I bought brand new anti-static field tiles for this year’s competition, Spin Up. I was very happy to get a new set that would last me for a few seasons. I am thoroughly disheartened now that we are towards the end of the Spin Up season.
Throughout this season of Spin Up, the VEX game elements, in particular the low goal boundaries, were poorly planned and implemented in this years field set up. Even with iterations on how the field should be set up to secure the low goal boundaries, the destruction of the field tiles seems to be unavoidable.
I am wondering if anyone else is dealing with the destruction of the 16 tiles at the connection of the low goal boundaries. I witnessed this problem at the US Open, and I will certainly be paying attention to how the fields are handling the competition at Worlds.
To me, VEX should give all teams a chance to purchase new tiles at a discounted rate or, better yet, make them free for all registered organizations from the 2022-2023 season, Spin Up. With over $1,000,000 in registration fees alone for worlds, I feel that VEX should take it upon themselves to serve the community that keeps them in business and provide an avenue to rectify this oversight in game field management that led to serious destruction to reusable field tiles.
If there is a VEX representative that reads this and knows that this is an issue, I would love to know the preliminary plans to alleviate the stress and monetary loss that each organization is feeling from having their field tiles ruined from VEX Spin Up.
Long time VRC coach/EP here (10th season). Indeed, low goals were a problem with regards to small tears. We reassign where slightly torn tiles are place (edges or corner of field). We have not had total loss of tiles due to low goals - we run 11 fields during season (we run regional championships - HS has 9 fields up - plus our workshop practice fields). Where we had total loss of multiple tiles was due to middle school teams soaking their robots with WD40… not pleased.
I sympathize, but asking global discount is likely to be extreme. VEX sells 4 pack of tiles for $35.
Low goal issues were well known early in the season and documented on how to mitigate tears (somewhat) in the game manual. Also, wondering why ask at end of season? Did you contact VEX support about your issues (16 tile loss for one field is a lot to be sure).
Do note Worlds is run by RECF, which is not a VEX company.
Middle school kids - not known for thinking it through, or carefully reading the Game Manual.
When running many events and fields, we cycle through tiles every season. Competition fields get the nicest ones, then skills, then practice fields probably have the most beat up tiles (apart from the ones in our MS workshop…)
Bruh isn’t that the truth, we got a drill press recently yet my kids would rather use a drill. They got so caught up I wasn’t paying attention, and they drilled holes into their work table -_-.
All I asked was why they didn’t use the drill press, and they had no issue throwing their team mates under the bus instead of answering the question.