Updated 2010-01-14 22:37:35

Newark Memorial High School
Team pits open 7:30am
8:00am – 6:30pm

Summary:

• 1/13 UPDATED: Campus Map
•  Overall Team Schedule – once we have all of your items, you will get your pit number
• 1/14 : On the schedule the letter “m” is the time slot pre-assigned for your team to get their Championship medallion and team photo in the cafeteria.  
• The Main Building on the Newark HS campus that teams will be in is the Event Center – it is the main gym and is the building by itself at the end of the primary parking lot when you pull into campus at the intersection of Cedar Avenue and S Magazine.
• Teams go directly to their PIT table – no need to wait in any line.  PITs open at 7:30am
• There is a mezzanine level on both sides above the main competition floor for the pit areas – however, judging is not in the same building. There is a small/slow elevator to go between the pits and outside, so be prepared to carry robots and your materials up/down stairs
• Teams are divided into 2 pits on either side of the competition floor – there are stairs on both sides of the main entrance to the building.
  • The LEFT pit area is the one on the left as you enter the Event Center (South side = LEMON YELLOW Team Buttons) for pit teams 1-24.
  • The RIGHT pit area is the one on the right as you enter the Event Center (North side = GREEN Team Buttons) for teams 25-48.
• NEW for 2009 Championship:  Kids Choice Awards.   [see ning blog post] –  Team members themselves will vote on a set of fun, additional optional awards.
• A high level schedule is below
• A simple checklist of things to bring is at the bottom of this article.

 

When and Where to Arrive:

The tournament is Saturday, January 16, 2010 at Newark Memorial High School. The team can go directly to their PIT area which will be open at 7:30am. 

On your pit table, there will be a check-in form on your pit table that the coach will complete and turn in at the “Team Check-in” desk in the Cafeteria after 8am.  Bring any additional team or mentor/coach waivers along with you to turn in the form.  Team volunteers should plan on turning in their waiver when they check-in at the Volunteer Check-In area. 

There is ample parking in front of the Event Center off of Cedar Avenue.  We have also identified 2 overflow lots on the map if needed.

There is a mandatory All Coaches meeting with the Tournament Officials in the morning – most likely in one of the judging rooms – 1/13 UPDATED:  In Room 712 (D1).  All last minute details will be covered during this one meeting – plan on having someone – it does not have to be the coach – to attend on behalf of the team.   Please feel free to send Mark/Jill questions ahead of time.   At the Coaches meeting, we want to focus on the unique aspects of this tournament and try not to get into complicated discussions about rules, table setup, etc.

The latest Q&A is the official word and the head referee will make final determinations based on version posted Friday 1/15 at noon.

When you arrive, you will need to know which pit area to go to. There are 2 PIT areas:   (LEFT = SOUTH = LEMON YELLOW = Pit #1-24)  and (RIGHT = NORTH = GREEN = Pit #25-48).    Please know which one you are in.     Important: Some team names are very similar, please know your team number to exactly identify your team.  The detailed schedules will be posted a few days before the tournament but you will get your team’s information before that once we have your items 1-10 plus payment.

 

VERY IMPORTANT: The pit areas will be open to the public. This means that your team probably should have someone that can hang out at your pit table while the team is away. Be aware that the public will have access to all areas. Each team is responsible for their “stuff” and hopefully we can watch out for each other, but please don’t count on it. Also like last year, you will have access to your pit table through your 4th competition round.  Please make a point of returning to your pit table immediately after your final round and start cleaning up – we are expecting you to help to get your pit table and chairs downstairs and stacked neatly for pickup.

If you bring a team banner/poster, please hang it on the wall with gaffer’s tape or painter’s tape (aka Blue Tape) only. Please do not use any other kind of tape or adhesive. A small amount of gaffer’s tape will be available. Locally, Orchard Supply Hardware carries gaffer’s tape.

Participation medals will be handed out to each team member and coach during the day in the Cougar Commons (aka cafeteria) along with a photo opportunity!  Your team has a pre-determined time slot.  If the line backs up or if you don’t feel like you have enough time to get between activities, you can go after 2pm but you must do this by 4:30pm.  

 

Robotic Performance Competition & Scoring:

• Each team will attempt the robotics challenge in 4 separate rounds during the tournament day.
• There are 3 pairs of competition tables – labeled RED {1,2},  WHITE {1,2} and BLUE{1,2} similar to the regional tournaments.
• Unlike at the regionals, we will not have a practice round.
• Robot performance awards will be based on the single highest score, with ties being determined by 2nd, 3rd and 4th highest scores.  If this does not break the tie, then we will award multiple trophies as needed.  We will do a coin toss (or something similar) to determine which team gets the trophy on the day of the tournament.   We may have difficulty in ordering additional LEGO trophies at this point in the season but we will do our best to do so.
• Review the latest Q&A posted on the FLL site as of Friday 1/15 at noon for clarifications and official rulings.
• Each team may have only team members on the competition floor during their performance rounds. There will be a very small designated area to stand on the competition floor near the team’s table and the team is not allowed to roam out of the designated area.
• Similar to previous years, no coaches will be allowed on the competition floor but instead we will have a marked off area for 1 additional person to stand nearby when the team is competing.  All other coaches/parents/mentors/non-team members need to be sitting in the stands!
• Each team will have their robot inspected prior to every round. The robot inspection table will be on the competition floor at the team entrance.
• Reminder that only 2 team members may be at the competition table at a time except during catastrophic events such as the robot falling apart and at the referee’s discretion. Rotating of team members is absolutely fine and encouraged – just remember that when a new member rotates in, the other has to rotate out.
• The team will queue in their PIT area according to the pit queue manager and then will be sent to the competition area. Note that your competition round may be earlier or later than scheduled. It is important to stay alert to changes and have someone at your pit table at all times that knows where the team is. [The only exception is the first 6 morning teams as they will queue on the competition floor shortly after the opening ceremony]
• It is a good idea to designate a single team member as the score reviewer. We will ask the referees to go over the scoresheet with the team member and then have the team member sign off on how it is marked.
• If the team has a question about a robot score sheet, a team member (not the coach) must bring it to the attention of the head referee immediately, before leaving the competition table and before signing off on the form. The head referee’s decisions are final. There is no escalation for the competition scoring beyond the head referee. 
• If there is a problem with the robot score as entered (and displayed), please assign a team member to nicely ask to review the score as entered.  It has happened that there is a translation or entry error in entering the score itself to be displayed, so just calmly ask for it to be reviewed if you suspect an error. We will have a “Question Box” area marked off for 1 or 2 team members to stand in if they have a question for the head referee about the score.
• IMPORTANT: The robot will not be allowed to continue to run after the 2.5 minutes is completed. When the time is up, no further action of the robot will be counted.
• Note that teams can not bring extra robots, motors, game elements (crash test dummy and mini-figs),  laptops etc to the competition floor area. A team may only bring to the competition floor the maximum electrical pieces as defined in the “Materials” section of the Rules. You may have your entire LEGO kit and multiple robots to your pit table. The restriction is on what items you bring to the competition floor.
• If your team’s strategy includes picking up your robot, just let the referee know ahead of time.
• Remember that the team may not touch the field elements before, during or after their competition round.  Intentionally resetting or checking a field element by the team is explicitly not allowed. 
• The team is responsible for asking the referee to check the game elements before their round to ensure that all elements are fully dual-locked and setup properly. 
• You may not bring a laptop up to a PIT practice table or the competition tables – only robots allowed.
• NO BLUETOOTH ENABLED AT ANY TIME!
• We will not be using lights on the competition tables.
•  If you need to calibrate a light sensor, you will be given at most 2 minutes on a challenge table to do so prior to the start of the morning rounds between 7:45 to 8:15am and again between 11:45am to 12:15pm before the afternoon rounds. This is a tightly controlled calibration-only check. You will not be able to do practice runs on the competition tables.
• You are welcome to calibrate your sensor during your normal “1 minute” setup time prior to each game round.  Remember that you can not interact / interfere with the game field during this time.
• [new 1/10]:  We will have a “TV Tray” at each table to hold field elements that have been removed from the field.   

 

 

Judging:

You need to be queued for judging at least 5 minutes prior to your judging sessions.

• Judging will be done in 3, 12-minute sessions scheduled every 20 minutes.  This is longer than what you (or the judges) have had previously.
• The 3 judging slots are for judging the Project Presentation (P), Robot Design (D) and Teamwork (T).
• The team will have 12 minutes with each judging panel and then the judges will have 8 minutes to deliberate / evaluate the team according to FIRST rubrics (published in the coaches’ manual). This means that the team will be outside for at least 8 minutes in between judging sessions – please take note of the weather conditions and have a plan for protecting the team’s presentation and robot from the weather.
• You must attend all judging sessions.
• The 12 minute session is the entire time that your team has with the judges for that topic. This means that all setup/tear down, presentation and Q&A must occur within the time frame.
• We recommend a project presentation of no more than 4-5 minutes to allow amble time for the judges to ask questions.
• There will be a challenge table in each robot design judging room, but it will not be lighted.
• We are not allowing any non-team members (adults or mentors) to attend the judging sessions. 
• Each judged area (robot design, teamwork and research project) has 4 parallel groups of judges. Your team has been assigned to one of the groups   An annotated Campus Map that includes the details for the Judging Rooms will be posted once we have the exact rooms to be used.
• Bring all materials (all programs, robot(s) and all attachments, all of your project presentation materials and any material to hand to the teamwork judging) needed for all judging when you go. You will not have time in between judging sessions to return to the pits get items.
• IMPORTANT : Although rare, it is possible that the judges will need to have callbacks. This is at their discretion. If callbacks are needed, they will do their utmost to take into consideration your team’s schedule.
• Space is limited in the judging areas, so take this into consideration when planning out your project presentation!
• You will be presenting to a panel of 2 to 3 judges.  We are unable to use any equipment that may exist in the room and we are unable to promise access to electrical power, etc.   Please take this into consideration.

 

What to Expect

• Emergency Contact Number for the day of the tournament is:  (510) 517-8826.
• After the team’s 4th competition round (sometime between 3 and 4:30pm), we will have some volunteers focused on clearing the PIT areas – please help by getting your table clear and helping to bring the pit table and chairs downstairs. We will not start the closing ceremony until all PIT areas are completely clean.
• New this year:  Your team will NOT have a provided team flag sign but we recommend that you create one to help with team identification.   
• We are not going to have an Alliance Round this year but instead are doing a Kids Choice Awards. More details are coming…
• Cancellations CANNOT be accepted. However if you know that you can not attend, the earlier that you can tell us the better, as it may give someone else a chance to come. We can not give refunds even if a replacement team is found.
• Individual team schedules can not be changed. It is a convenience to the teams and their families to post them early (typically posted at least 1 week prior to the tournament) – please don’t make us sorry by requesting changes. Teams were randomly assigned with deference given only to the distance being traveled.
• Teams will be given only a few minutes to check the lighting conditions on the competition tables to allow for light sensor calibration only during specific times listed above. All other practice should be on the pit practice tables.
• The pit area is OPEN to the public. Here’s the layout (link coming soon) of the pit areas that includes the pit table numbers.
• Officials (judges, referee, and field crew), the media and some VIPs will be wearing identification for access to the competition floor. NO OTHER PERSONS WILL BE ALLOWED INSIDE THE COMPETITION AREA EXCEPT DURING THEIR TEAM’S ROUNDS. There are no exceptions to this rule.
• Plenty of bleacher seating will be available in the Event Center (Competition Area).
• PIT space should be not too tight this year –  please help us keep the chaos at a minimum by not hanging out there with a lot of visitors.
• Absolutely no food or drink is allowed in the Event Center – on either the competition floor or in the PIT area.  All spaces are gym floors and we need to protect them!
• There is plenty of space in the Cougar Commons (aka cafeteria) – all eating and hanging out should be done there.
• If you need to hang out at the PITs for your team, we do recommend that you bring a folding chair with you for the PIT area as seating will be limited – only 4 chairs will be provided to each team at their pit table.
• Referees and Judges have the final say on all calls.
• Coaches or other adults that argue/discuss/deliberate/revisit/question with any referee, judge or other volunteer will be asked to leave! Many times parents and/or coaches don’t realize the intensity of their questioning. We do not want any of our volunteer judges or referees to engage in discussions with anyone other than team members. We are serious about this – there is campus security available if needed.
• Please behave yourself or stay home.  IT IS ABOUT THE KIDS !
• We encourage teams to use their downtime to:  observe and ask other team about their robots and projects in order to vote for the Kids Choice Awards!   Also, teams can watch other teams compete, tour the pits, eat lunch (in the student commons / cafeteria area), practice the team’s own presentation, or make final tuning modifications to their own robot or programs.
• Food and drinks (water, soda) will be sold on site at a reasonable price. More information about lunch items will be available shortly.
• The event is open and free to the public. Please invite your team’s classmates, teachers, school board members, local media and your colleagues.
• If you have someone that you think might be interested in learning more about FLL, please let us know as there is a VIP dessert reception between 1:30-2:30pm in the library – let us know who is coming so that we can be prepared. Ask them to check-in at the library  (behind the cafeteria)  no later than 1:30pm. The reception will be in the library and is expected to last no longer than 45 minutes.
• Tournament souvenirs (including a custom Championship shirt/sweatshirt) may be sold at the tournament.  We are still looking at options.
• Again, coaches and parents are asked to refrain from engaging in confrontations with any tournament officials or any volunteer. Such confrontations can lead to a team becoming disqualified and/or the coach or parent being barred from the tournament area.
• FLL is a kid-directed activity and all aspects are required to be done by the team members themselves and not the mentors, coaches or others. We will have “roaming” judges wandering the pits and other areas to watch for both positive things such as Gracious Professionalism as well as the negatives such as over-involved parents or coaches. Please do not undermine your team’s chances to be recognized with an award for their efforts.
• Remember, everyone at the tournament is a volunteer and doing the best they can. Please respect each other and let our volunteers know how much you appreciate their efforts. Remember that we can not put on a tournament without volunteers – please treat them well.

• We will be following FLL guidelines in how the awards are given.
  • A team may win up to 2 awards only if one of them is for Robot Performance.
  • The Champion’s Award is based on equal weighting of Robot Performance, Teamwork, Robot Design and Research Project Presentation.
  • The Research Presentation Award winner is the team that excels in the areas of Research Quality, Innovative Solution and Creative Presentation. The Robot Design Award winner is the team that excels in not just Robust and Innovative Design but also in Robust and Innovative Programming.
  • We do have special recognition awards including the website, Kids Choice Awards and similar  awards that are not part of the official FLL awards and are competely independent of these guidelines.

Please make sure to check the https://www.norcalfllc.org  web site for additional information and/or updates:

Tentative Tournament Schedule

 

 

CHECKLIST:   What to Bring:

• Please WEAR SOFT SOLED SHOES TO PROTECT THE GYM FLOORS!
• Download and print a copy of your team’s detailed schedule (posted after the team’s registration is complete)
• Bring a laptop computer with your programs on it. We recommend battery backup. Also, we recommend having a backup of your programs on a thumb drive, CD or other media in case the unthinkable happens.
• Bring a power strip and an extension cord (at least 8 ft) for supplying power to your computer at the pit area table. Power will be available, but it may not be directly at your team’s pit table.
• Bring a team flag and pole. We will not be providing flag poles for teams.
• Bring something to protect your project presentation materials, robot and other items from the weather when you go to judging.  Judging rooms are in a separate building, so you will need to go outside and not all areas are covered.
• Bring your Mindstorms kit for making changes or repairs to your robot.
• Bring fresh batteries or your charger
• Bring a protective box to transport your robot for both the design judging and robot performance rounds. The pit area is on a different floor of the building than the competition floor. Robots don’t bounce like Tiggers, they break.
• Bring a box or cloth (aka a garage) to cover a RCX robot and IR tower during program downloads. All RCX robots must be covered during downloading programs and downloading can only be done in the team’s pit area. Do not use tape on your RCX.
• Bring your team members (make sure you know how they are getting to the tournament)
• Bring money to buy food and tournament souvenirs.
• Cell phone number of someone that can reach your team late in the tournament day in case of judge’s callbacks.
• Bring a great attitude and enthusiasm – it is a long day and many things can go wrong. The team members’ outlook is typically related to the outlook of the adults around them: parents, mentors and coaches. FIRST LEGO League is about the season – the journey. Going to the championship tournament is a great achievement – don’t diminish the achievements of the team due to just one day (good or bad)!

OPTIONAL ITEMS – Useful for Kids Choice Awards

• Bring a project board that is related to your research project. This can be displayed in your pit area to highlight your FLL season. This is like a “science fair” project board for your pit table.
• Bring Pit decorations to show off your team’s unique spirit
• Bring team costumes or similar to show off your team’s unique spirit
  
• Bring small team “swaps” to share with other teams
  
• Bring a team poster. Be sure to include your team name & number and something relating to this year’s theme (make sure it isn’t too heavy to be held up with tape!) This will be hung on the walls of your pit area as decoration.
• Bring extra folding chairs – we will have only 4 chairs available per team.

 

 

Thanks for reading all of this and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
 

Mark Edelman and Jill Wilker
Directors, Championship FLL Tournament