General Info

Lockport Township High School is pleased to host our annual VRC tournament.  This year the tournament and skills fields will be in our gymnasium   with plenty of bleacher seating and the pit area and practice fields will be set up in the cafeteria, which is adjacent to the gym. 

We plan on having an event with 6 Qualification matches, alliance selection, then elimination rounds. Skills and Judging will be included.  The two skills fields will close at the end of qualification rounds. The event will be held in-person at our Lockport East Campus. We plan to offer consessions during qualification rounds at our event in the pit area in the cafeteria. There will be live feeds of each competition field on rolling video boards so all spectators have a good view of the action.

Team Payment

Teams must be paid by December 1, 2024. Teams not paid at this time will dropped to allow teams in from the wait list.  Proof of payment to RECF is acceptable before December 1st if teams are showing as unpaid in the system.  Please communicate any concerns with Event Partner Dan Mostyn ([email protected]) to prevent your team from being dropped unexpectedly.

Swapping of a Club's Teams Prior to the Tournament

If you would like a registered team swapped with another one of your teams that is not registered, the regional support contact from RECF will be contacted to approve any switch to ensure that RECF early bird rules registration rules are being followed before swtiches happen. No switches of teams will be allowed 4 weeks before the event date.  Please contact Dan Mostyn ([email protected]) with any concerns.

Parking

• There is parking in the lot north and west of the school on 7th Street for volunteers and spectators.
• There is overflow parking to the east of the school.  Busses can park in the east lot during the day. 
• Busses should drop students on the bus pad which is right in front of the cafeteria.  All students and spectators can enter through the cafeteria doors.
• There will be a check in table for all teams to check in.  Engineering notebooks should be submitted on the robot events website the Monday before the competition. Physical notebooks will not be accepted at this event. Only digital notebooks submitted through robot events will be accepted.

Late Arrivals 

Teams must be checked in 45 minutes prior to the start of the qualification matches so that the match schedule may be printed. Teams must contact the event partner (708-473-5730) if they are running late or they will be removed from the team list for the event. 

Setup

Two tournament fields, two skills fields, and the pit area will be located in the gymnasium and cafeteria.  Smart field control will be used, so make sure your robot has the latest firmware on the brain and is named with your team number and letter. There will be a designated cutting area. Teams will be provided with adequate power via outlets and extension cords to their pit area, but please bring power strips if your teams requires them.

Food/Drink

Please eat food in the cafeteria.  There will be concessions open in the cafeteria with muffins, donuts, pizza, hot dogs, popcorn, candy, snacks, and drinks for sale.  The stand will be open from 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM and will take cash or credit.  Preorders for full pizzas will be available (email with details forthcoming).

Competition Preparation

All teams should come prepared for competition. Here are a few steps that every team should take to ensure that they are prepared.

1. Review the rules and run through the V5 inspection checklist about a week before the competition so that there is ample time for adjustments. 

2. Read the document "101 Things I wish I’d Known Before My First VEX Tournament" if this is your first VEX Tournament.

3. Pack for the event the day before the day of departure.
Here are a few items that you don't want to forget:

• Goggles/Safety Glasses (everyone who is on the field MUST wear goggles/safety glasses)
• Spare parts & tools
• Batteries and chargers
• Programming cable
• Power strip
• Laptop computer
• Banners and other decorations for your team pit
• Giveaways if you have them

4. Remember that safety comes first, please don't bring tools that pose a safety risk to your team or others nearby. Cutting and grinding will be done in a specific area away from your pits.

5. Understand how the game will be played. VEX participants should thoroughly read the game rules.  Additional rulings and interpretations of the game rules can be found on the VEX Forums.

6. Read through the VEX Robot Troubleshooting Flowchart. 

7. To ensure that you have the latest version of firmware, make sure that you have the latest update of your programming software. The firmware update utility is available at the vexrobotics.com website.  

8. Participation and Consent Form - A completed form for all participants must be turned in online prior to check-in.

Grade Level: High School

Skills Challenge Offered: Yes

Judging Format: All In-Person Judging