Is FIRST missing something?
 

Sitting here watching college football today, it occurred to me that sports has something that I haven't seen in FIRST: Rivalries. I grew up in Columbus OH, so I know all about sports rivalries. They can be both good and bad. On the plus side, they give the team, school, and community a reason to pull together and work towards a common goal. On the negative, they can be handled by individuals poorly.

Through the past 3 months of college football, I've looked forward to today's game against Michigan. As OSU continued to win, this game only grew in importance as the capstone to a great season. Even though I live 700 miles away now, I got pulled back into that community more and more as we got closer to today, and I think that can only be considered a good thing.

However, FIRST is set up to specifically discourage rivalries between two teams with the emphasis on Gracious Professionalism. I'm not saying that's a bad thing (I love how teams help each other out), but the competitions do lack something in the expectation and the build up towards a big game against a school rival. With the random alliances during the qualification matches, each match is viewed as a conglomeration, and a question of which random pairing is stronger. You'll look at your schedule and think "well, this one should be an easy match, but that one we're going to get trounced". Even in the Elimination matches, it's not about which teams your against, since you'll likely never had the exact same 2 alliances playing each other in multiple years. It's just about trying to get that win, like any other match but with higher stakes.

I would love to see a way for FIRST to let teams play the same alliances against each other every year (for specific rivalry setups). I know, with the regional structure you can't always guarantee that the same 6 teams will be at the same regional. But for the sake of argument lets say you can (for example, they all always sign up first at their local regional). It would be awesome to allow these teams to form their own alliances and rivalries in order to play "pride" matches at some point during the competition (During lunch? Between elimination matches? As the first match after opening ceremonies, or a final match to kick off closing ceremonies?). They wouldn't count for anything as far as the competition goes, but they would give the teams something to work towards beyond winning the competition. It would help to encourage teams to work together a bit more, at least as far as build season strategy and robot design. It could also help get the schools and communities more involved in the build up to the Big Game".

Just some musings after watching a day full of big school rivalry games.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

If this were implemented i would see it as practice matches and two teams with mentors and students that knew each other having a constant sense of trying to outdo each other, which could be wonderful. but i see, the newer kids who aren't use to a GP environment treating it with hate and making it a bad thing.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

Even without the match scheduler, rivalries can totally happen. Mentors on 2815 (backed by the University of South Carolina) and 4452 (in the shadow of Clemson University) have traded a few friendly jabs this week and last year when they were with other teams up there. There may or may not have been a bounty for getting one of our "IT'S GREAT TO BE A GAMECOCK" bumper stickers on their robot (though nobody did it). ;)

I suppose a on-field rivalry could be implied between us and 343. Set aside geography (they too are fairly close to Clemson) and our common ancestry (both teams have Donn Griffith at the top of the family tree), and you'll find we've crossed each other in eliminations there times in two seasons: Palmetto 2011 finals (1v4, we won), Peachtree 2012 quarterfinals (1v8, they won and ended up with silver), and Palmetto 2012 finals (2v8, we won). They put up a heck of a fight each time, but we'd just as gladly play with them!

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

I get what you mean, but I think you're in the wrong when you say "rivalries don't exist".

I think rivalries in FIRST are handled in a slightly more light-hearted manner in that, they are not rivalries per say, but just close teams who would love to butt heads.

I think that any time a powerhouse faces off against another powerhouse, it's sort of like two rivals going at each other. They both want it bad, and each team gets those "bragging" rights. But, after it's all over, everyone comes down on both feet, and no one feels worse for the wear.

If your definition of rivalry is where teams have die-hard fans, insults are endless, and the community is divided among the colors of their shirts, then perhaps rivalries aren't FIRST.

- Sunny G.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

It's definitely a hairy topic.

While overall I agree with you, one problem I could see are super-alliances. Imagine if very experienced teams that do well every year make their "alliance". Every year they'd be very strong and trounce tons of teams.

The way it's set up now diffuses the strength of those few really exceptional teams and "evens the playing field" sometimes (while at other times making for a very unbalanced game).

What we're trying to do for next year is work closely w/ a nearby team and practice together so that when we get to the regional we're confident in eachothers abilities and would be willing to choose eachother should either of us get to elims.

Something we do at debate tournaments (I know, a bit off topic) is called powering. I think powering would be great to use. Essentially, after every team has competed about 2-4 times, you begin to "power" them. You pair the lower ranked teams with other lower ranked teams and pit them against other lower ranked teams. You do likewise with higher ranked teams. That eliminates the disbalance between randomly selected opposing alliances that is often seen at regionals.

Doesn't address most of what you're saying, but it's a step forward.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

At the off-season competition, "Where's Wilcott" in CT, there's an extra team, called the TorMentors, Team 666. Mentors can sign up, to drive, coach, or be play human player, on Team 666 (This year the robot was 228, Gus Robotics's practice robot). Most mentors sign up to play when there own team is playing so that they can face them, or play with them. When they play against them, the announcer always makes a big deal of who will be better.

This is the most entertaining thing, because the mentors can rarely even drive the robot in a straight line. This year one of our mentors was a human player. When he was throwing the basketball in, it reflected of the wall and hit him. (caught on camera)

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

There are multiple "rivalries" in the Midwest (WI/IL/IN/MI - ish) alone, and one frequently sees "grudge matches" in the eliminations of events like Midwest Regional.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

I'm curious - are there any well known examples of scenarios where rivalries between schools in athletic sports have carried over into FIRST?

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

I think there's one between 3309 (servite) and 4141 (mater dei) but I'm not really sure... /s

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

I think there's one between 3309 (Servite) and 4141 (Mater Dei) /s

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

Oh, rivalries exist. Most of the time it's between teams from the same city, especially if there's collaboration. You get students from occasionally rivalling schools together, and there's bound to be a bit of competition to see who can do better, not just against each other, but overall.

Karthik has a great speech about the big Canadian rivalries too (188 vs 2056/1114). GTR 2010, F1.

My vote for most-storied rivalry? Gotta be 67 vs 1114:
2007. Curie Semis. 67 (1732+48) tops 1114 (469+1523) in 3 matches.
2008. Einstein Finals. 1114 (217+148) becomes World Champs (over 67+16+348).
2010. Einstein Finals. 67 (177+294) becomes World Champs (over 1114+469+2041).
2012. Archimedes Finals. 1114 (2056+4334) squeezes out a win vs 67 (2826+4143)

Fun fact: the last 2 times 67 met 1114 in the Champs Elims, they also had to beat 2056 (Einstein Semis 2010 (2056+1625+3138) and Archimedes Finals 2012) That's the birth of another great rivalry right there.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

Like I said, this was something I hadn't personally seen before... I'd be interested to hear about other rivalries in FIRST, and how the teams involved have treated it!

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

We have something kind of like rivalries in Florida. It is more like friendly banter. At Panther Prowl a member of 1902 was talking to a member of 180 and said "Do you know this is the first time since 2007 we have progressed further than you at a competition?" or in Orlando a member of 2383 walked up to me and said "This is the first time our team has ever beaten yours" though I do think that at Orlando this year it would be cool if there was an exhibition match between Pink and SPAM (as well as two teams of their choosing) since they were the Alliance captains of the two final teams on Einstein

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

Our lead mentor wont allow us to have a rivalry with the other high school in town (2470), which in all other sports is a rivalry. She says it is ungracious to have a rivalry between us and that we have to help them. These thoughts are of course unpopular with are students. Though this year we didnt have a rivalry match, but in order to try to win are last qualification match at 10k lakes regional we had to ram there fallen robot up the alliance bridge to attempt a double balance. (FYI it nearly worked)

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

I think all FIRST team relationships are, in essence, friendly rivalries -- with the emphasis on the "friendly", right where it should be.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

There might be a bit of a rivalry between us (111) and our friends, the Thunderchickens (217). We've met twice on Einstein so far: once in 2009, and again in 2011.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

And yet Wildstang would have no qualms about asking Thunderchickens onto their alliance, or accepting an invitation, if that would make for a beneficial combination.

That's the difference in rivalries in other sports - no alliances. In FIRST you want to beat teams; some teams you may even want to beat worse than others. Yet you need to remain on cordial terms because later in the weekend you may be working together.

It's one of the things that makes FRC unique, and in my opinion, better.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

I'd say that every team has their own rivalry going with another team somewhere. It's certainly not anything like college or pro rivalries, or even high school rivalries, but I think everyone has got a team or two that they face at a local regional and strive to do better than.

Karthik, being mentioned, he also had a pretty good 2056-1114 history speech at GTRWest last year.
There's also a friendly rivalry between the teams down in Texas, particularly 118 and 148, though that might just be an off the field prank rivalry...(Who says 148 is all serious and no fun? :D )

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

Our school, Saguaro High School, has a nationally known rivalry with 3019's school, Chaparral. Our football game is televised every year because both stands are always completely full. In the past, there has been violence surrounding the game, and most years there's some act of vandalism between the two schools.

Regardless of the rivalry in every other program (including other science competitions) our robotics teams work closely with each other. We share a mentor, a bit of build space, tools and a lot of knowledge.

I remember last year at the Arizona Regional one of our programmers was over in their pit helping them right up until they had to go into a match against us.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

And what makes FIRST great? 2006 GLR Included 1114,1503, and 67 on an alliance together that took gold. The first time these two teams ever faced each other in actual competition was Match 8 at that event. What a start to this explosive "rivalry" http://www.thebluealliance.com/match/2006glr_qm8

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

I think the main difference in rivalries between FIRST and conventional sports isn't the inclusion of GP or coopertition; it's simply a structural issue. We play so many teams in such a short amount of time for only 2-minute matches. The stands aren't split across the field between two rivals; they're filled with people from dozens of different teams who may or may not know each other. For the vast majority of our playing time, we don't know who we'll play, when, or with whom before the last day or two. There are exceptions, primarily based on geography (rival schools or colleges), heritage (same or friend/family mentors) or history (previous elimination play)--but these are inherently rarer.

On the other hand, it also creates a unique situation in which two good friends and/or hopeful elimination partners may meet across the field during quals. It's always fun giving a good trouncing to your friends or trying to shut down someone you're hoping will pick you. This is the most common "friendly rivalry" I see--at least a few per event--and it's definitely motivating!

You can also do stuff like this. 148 is professional at all times...no one said you couldn't be a professional prank-puller.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

This. All of this.

No matter how much we joke with the Clemson-area teams (even moreso after last night), we would never hold back on helping them or picking them for that. (Heck, 4452 picked us at SCRIW!)

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

There are definitely friendly rivalries all over FIRST, but a lot of the times, the teams would rather play with each other than against each other. I think one of the coolest aspects in FIRST is when teams from rival schools end up playing and winning together. Back in 2007, team 1516 picked 1280 to be their partners at SVR. California HS and San Ramon HS have a big rivalry in traditional sports, but they won the regional together. Word was their coaches had a tough time explaining when asked if they beat the other school.

Or when Palo Alto rivals 192 Gunn and 8 Paly are locking arms behind the driver station belting out the famous 192 ali-ali-acha chant as they prepare to face 254 and 100 in the finals.

This happens all the time in FIRST, and it's pretty great.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

As has been stated already, there are two types of rivalries: malignant rivalries, and playful rivalries.

Luckily, I know of only one or two malignant ones in FIRST. These should definitely be discouraged, as nothing good can come of them. Why spend time despising each other, when you could instead be helping each other out? Gracious Professionalism - take it to heart, make it your mantra. It goes right there with the big mottos like C'est la Vie, Carpe Diem, Hakuna Matata, etc.

As for playful rivalries, I think they maybe should even be encouraged. As Joe Brown said, "A challenge is an opportunity to prove your ability to yourself, and others." Take for example 118 and 148, which has already been talked about. They are two of the best teams in Texas, and both graciously and professionally 'nudge' each other, making one another strive for more. They are making each other grow, and causing each to try more to be the best they can be. In my eyes, 148's Operation Playhouse was genius. As long as both teams know that it's all in good fun and help each other out, I don't see any bad side to it. In our team's own experience, a few of our more experienced members and those on Team 25 commonly 'nudge' each other, making each of us try harder to excel. No hard feelings come of it, and we each make one another come a better team. For example, last year, Shaun, the drive coach of 25, made a bet with us saying that if they won World Championships, he would finally let us reveal the contents of his backpack. And, wah-lah, they won Champs for the second time in 12 years. If that's not excelling, I don't know what is. (Our next bet is that if we make it to Einstein this year, he will give us his backpack, and he will get a new, see-through one to wear ;)).

Anyway, my point is: if it's G.P., it's O.K.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

Biggest Rivalry in the FIRST world would be 1114 and 67. (second would be 1114 and 48 I believe, sorry to say it)
Biggest Rivalry in Canada would be 188/610 vs 1114/2056.
Biggest Rivalry in USA would be _________?


Biggest FIRST Domination/Combination would be 2056/1114. (10 Regional wins, Division Winners 2012, and World Semi-Finalists 2012, How can anyone argue that)

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

This is all the elimination play between 1918 and 2054 (most recent first)
2012 WMRI Finals - 1918 vs 2054
2012 West Michigan Finals - 1918, 85, 910 vs 2054, 3546, 141 (2054, 3546, 141 wins in 3 matches)
2011 MSC Quarterfinals - 1918, 494, 3539 vs 2054, 910, 2137 (2054, 910, 2137 wins in 3 matches)
2011 West Michigan Finals - 1918, 3357, 27 vs 2054, 67, 107 (1918, 3357, 27 wins in 2 matches)
2010 West Michigan Finals - 1918, 1718, 1896 vs 2054, 3357, 1243 (2054, 3357, 1243 wins in 2 matches)
2009 Lansing District Semifinals - 1918, 494, 470 vs 2054, 2767, 830 (1918, 494, 470 wins in 3 matches)

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

In 2010, Team 706 of Arrowhead High School played our longtime Athletic rivals Marquette team 1732 in the Finals of the Wisconsin Regional.

Unfortunately we lost due to some connection issues but it was a big deal for both teams.

http://www.thebluealliance.com/team/706/2010

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

We've started calling this a "Frivaly"; a portmanteau of friendship and rivalry. Our two teams have the utmost amount of respect for each other, and can often be seen hanging out and joking around both at and outside of events. It's a pretty neat dynamic that we're lucky to have with Team 67, and many other teams in FIRST.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

1382 and 1860 in Brazil!

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

Shaker High and Shenendehowa (Team 20's school) are big sports rivals, but in FRC we're good friends. I guess there's a bit of a friendly rivalry between us in that we often go the same events, and they have a tendency to win those events when we're in elims (see WPI 2010, CT 2012), but it's not nearly as vicious as our sports rivalry. We've been fortunate enough to have many qual matches with them, and we always seem to win those together...

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

We have a strange sort of rivalry in First. Rather than tearing down the other teams we challenge them to become better so in part we have to become better. It is a fragile chemistry. I would hate to see it degrade into some of the more notorious sports rivalries we see out there.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

My old team's school (Wheeler high School) has a rivalry with your school, but I think it's one sided.

As far as rivalries are concerned, 1648 likes to think of 1002 as long rivals because of similar performance in both FIRST and other robotics programs. Just some friendly ones though as motivators to get our team to improve.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

I'll echo the comments about "friendly" rivalries being common, and rivalries with true animosity being relatively rare. There are a few, but it typically stems from mentors who dislike each other and usually doesn't directly impact too many students.

As for all this talk of 67 v 1114 being the most storied rivalry in FRC... hogwash I say! That's one terrifically entertaining match-up with a lot of recent history, but it's got nothing on Wildstang and Beatty.
Here's a partial list of their on the field meetings. A lot of it has been lost to the dusts of history. The fact that both attend Midwest virtually every year adds to the rivalry, whether they end up meeting against each other in the elims or not.
2011 Midwest SF
2008 Midwest QF
2006 Midwest F
2006 Newton SF
2004 Archimedes QF
2002 Midwest F
2001 West Michigan F
2001 Einstein F

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

We did win Midwest in 2005 together though!

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

And Midwest 2001.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

I was on 766 (Menlo-Atherton) and was on the school's lacrosse team. There was never a time 766 had a rivalry with 254 (Bellarmine). There was a rivalry between the two schools Lacrosse teams, a pretty intense one. I am pretty sure the two schools never had a Track and Field rivalry. In fact I never seen a bitter rivalry between schools in track events. I think FIRST and track event share the same ethos when is come to rivalries, that they are friendly because we all seek to better ourselves together.

I have a theory that many cases of un-GP behavior stems from bitter school rivalries and an ignorance customs and traditions at FIRST events. From my perspective, these un-GP behavior would tolerable (perhaps barely) at a football or basketball game but completely out of line in track meet, chess tournament, robotics event and etc. I am sure it more complicated then that. I suppose to "boo" a school one day at a basketball game and to come to a robotics event and see the same school; it would not be far to stretch that an individual could mistakenly interpret what would be acceptable behavior.

The application of this is that I make sure my students know what is acceptable behavior, that rivalries are to be friendly and give them comparable examples that they could relate too. I might be stretching this topic a bit, I guess all I am saying I really hope none of my students will ever try to imitate a "sixth man club" at a robotics event.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

The two things that greatly mitigate rivalries in FIRST are probably

a) rivalries are usually seeded on fanbase vs. fanbase levels based on geography or similar levels of success on the field. In most cases, FIRST teams do not attract massive followings of a thousand townspeople to all events, and if they do, it's probably because there is one FIRST team between two rivaling high schools.

b) Self-interest in the alliance system requires teams to at least put on their happy faces around teams that could pick them for alliance selections, when the matches really count. If East High and West High build the best two robots, the smart move would be to pick each other and wipe the floor instead of risking it over pride.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

Even if this isn't a "rivalry" because it doesn't go both ways, everyone has teams that they really want to beat. Whether it is for some off the field reason, or just because they always have great robots, you just want to do whatever it takes to beat them. As long as there are no hostilities towards teams, it's a good thing because it serves as motivation to better yourselves as a team. (And it feels really great when you do beat them.)

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

This.

My team wants to beat your team. But my team wants your team to be at full strength, and we're willing to do whatever it takes to help you get there.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

The one rivalry that I think everyone is forgetting is Everyone v.s. 2056. No offense to OP, but I think everyone wants to see them lose a regional at some point! They almost lost when they came to FLR in 2011 (if only 340 had hung the last tube or gotten their minibot to go!) I think that is everyone's secret rivalry.

With that being said, no one wishes anything bad on 2056. We all want to see what robot they come up with this year. However, we all want to beat them at a regional at some point ;)

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

Oh man...that'd be historic. To be able to go on CD with a siggy saying "I captained the alliance that handed 2056 their first ever Regional loss"...new goal for the year. First, however, gotta get my butt over to a Canadian Regional, or convince their collective butts to come down to Kansas City. ::rolleyes:: I'm a huge 2056 fan, even more so than I am a fan of 1114!

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

While we're talking about 2056...
NOPE! Biggest rivalry in Canada is 1114 vs 2056.

Seriously. Sure, they team up when they can, but that doesn't discount the months these two teams spend every year working to outdo each other. And there are no two teams that I know that compete harder than when they are on opposite ends of the field. Nobody puts as much effort into beating 2056 than 1114 ;)

I know GTR West got talked about a lot, but seriously, just look at IRI. The past two years the real fire show has been in the semifinals:

2012. 1114 + 2826 + 4334 + 245 beat 2056 + 341 + 148 + 2168, goes on to win IRI. There's an eerie resemblance to the Archimedes finals where 3 of the most reliable triplers can't pull one off.

2011. 2056 + 33 + 217 + 359 top 1114 + 67 + 987 + 1732, goes on to win IRI. These matches were so close that it came down to a missed 1114 ubertube, the first time it happened all season.

And yet literally moments after being eliminated by their BFF, these guys are chatting it up, and generally poking fun at each other. That's what I call frivalry.

EDIT Fixed a silly mistake with the team numbers. D'oh!

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

I believe you mean 4334.

Heck, if 'Co-opertition' can become a word, we should be able to make 'frivalry' one too. Copyright it if we have to ;).

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

you clearly havent gone to any of the events in new england, there are multiple different rivalries up here.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

Rivalries are considered to be against the policy of GP, and because GP is FIRST's largest philosophy, I see no need for rivalries. And the rivalries also create tons of drama, take the college football world for example, and FIRST does not need to be like that. FIRST is its own wonderful program that does not need to aspire to be like any other organization or program.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

One of the things I always thought made FRC so much cooler than any other competition I have ever seen is the mixing of teams from match to match. The team you battled so furiously in th eprevious match is on your alliance. I chuckle at the thought of something like that applied in other sports. Can you imagine how itchy an alliance of Michigan and Ohio State would be in football?

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

The point is that our rivalries are different. We have friendly rivalries, teams that we are friends with but we also want to beat for "bragging rights". There's nothing hostile there, it just adds to the fun.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

2054 and 1918 in Michigan at least, Littleboy showed some data I didn't know
"This is all the elimination play between 1918 and 2054 (most recent first)
2012 WMRI Finals - 1918 vs 2054
2012 West Michigan Finals - 1918, 85, 910 vs 2054, 3546, 141 (2054, 3546, 141 wins in 3 matches)
2011 MSC Quarterfinals - 1918, 494, 3539 vs 2054, 910, 2137 (2054, 910, 2137 wins in 3 matches)
2011 West Michigan Finals - 1918, 3357, 27 vs 2054, 67, 107 (1918, 3357, 27 wins in 2 matches)
2010 West Michigan Finals - 1918, 1718, 1896 vs 2054, 3357, 1243 (2054, 3357, 1243 wins in 2 matches)
2009 Lansing District Semifinals - 1918, 494, 470 vs 2054, 2767, 830 (1918, 494, 470 wins in 3 matches)"
Also another encounter that stemmed off to FTC. The Middle School FTC team started by 1918 (6043) had competed against our two teams we started at our middle school (6283 and 5980). The competed against at the "FTC West Michigan Championship" 6043 won i.e. 1918.

When a rival high school in our area started a team (with the help of Andy Baker and Mark Koors) a few of the students joked about wanting to beat us bad but that has just led to the pair of us getting better as we practice together at our field. We hope that the "rivalry" will drive both teams to be better

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

Our school, `Iolani, has a rivalry with nearby Punahou, home of team 2090. The schools are academic rivals, sports rivals, they run competing fairs... there's ceaseless ribbing between students at the two.

Team 2090 is probably our closest friend in FRC; in fact, just five hours ago we were at their workshop swapping prototypes. The alliance system has a way of negating enmity like that. In 2011, when they picked us for the elimination rounds, there were a bunch of jokes in the pits about fights within our alliance. Our two teams put a stop to the jokes--by wearing each other's team shirts for the duration of the elimination rounds.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

I've seen some frivalry's between teams from different states around the Midwest. If you're at an out-of-state regional and there are other team's from your state at the same event, you'll see the teams rally together and cheer for their home state team's.

You see this in the Championship Divisions as well. I know that a lot of Wisconsin team's were coming together to watch & cheer on the WI team's in the Division finals this year.

It's also a lot of fun to see teams who have a parent as a mentor on one team vs their son/daughter, who is an alumnus of that team! It's happened a few time's at the Midwest regional before and the announcer's always point it out.

This year in the Northern Lights Regional in Duluth you'll have two alumni (and previous mentors), from FRC 1259 (WI) and FRC 1675 (WI), who are mentors for FRC 3184 (MN). It's the first time the alumni will be playing on a field with their high school teams and current team.

The alumni are looking forward to seeing their high school mentors/families AND there's a chance the lead mentor of FRC 3184 could end up playing with/against his younger brother from FRC 1259. It's going to be an AWESOME regional.

Re: Is FIRST missing something?
 

My old team 1629 actually takes this a step further than not having a rivalry. There are only 2 high schools in the county so while in most sports there's a big rivalry between Northern and Southern, there is only one FRC team so it's a chance for people from both sides of the rivalry to come together, hence the name The Garrett Coalition.

Our team does the same thing. We cover the whole county(5 schools) and 2 of is are die hard rivals but we come together for FRC and are on the same team. Our team color is orange because its not a school color for either of the teams. School rivals not FIRST rivals