What to Expect & How to Prepare

for Events

Teresa Lanum

HYDRO DYNAMICS KICK-OFF

September 9, 2017

What to Expect

• High Energy Environment

• Loud at Times

• Exhausting Day for Coaches

• To deal with some emotional highs and lows

• A celebration of what your team has accomplished

• Dance Parties

• Teams in Costumes

• Imaginative Ideas

• Gracious Professionalism

Types of Events

• State Qualifiers• Six during December & January• Percent from each qualifier will advance• Percent cannot be determined until registration closes in October.

• State Championship• Twenty-four teams total• The Mississippi Champion’s team will advance to World Festival

• World Festival• Houston, Texas

• Open Championship

• Global Standards Observed

Prepare Early

• Complete Youth Protection Screening now

• Make certain your team has 2 screened coaches

• Team Roster – Invite Team Members when the system opens.• Team Roster and consent forms have to be supplied at every event.

• STIMS/Consent and Release Forms

• Mark Competitions on Your Calendar• Share the dates with parents

• Recruit a Team Parent to Help Manage the Team

• Prepare a file with headings for items you will need at competition.• Consent forms• Materials/Brochures for Judging Sessions• Project script • Etc….

Competition Day Checklist• Team Roster/electronic or paper consent forms

• Robot, Attachments, Extra Parts

• Fresh Batteries/Rechargeable Batteries and the Charger

• USB Download Cable (Blue Tooth not Allowed)

• Extension Cord and Power Strip

• Lunch??? Have a plan. Many times the event offers lunch options.

• Large bin for the teams personal items to stow under the pit table.

• Project Materials: props, materials, displays, scissors, tape

• Core Values Poster

• Robot Design Executive Summary

• Graphics demonstrating programming (printout of programming blocks)

• Team games for the pit – long day (cards, chess)

• Pit Decorations – Brand your team!

• Team Give-Aways

Understand Tournament Rules

• Each team must have at least 2 but no more than 10 team members.• Team members may be 9-14 years of age on 1/1/2017.• Each team should have 2 supervising adults for only that team.• Teams should never be left unattended.• Teams must participate in 3 robot rounds.• Teams must participate in 3 judging sessions.• Teams must display the Core Values at all times.• Only tournament officials may direct team members while judging sessions

or robot matches are in progress.• Anyone interfering in judging session or robot matches may be asked to leave. In

severe cases, interference can affect award eligibility.

Event Check-In

• Only the coach is needed to check-in the team

• Hand in Team Roster with electronic consent boxes checked

• Signed Paper Consent & Release Forms for those not signed electronically• Coaches cannot sign consents for team members.• Consent forms need to be signed by parents or legal guardians

• Have exact change for preordered lunches

• Have a File for Competition Items

• Receive team packet• Schedule• Team Numbers• Team Activity (optional)• Venue Map (judging, concessions, pit)• Site Specific Information

After Check-In

• Proceed to your pit (6 foot table)• Usually has 2 chairs• You team number should be on the pit table

• Set-up your team’s pit• Decorate it with your team’s identity• Be respectful of your footprint and stay within your space• Theme based Give-Aways (candy, buttons, pencils, a themed item)

• Is food allowed? Check with the tournament director.

• Table Covering

• Pit may or may not have electricity• Charging stations are always provided

• Attend the Coaches’ Meeting• Review the Schedule

• Post the teams schedule in the team’s pit

• Always Refer to the Schedule Provided at Team Check-In on Event Day• Sometimes schedules may change. Always refer to the latest one……

Coaches’ Meeting

• Meet the Tournament Director

• Meet the Head Referee

• Understand the flow pattern through the competition area• Learn whether team members can stand on the field during robot rounds.

• Ask judging-related questions

• Ask robot game questions

• Ask any other tournament-related question

Judging

• 3 Judging Sessions• Sessions are 10 minutes long• Teams are allowed 5 minutes to regroup between sessions• 3 judging sessions are usually, but not always, one right after the other

• Always a minimum of 2 judges in each judging session• A single rubric is scored by the 2 judges• Judges will be ready for the teams, so encourage them to enter and begin.

• 2 Adults/Coaches Allowed in Sessions• Any interference from adults will negatively impact the team• “fly on the wall” mentality• Never stand behind judges/Look for a coach-designated area

Judging continued

• Be on Time• Check-in with the volunteer queuing the judging room• Late teams have reduced judging time or no judging time for that session• Study the map of the venue and know where the team has to be• Arrive 10 minutes early to judging

• Electronics• Fine for coaches to videotape judging sessions.• Not fine for a coach’s cell phone to ring during a judging session

• Rooms• Some events will have rooms with walls and a door.• Some events will have pipe and drape and rooms• Prepare the team for either type of judging room

Robot Design

• Room will have a competition table, field mat, and field set.• To be used for explanation and demonstration purposes

• Bring robot, attachments and a diagram or printout of programs

• Prepare and present the Robot Design Executive Summary (RDES)• The RDES is outlined in the Challenge Guide.

• The RDES allows the team to share all the important information that the judges are looking for.

• Tell your team to demonstrate missions on the field.• Remember the field is not perfect. It is ok if the mission doesn’t run perfectly in judging.

• Unnecessary to demonstrate all the missions.

• Choose a favorite mission to run

Project Judging

• Team has 5 minutes to set-up, and present its presentation.

• Team then has 5 minutes for Q & A.

• Be creative – imaginative presentations are memorable.

• Make sure to demonstrate everything on the rubric.

• Judges can only mark the rubric based on what was presented.

• Only thing guaranteed in the room is access to power.• No screens or projectors are provided.

• Critical to:

• Identify a problem; Devise an innovative solution; Share it with other.

Core Values Judging

• Always begins with a team activity (4 minutes)• How well did the team work together?

• How well does the team communicate?

• Do the team members respect one another?

• Do they incorporate one another’s ideas?

• Team members work furiously with the time they have.

• Core Values Board (2-3 minutes)• Purpose of this board is to facilitate the discussion of FIRST’s Core Values

• Instructions for the Core Values Poster is found in the Challenge Guide

• Questions & Answers (3 minutes)

Practice Robot Round

• Every team will have one practice round in the morning.

• Purpose of the practice round is to give teams an opportunity to experience queuing, timing, traffic flow, setting up, and scoring.

• Help with the jitters teams may have.

• Nothing more than practice – the score does not count.

• Team members and 1 coach may join the team on the competition field but……• All must stay completely behind the designated line

• Coaches MUST NOT actively direct the technicians during the robot game.

• Not all events may have enough space to allow teams to join the technicians on the field.• Check with the tournament director of the event to see if this will be allowed.

Competition Area

• Restricted Area• 2 Technicians at Table at time• Rest of Team and Coach Behind

a Line• Technicians allowed at least 1

minute to set up.• Ask refs to handle field

elements• Do not leave with field

elements

After Morning Judging

• Lunch Break

• Opening Ceremony

• Robot Rounds Begin• 3 Rounds with brief break in-between them

• Robot Round Scheduled Times are seldom accurate• Common to run ahead or behind of printed schedule

• Teams responsibility to pay attention to the matches being played

• Extra rounds as a “fill-in” scores do not count as an official round score

• No Video or Camera Footage Allowed to impact scoring (no instant replay)

• Once the technician signs the sheet- the score is final

Things to Know

• Judges are observing teams and robot rounds in the afternoon.

• Judges are deliberating.

• THIRD ROUND ROBOT SCORES ARE KEPT SECRET• This allows the Robot Performance award to be a surprise

• Teams should visit one another’s pits and ask questions.

• When the final rounds are completed:• Teams can begin pit tear down

• Competition Fields will be removed.

• Awards will be set out on a table.

Awards

• Consolidated Awards at Qualifiers

• Expanded Awards at Championship

• Global Innovation Nominee at Each Qualifier• Of these teams one will represent Mississippi in Houston

• All teams will be recognized with a medal• The teams are recognized in numerical order• Teams stand up. Make their way through the High Five Line populated by judges and

referees, have a team picture taken and then return to their seats.• Medals are for students only, sorry coaches.

• At the qualifier level teams advancing to state will be announced.• Well-rounded teams advance.

• Sometimes those are award winners and sometimes they are not.• Must be in the top 75% of robot scores to advance.• Must be in the top 40% of robot scores to win the Champion’s Award.

• At Championship, the Champion’s Team advances to World Festival

LET’s DO THIS!!!

Still have questions?Visit www.msfirstfll.org

talanum@gmail.comTeresa LanumMississippi Affiliate Partner