I am a competitor for this year’s VEX Competition Tower Takeover. I was at a comp last weekend and the excellence award was given to a team who was under the coaching of the comp headmaster. The thing was we never got interviewed for the award. No one came around to give the interviews and nothing was done to make the interviews happen. My question is that is it still valid to have an excellence award when no interviews were conducted. I can say firmly that none of the other teams that are with me had interviews either because I am one that stays at the table and programs and waits for those interviewers. If anyone could clear this up for me that would be great!
2 Likes
Did any of you turn in engineering notebooks?
We did. Ours was turned in at the beginning of the tournament.
You might want to contact your regional support manager and avoid posting too much about this here on the forum.
5 Likes
Ok, thanks for the heads up. I’ll end the thread here. Just didn’t know who to ask about the situation.
Just to check, did the team get interviewed just after a match? Our judges have been trying to do more interviews in the pits or just after a team competes. They have a chance to see the robot in action and gives a place to start a discussion (cool three flip guide, how did you get to that design).
But the advice to talk to the RSM is still the way to go…
2 Likes
Not all teams are guaranteed interviews. Events have the option of only interviewing the teams with the top engineering notebooks. That may be why you didn’t get an interview. Next tournament try asking the head judge - or any judge - who is getting interviews.
4 Likes
It is good to ask when you have questions. Usually, it is the EP, Judge Advisor at the event, and Regional Support Manager.
So you know, EPs (the ones running the event are not part of the judging process - the Judge Advisor is the one delegated to make sure the integrity of the process is maintained.
Not all teams will be interviewed.
I hope you are not discouraged by putting your best foot forward - there are plenty of resources for getting feedback about your progress.
Good luck!
2 Likes
Agreed - every team should be met.
However, let’s look at a early season event - do they have enough staffing? If they don’t, what is the fall back?
I would not read too much into the event from scant information we have. How many team? no idea. How many judges? no idea? How many judged awards at event? no idea…
I can see an EP with Excellence, Design, and TC having a small crew.
2 Likes
I always try and schedule enough judges and I ask them to interview all teams. I have had situations Where only two of the 6 showed up for a 24 team event, and they just don’t have the time.
With that said, please volunteer when you can… And you can probably judge or ref at an IQ event next weekend. Even though they are IQ, it will give you a much greater understanding of how the process works.
4 Likes
Yeah, we only had 3 judges. Two for the field and the head judge.
I also did email the Regional Support Manager for my state, and she said that, "Only teams identified as Design Award Finalists are guaranteed an interview for Excellence. If you have further questions, I am happy to find out what I can. I will need to know the event you attended and your team number. "
Don’t confuse referees, the people at the fields making sure game matches are run to the rules in the game manual.
Judges usually are reading notebooks and meeting teams in the pit area.
4 Likes
So I would continue to work with your RSM.
I am an event partner and at my last tournament my teams got all of the states spots. If my RSM came up to me and said that they heard some concerns and wanted to attend my next competition I would welcome that.
It’s just not uncommon for event partners to be great coaches with experienced teams. So, their teams will naturally do well because of those other factors.
It is very uncommon, but there have also been instances where people can’t be event partners anymore because of issues at tournaments. The RECF takes this stuff very seriously but the only way they find out there is a problem is if people raise it to their attention. Again, this is incredibly rare, but you should always direct these concerns to the RSM. They do not take any of this lightly, even if their responses seem like they are.
4 Likes
Hmm… if that is the case then I don’t recall any judges what so ever come out even for people needed an interview. The people who got the excellence award were sitting right next to us complaining about not getting an interview.
This topic was automatically closed 365 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.