Once the plane is released, can the team take down the wire? Mac Duis Karen Berger <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >In addition to what Nick said about the timing (VA/DC FLL would not be >possible like this without the support of JMU so we really are tied to >their schedule - it takes hundreds of people to pull off the >Championship tournament!), I wanted to address the other question that >was asked - about qualifying to advance to the Championship tournament. >This is a long explanation but I hope it will answer many of the >questions that we get each year about awards and advancing. > > > >The number of teams advancing is determined based on the number of >teams in each division at each tournament. The same percentage of >teams is used for all tournaments and for both divisions (so the more >teams in a division, the more teams advance). The percentage is based >on the total space that we have at the Championship tournament so we >cannot accept additional teams. Each tournament also receives awards >to give out based on the number of teams in each division at their >tournament. > > > >FIRST Lego League has a policy that teams can only receive one judged >award (and all awards are considered judged except for the robot >performance award) so the only way for a team to win 2 awards is for >one of them to be robot performance. All tournaments will have 1st >place Champion, Robot Performance, Robot Design, Research Project and >Core Values but some tournament will have additional awards (2nd places >and/or Judge awards), depending on the number of teams in each >division. All awards are handled separately for each division. All >award decisions are made by the judges in a deliberation process. > > > >The robot performance award is based on each team's top score. >Championship awards and the three judging areas are based on the >judging performance (teams are ranked against each other and discussed >during judge deliberations). These rankings are NOT released to the >teams (a FIRST policy) but we will return the judge comment forms to >the teams. In addition to performing best overall across all three >judging areas, a team should be in the top 40% of robot performance >scores to win the Championship award. > > > >Advancement is based on the same criteria as the championship awards. >The team(s) that perform the best overall for the three judging areas >and are in the top 40% on robot performance will advance (the number >advancing determined by the number of teams in a division at a >tournament). This may mean that if more than one team in a division >advances, a team that did not win any awards may advance if they did >better overall than some of the teams that won in specific areas. It >may also mean that a team that wins an award does not advance if they >did not do as well in all three judging events and/or there are not >enough advancing spots available. Tournament directors do not >determine how many advance (we dictate that to them) and cannot add >additional teams. > > > >I hope this helps explain the process for those who are unsure. The >best way to understand it though is to go through it so I recommend >that those interested in experiencing it first hand volunteer to judge >at an event. It is NOT a conflict of interest to volunteer at an event >that your team is not participating in and we're an all-volunteer >organization that runs on a not-so-small army so we're always looking >for more help. You can submit a volunteer interest form and find more >information at http://www.vadcfll.org/volunteer.html. > > > >Thanks and we look forward to seeing the more than 500 teams that are >signed up for the 23 regions in November. It should be an exciting >season! > > > >Karen > >---- > >Karen Berger > >VA/DC FLL Regional Tournament Coordinator > >Newport News and Norfolk Regional Tournament Director > > > >-------- Original Message -------- >Subject: Re: [VADCFLL-L] Qualifier scheduling >From: "Swayne, Nick - swaynedd" <[log in to unmask]> >Date: Wed, October 23, 2013 8:35 pm >To: <[log in to unmask]> > >There are a number of reasons – predominantly due to resources, >competing activities and the folks at JMU who run the championship. > > >VA-DC FLL is the biggest program in the world of FIRST so it takes a >lot of folks and tournaments to make it work. One of the driving >forces for the qualifying schedule is that the championship has to >happen in the fall semester. > > >There are a number of other programs in the US who follow the same >schedule – so we're not unique. > > >I coached a team for 5 years and we were never "ready" but always >advanced to the Championship tournament. Nobody feels they are ready >in November but you have to remember that everyone starts at the same >time – the rules and mission details are disclosed globally on the same >date so everyone is equally well/poorly prepared. > > >For the past 2 years the team that won the VA-DC FLL Championship >competed on the first weekend and had a VERY low robot performance >score at their qualifying tournament. By going on the first weekend >they knew they were going to advance (well in advance), had time to >raise funds, had more time to focus their practice based on feedback >from the judges, and had the opportunity to watch other tournaments and >see how others solved some of the missions. > > >Time is often one of many limiting resources that engineers and >scientists must deal with so this is a very realistic approximation of >life – it is thrilling and exasperating at the same time. > > >From: Rahman Rasulzada <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: Rahman Rasulzada <[log in to unmask]> >Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 8:03 PM >To: vadcfll <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Re: [VADCFLL-L] Qualifier scheduling > > >I do agree. >VA DC almost 2month ahead to other states.:) >Also, out of 20 teams only 2 or 3 will qualify regional, but is overal >1st , 2nd 3rd? Or each categories , 1st place? > >On Oct 23, 2013 7:51 PM, "Fredrik Nyman" <[log in to unmask]> >wrote: > >It seems that VA-DC schedules the regional qualifiers awfully early. >Maryland does theirs in Dec/Jan. > > >The later start seems like a better idea considering that school-based >rookie teams usually start in mid-September, a few weeks after school >starts. > > >I am curious why Virginia's qualifiers run so early and wondering if it >would be possible/desirable to run future qualifiers later in the years >so teams get more time to practice? > >_____________________________________________ >To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit >https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or >leave the list". >VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via >VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. Visit >https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-announcements-l.html to >subscribe. > >_____________________________________________ >To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit >https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or >leave the list". >VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via >VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. Visit >https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-announcements-l.html to >subscribe. > >_____________________________________________ >To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit >https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or >leave the list". >VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via >VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. Visit >https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-announcements-l.html to >subscribe. > >_____________________________________________ >To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit >https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or >leave the list". >VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via >VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. Visit >https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-announcements-l.html to >subscribe. -- Sent from my Android phone with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or leave the list". -- VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. Visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-ANNOUNCEMENTS-l.html to subscribe.