Listen to the episode: [musicsingle file=”https://www.thevillargroup.com/ftcteam6024/wp-content/uploads/captains-log-entry-7-temporal-mayham.mp3″]
Tip #1 The biggest thing about tournaments is to enjoy yourself and be enjoyable! So that’s tip number one. Nobody wants to be around that grumpy team that cares way too much about their robot and being cool. So don’t be snotty, and treat all the other teams graciously. Make some friends!
Tip #2 is to have a lot of spirit- the more, the better. This goes hand in hand with tip number one. Being a fun team and being the team that everyone notices for their spirit is a great combination! Judges want to see you out there cheering the loudest. Wear your costumes, pass out buttons and pins, bring team signs or banners, think of some team chants or songs, and keep it up all day!
Tip #3 is to try to make the FIRST peoples’ lives easier by volunteering to help out, being on time for judging and all your matches, not complaining, and keeping a positive outlook. Remember that your robot IS going to explode, freeze up, have mechanical problems, light the ring on fire, murder your alliance partners, or all of the above, and you have to be prepared for that. Instead of freaking out about how the robot does or getting all mad at the refs for little things, just remember that your robot isn’t the most important thing you’re being judged on, and it’s more important that you enjoy yourself throughout the entire tournament.
There’s always going to be things that go wrong and you’re going to go home thinking about how if that one little malfunction hadn’t happened, you could’ve won first place! But that’s no fun. So instead DANCE! And cheer! And enjoy yourself as much as you can.
Tip #4 is to make yourself known to the other teams: network! You want to get chosen for the finals, so make sure the other teams know your robot and teamwork capabilities. And if you are looking for other teams to select as your alliance partner, DO NOT simply base it only on overall rankings. Look both at qualifying and ranking points, as well as design, and keep track of what happens during the matches. Good robots can have bad luck, and simple robots that can barely score can make it to the top of the list.
Tip #5 look forward to the chance to talk to judges throughout the day. You’re not just judged during your judging session! Judges will walk around and want to talk to you- it’s your opportunity to shine!
To Summarize:
Tip #1 is to be fun!
Tip #2 is to have as much spirit as possible
Tip #3 is to be as helpful as possible, keep a positive outlook, and never complain
Tip #4 is to network with the other teams
Tip #5 Talk to the judges
For more tips & tricks, listen to our radio show, Captain’s Log, every other Sunday at 7:00 PM.
http://mixlr.com/captains-log–2/