been competing in FRC for awhile, and have established an impressive resume of awards/wins/community outreach, but Im sure my reasoning has some fault.
btw… why is it called “Chairman’s” award?
Rookies aren’t eligible to win.
Check the awards sections on usfirst.org and it describes in detail what each award entails.
It is called the Chairman’s Award because it is given by the Chairman of the Board.
Similarly, the Founder’s Award is given by the founder, Dean.
Rookies are not eligible to win because they are able to be awarded the Rookie All Star Award.
Part of the reason Rookies are not eligible to win is one aspect of the RCA is demonstrated sustainability of the team. That’s tough to demonstrate in your rookie year.
Technically 191 did in 1992. I’m not sure, but I think the criteria is different now, and that is now unofficial. (I don’t really know about this, so feel free to correct me).
That’s because everyone competing in 1992 was a rookie team.
Ok that’s what I thinking regarding the Rookie All Star award and the Chairman’s award.
But when I say rookie, I mean like 2nd year teams, 3rd year teams, teams that aren’t technically rookie, but still in a way are…
well 2344 won the chairmans award in ny this year it being their second year.
I think some have. I don’t remember who or when (other than in 1993 :)), but I’m 90% sure it’s happened somewhere sometime.
As for the “resume of wins/awards/community outreach”, that’s not necessarily all of it. Wins almost certainly isn’t, as it’s possible to win the RCA without winning a single career match. (Though that hasn’t been done…) Awards, same thing.
The CA (and RCA) are for the team that best exemplifies the spirit of FIRST. Spreading it helps. Teams win for different reasons–could be reaching minorities, inner city, other nations, or just reaching out. You’d have to ask some of the RCA winning teams how they won.
Team 2486 The Coconuts won RCA in Arizona this year. Also a second year team.
1816 won Chairman’s in their third year at MN.
Well that was very possible in Hawaii this year, as I believe, everyone else that entered were 2nd year teams (due to NASA grant) and others from outside the state did not submit theirs in Hawaii also. Last year, most teams were rookies and 7 teams from the mainland entered for the CA here in 2008.
It’s really uncommon for teams to win Chairman’s their second year. Something extraordinary has to happen. I’ve seen a few quality teams go from RAS to EI to Chairman’s, though. (In addition to those teams, that’s the route our team’s taken)
1108 won CA in 2004, our 2nd year. Are you looking for CA advice/mentoring, 2445? We’d be happy to share what we’ve done and presented if you are interested. Let us know. We run a Chairman’s Bootcamp in the Fall, and a Chairman’s Dress Rehearsal before competition season begins. As much as I know that you would love to make the trips to Kansas for these (yes, the joy of Kansas in February)
I am sure we can do something long distance! Let us know.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but rookie teams were not always prohibited from winning Chairman’s. I think that limitation was put in place sometime around when they introduced the regional-level award.
That is what I understand as well, although second year teams never really won a Championship Chairman’s Award nor did Rookie Teams after 1993. Several teams including mine have won the RCA in their second year, I seem to recall 1002 winning it the same year we did and we were all 2nd year teams, I am not sure how common it is now as they have the previous two years as criteria, but from the couple of teams that have already won it in their second year they prove me wrong in that statement. I think they introduced the Regional Chairman’s around 2003, possibly 2002 but that is just a guess as well.
Regional Chairman’s began in 2002.
That’s because there were almost 500 teams (correct me if I am inaccurate in saying that) and so it gives them a chance to show their impact in their state, which in some cases is much greater then at a national level.