1. Event Feedback
2. Event Summaries
3. Leaving tournaments early is not Gracious Professionalism
4. A Message from our Judge Advisors
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1. Event Feedback
If your team has participated in a qualifier event, FIRST would like to have your feedback! Please take five minutes and complete a brief survey. Your feedback is very important to us - and it is anonymous.
http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/eventsurvey
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2. Event Summaries
Are you interested in knowing the results from the Qualifiers? Check out the Qualifier Summary Page. This lists the teams who won awards, teams who advanced, links to pictures and other tidbits.
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3. Leaving tournaments early is not Gracious Professionalism
Tournament organizers and volunteers put a lot of time and effort to make sure each and every event runs smoothly. We understand that many teams have long drives "home" - in fact many of us have long drives ourselves. Please remember that many volunteers are the first ones to arrive (around 6:30am) and are the last ones to depart (around 7pm).
We are asked multiple times "Our team was not selected in the alliance selection, can we leave?" or "Can we get our engineering notebook back early?". Although it is fine to pack up your pit area, we discourage teams from leaving early.
- If your team departs early - we will not return engineering notebooks.
- If your team departs early - we will not send any awards to
your team. Judges take great consideration and deliberation to
select the teams for each award. It is not in line with Gracious
Professionalism for a team not to be present to receive the
trophy and recognition. If you depart early and your team
receives an award, please communicate with me as to what
qualifier your will be attending to receive your award. We will
not mail any trophies.
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4. A note from our Judge Advisors
The Judges continue to be impressed with your Gracious Professionalism and hard work. Some mid-season feedback for you:
Notebooks are VERY important. In the business world, these represent how your great ideas and hard work can "pay off".
- Help ensure Intellectual Property rights
- The ability to replicate your success thereby taking it from a "one of a kind" success to something that can benefit the entire world
- Record and review your amazing failures (some say "life's best teacher") and successes
- Solidify the "Why" your team exists and how others can add to your team's success (Business Plan)
http://www.usfirst.org/
Fundraising has important aspects:
- Funds provide you options (more teams, fancier robot, awesomer team outfits and bling, more reach to your outreach, etc.)
- Communicating about your needed funds can be an awesome conversation about FIRST: 1) how FIRST benefits you, the team, the community, etc; 2) What a local business can do to contribute (Mentor, Sponsor, Host events, Hire Interns, ...)
- Practicing/honing your communication skills (once you've made up your mind, you then need to convince others)
- A guide to help you with fundraising can be found using the Light Up! Iowa "Securing Funding Brochure"
