Hey guys and gals. So here comes competition, faster than we expected. This is my first time for at a comp and I wantedto know…what should we expect? :]
Expect a lot of noise, unexpected things going wrong, and most of all, tons and tons of fun.
Taking what we learned at the Suffield Shakedown, be prepared for noise, large crowds, on the fly repairs, cramped pits, quick successive matches and people popping their heads in and out of your pit!
the hardest most frustrating and yet wonderful fun you have ever had should sum it up.LOL
to be serious i spend most of my time on my feet talking and fixing the robot.
All you need to do is have fun and you should have a vary successful regional.
If this were reddit, I would give you an upboat.
Looks like you’re going to Alamo. You’ll have tons of fun watching some really great teams compete, and you’ll learn so much you won’t realize until the adrenaline you get in every match dies down.
Going to a competition for the first time? You will see colors that you’ve never imagined before.
Beware, new colors are known to appear due to lack of sleep. Or MOE. Studies have been inconclusive.
Also, don’t be suprised if you wind up losing your voice after it’s all over. Perfectly normal, especially for drivers!
We have a saying on 256. “If you leave a competition and can tell someone how great it was, you obviously weren’t trying.”
Basically, anyone still able to speak didn’t yell enough. I take pride in losing my voice first on the team 2 years in a row. 
Expect it to be loud, and expect some problems. Not trying to be a downer, but the reason I mention it is that IF something breaks, make sure to stay positive and work it out with your team. Missing one match is way better than missing the rest of them if you and you’re team are rushing and mad at each other. Stay positive and have fun, are the most important things. The rest comes together after that.
ENJOY IT!!!
Since this is week one you may be prepared for delays between matches to fix technical difficulties such as no robot communication or the field not properly working. This is usually filled with dancing as everyone waits. I am not sure about how smoothly Alamo runs since my experience has been with Traverse City.
There is no competitions that ever runs perfectly so as Alex has said, be prepared for problems so that you can solve them. No one knows what is going to happen until it does.
THIS!
Expect to see lots of colored hair, banners, “free hugs” signs, mascots running around like crazy, people playing their handhelds (unfourtunately there is always a surplus of this), overpriced concessions, and most of all EXCITEMENT.
The way to survive all of this? Dive right in! Don’t be afraid to approach teams and ask them about their deisgn, or talk to them about strategy, its all good!
Also, expect to recieve a ton of buttons… HOLD ON TO THEM! It is fun to look them all over after the season.