Team Growth in B.C.
 

Good to see the number of teams in British Columbia growing very significantly: five rookies registered for Western Canada Regional. Has there been a push by the provincial government to encourage participation in STEM competitions?

https://www.thebluealliance.com/event/2017abca

Re: Team Growth in B.C.
 

I've been surprised at the lack of teams from BC. There have been a few that have folded I think, unfortunately.

I can guess that part of the obstacle is the distance to events. Vancouver to Calgary is a 10 hour drive. I wonder if BC teams couldn't be allowed to join the PNW district (until they get enough to form a district of their own).

Re: Team Growth in B.C.
 

No government funding, but thankfully there is a major player in the BC tech industry who has stepped up to support FRC. The five teams you see are just the beginning of something very exciting. Perhaps it will help inspire the government to make an investment too... having a regional nearby isn't just good for the teams, after all.

Jason

P.S. If five teams caught your attention.... http://www.firstinspires.org/team-ev...a&stateprov=BC

Re: Team Growth in B.C.
 

I miss having Trobotics at competitions. Perhaps one of the new teams will use hockey sticks on their robot.

Re: Team Growth in B.C.
 

:) Thanks for the kind words... I've missed having a team for several years now, too. Well, to be perfectly honest, there have been some things that I haven't missed... and I have enjoyed volunteering at PNW District Events and helping 5742 and 6008 get started, and being part of the new team growth is very exciting... but it's not quite the same as having a bit of my heart and soul out there on the floor.

Jason

Re: Team Growth in B.C.
 

I believe that there will be many more teams starting up in B.C. next year because they are going to make a regional in Vancouver for 2018. There is going to be a large growth of teams in western Canada.

Re: Team Growth in B.C.
 

Now I will have a reason to visit my relatives in Vancouver in addition to the ones in Toronto during the competition season :)

Re: Team Growth in B.C.
 

The PNW District event in Mount Vernon is close enough to Vancouver to count as an excuse to visit this year... in fact, depending on where a future BC regional is hosted, the Mount Vernon district event will still be the nearest FRC event for many BC teams.

Jason

Re: Team Growth in B.C.
 

Please tell me those dope wood bots are making a comeback!

This year there will be 10 teams in BC with 9 of those being rookies. Hopefully that number will grow to 30 before there is a regional in Vancouver in 2018. And as the Regional Director for BC I am glad to see the growth and love the enthusiasm around growing this area. Thankfully Microsoft has stepped up to help fund our teams this year and get the program off the ground.

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Re: Team Growth in B.C.
 

I'm sure each of the new teams will develop their own "signature" style over the next few years. It took us a few years to find, embrace and establish our reputation for having fun with plywood.

But for the first year or two, I'll be expecting more than a few kitbot based designs!

Jason