If scheduling permits I like week 2 for a first regional because it allows for nice recovery time between build and first regional and between first and second regional.
Hmm well if you are going to do I usually like to do week 1 and week 5. Week 1 just because I am a total FIRST addict and I don’t have to wait that long after the build season and it helps me understand the game a lot better before the next regional. And week 5 because by than usually a lot of the rules are worked out and the competition seems to go a lot smoother. Also, the competition is easier because a lot of people have competed by than that are doing two regionals and I know what we are up against. And people seem to be more excited and the regionals and the weeks progress.
I’d say it depends on how many regionals you’d like to attend. I’m a big fan of not going to consecutive weekened regionals; not only you get more fix-it time, but everyone involved get a nice weekend to relax.
With that said, if you’d like to go to three regionals, I’d say go 1, 3, and 5. A week one regional is a great learning experience. By the week 3 regional, a lot of things are figured out, and a good week five regional is the closest you can get to how the game will play out in Atlanta.
As for which week is the best for the first regional, I would definitely vote against 4 and 5. Most teams at a later regional will come with a regional behind them, rendering them much better prepared for the competition than you are. On the other hand, if you’re only going to one regional, I wouldn’t go to a week 1. Everyone is still learning about how the game is playing out (who would have thought G22 would be as huge as it really is right now?). I guess that leaves weeks two and three as the best, in my opinion. Preference to two, as fewer people are attending a second regional during week 2.
Going to a week one regional for our only regional was very disappointing this year. Last year, we went to a week two regional and a week three regional, and that was really a great experience - enough time to recover after build season, but it was pretty chaotic trying to get all of our upgrades in! I’d say that the best would be week two and week four…if only they’d move Midwest back again!
I like being in the early crowd. Week 1 is maybe a little too soon after build, but there is some excitement in being one of the first teams to play the game for real. I’d say either week 1 or 2, for me.
I’m a big fan of week 2. This allows the team to settle down after build and also provides some scouting and strategy development before our event.
We send a crew to a regional week 1 just to see how the game is being played. Then week two we apply the strategy and fix our machine at the first competition. The following competitions are were we expect to be competitive.
Week 2. I need some time away from FIRSt after build season and week 1 is not enough. I’ve never been as fried from FIRST as last year when we went straight into a Week 1 regional after build.
That said most of my years on 177 we do week 3 and week 5.
week 2, espassally if you think you have a target on your back, therefore if you mess up, everyone has seen the game once during week 1, and week 3-5 is when people start getting that urgency in them and the matches become harder to play. also week 2 gives you a chance to see some strategy being played during the first week.
Week 2 is also my vote. I like to watch Week 1 Regionals and by Week 3 so some teams are already on their second regional. Based on these poll results I’d say there is demand for more Week 2 Regionals.