General Info

Please check the website as the event date approaches for updates to the event.

Please be flexible as our agenda is tentative and subject to change. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please email [email protected].

Location: The event will take place Highland Elementary School in their gym. They are located at 330 Brame Road in Ridgeland. You will come through the breezeway from the parking lot on the side of the building. Please do NOT enter from the front of the building. Please also be aware that this is a regular school day, so we need to respect that classes will be going on throughout the building. We will stay in the gym and should not leave the gym for any reason. There are restrooms located inside the gym.

Agenda: Thursday, October 17 (***please note the change in closing time)

• 8:00 am—Doors open (please enter from the back door at the gym)
• 8:30 am—Inspection, interviews and skills begin
• 10:00 am—Team meeting
• 10:15 am—Qualification matches begin
• 11:30 pm—Lunch break
• 12:00 pm—Qualification matches resume
• 2:00 pm—Finals begin
• 2:15 pm—Awards 
• 2:30 pm—Closing (***You will not be able to exit the building until 2:30 so that we are not getting mixed into the HES dismissal process.)

Lunch: You will need to bring your own lunches. We will NOT have concessions available for purchase.

Consent Forms: All participants must have a Participant Release Form on file. It is the responsibility of the Team’s Primary Contact to make sure this occurs. A link to the instructions on how to submit a Participant Release Form is found HERE.

Digital Notebook: A digital Engineering Notebook (or scanned copy of a written notebook) must be submitted to qualify for the Excellence Award and Design Award. Engineering notebooks will be submitted digitally for evaluation via a link found within the "My Account" panel of the team contact on RobotEvents. Notebooks must be submitted by 5:00 pm on Friday, October 11, 2024 if you want it considered for judging. The notebook is only shared with event staff, including the Event Partner, Judge Advisor, and Judges, and may include the REC Foundation RSM. Details on this process are given in the Judge Guide Addendum.

Innovate Award:  To be considered for the Innovate award, you must include a completed Innovate Award Submission Form in your digital notebook. The completed form should be inserted immediately after the Engineering Notebook’s cover page. Teams may only submit one aspect of their design to be considered for this award at each event. Submission of multiple aspects will nullify the team’s consideration for this award.

Inspection: Inspection is scheduled first thing in the morning. All teams must pass inspection to be allowed to compete in either skills or qualification matches. Please be prepared and ensure that your robot will pass inspection BEFORE the competition by reviewing the INSPECTION CHECKLIST.

Interviews: All teams will be interviewed in-person at the event. Judges will come to interview teams in the morning prior to qualification matches. Please leave a representative at your pit area at all times so they can come get you when the judges are ready for your team.

Tournament: Teams should carefully review the GAME MANUAL. Know the rules!! We will be running 3 fields at the tournament with two running at a time. Please help to make sure your teams are on the field when they need to be.

Volunteers: Please consider volunteering at our event by clicking HERE. You are welcome to share this link with parents, family and friends.

Awards: We will be giving out the following awards:

• Excellence Award
• Teamwork Champions Award (2 teams)
• Design Award
• Robot Skills Champion
• Judges Award (2)
• Innovate Award
• Create Award

Theme: The theme for this tournament is DON’T STOP “BALL”IEVING. Dress and decorate your pit area to celebrate your favorite sports team, and you may just win a prize for Best Dressed or Best Decorations!!

Payment is due two weeks after a team is registered or immediately if after October 1 unless other arrangements are made with the EP.  All teams not paid after two weeks of registration will be moved to the waitlist and may be added back in, IF there is still room on the roster. If your registration payment process takes longer than two week, clear communication will keep teams from being moved to the Waitlist.  

If you have any questions or issues prior to the day of the event, please feel free to contact Jennifer Richardson by email at [email protected] or by phone at 601.259.4381.

Grade Level: All

Skills Challenge Offered: Yes

Judging Format: Remote Engineering Notebooks