Team San Diego
As the eldest team in San Diego, Team 812 is the leader of the San Diego FIRST community. For EIGHT YEARS, we’ve pioneered the effort to recruit more teams in the area and to provide incomparable mentorship to these FRC teams. Our determination to support these teams led us establish Team San Diego, a coalition of all San Diego FIRST teams, in 2003.
Today, Team San Diego consists of 21 teams from throughout San Diego County. This coalition works together to facilitate the sharing of resources and to provide guaranteed support. Through Team San Diego, teams work together to build a high regard for math and science within our communities. We collaborate to make presentations and organize and promote series of events that are hosted.
The relationship that we fostered among all of the San Diego FIRST teams led to unmatched levels of collaboration. The entire region is responsible for efforts such as the San Diego Regional and is lauded by FIRST officials everywhere. In fact, the Team San Diego model is being emulated by teams beyond San Diego, teams who are also trying to facilitate cooperation, teamwork, and gracious professionalism among all FIRST teams.
Because of our courageous effort in uniting the San Diego FIRST teams, local teams have been able to succeed inside and outside of FIRST. Under our leadership, teams from the Team San Diego coalition have won All-Star Rookie Award, Engineering Inspiration Away, Safety Award, Daimler-Chrysler Team Spirit Award, Johnson and Johnson Sportsmanship Award, Perkins Entrepreneurship Award, and the Chairman’s Award at multiple regional competitions and even at Championships.
FIRST ROBOTICS PRE-SHIP EXPO
The San Diego FIRST Pre-Ship Expo was established in order to educated prospective community members, leaders, educators, and students about the FIRST Robotics Program. Led by Team 812, Team San Diego collaborates to put on the exposition, including promotion of the event to the community and the organization of pit and robot demonstrations.
This year, Team 812 was responsible for all aspects of planning the Pre-Ship Expo, including (1) contacting and confirming with all of the teams that they will be attending, (2) engaging the media, (3) facilitating concessions and barbeque, (3) gathering decoration, and (4) providing workshops that help Team San Diego teams in the construction of their robot, public relations, community outreach, and financial development.
Because of our leadership, the Pre-Ship Expo garnered the most media attention in the history of Team San Diego – we had news coverage from FOX, KUSI, UCSD, and the San Diego Union Tribune. FOX News was so overwhelmed by our enthusiasm to share FIRST that they invited us to do a live show the following week at their studio!
ANNUAL LOCK-IN AND SCRIMMAGE
Team San Diego hosts the Annual San Diego County Lock-in and Scrimmage. In the past, teams from California, Arizona, and Nevada have attended to compete in an informal post-season FIRST competition. At the Lock-In event, teams participating in the Scrimmage have the opportunity to socialize with other FIRST Robotics teams. Hosted at Madison High School, Team 812 members help coordinates the event. Coordination includes the creation of signs, robot preparations, presentations and listing an inventory of available necessities (i.e. toiletries, sleeping bags, etc.) that are unavailable for our participants. Team 812 members are also responsible for the preparation of the competition environment. Preparation includes setting up the playing field for the competition.
The event includes entertainment and food. Many attendees end up staying late enjoying the games and social environment with other FIRST participants. A Scrimmage very similar to the actual competition takes place consisting of practice rounds, qualifying rounds, alliance selections, finals, judges and referees. This friendly competition brings closure to the season. Members of the San Diego and Los Angeles community are invited to experience FIRST with Team San Diego and witness the hard work each team put into the competition
Because of the issues we’ve had in securing a venue in the past few years, Team 812 is currently working with UCSD to host the Lock-In and Scrimmage at UCSD! This partnership exemplifies how Team 812 is working to make our relationship with UCSD benefit the entire San Diego FIRST community.
SAN DIEGO SCIENCE ALLIANCE ROBOTICS EXPO
Each year, Team 812 partners with San Diego Science Alliance and acts as the primary contact team in organizing the San Diego Robotics Expo at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. Since 2006, Team 812 has worked with the San Diego Science Alliance to make opportunities available for Team San Diego teams to share their stories and how FIRST impacted them to over 300+ students, teachers, and parents.
AT&T HIGH TECH FAIR
For three years, Team 812 has partnered with the San Diego Science Alliance and AT&T to organize the FIRST exhibition at the annual AT&T High Tech Fair at the San Diego County Fair. The High Tech Fair attracts over 800+ students and teachers throughout the county every year and having a FIRST booth truly exposes our message of the power of math, science, and engineering throughout the county.
Since 2007, Team 812 has been the primary contact team for Team San Diego. Our partnership with the San Diego Science Alliance has led to increase sponsorship of FIRST teams by companies like BAE Systems because they recognized how dynamic we are in our communities.
