Nationals? Why not World Championships?
 

I wonder if FIRST will ever stop calling it nationals and start calling it the world championships. Even though it takes place in the USA it has always involved teams from other places -Brazil, Canada, the UK, and now Germany. I guess that isnt enough teams from overseas but I really doubt there is any other program like this in other countries. The winners of nationals are sorta..could you say.. World Champs?

Maybe when FIRST expands even more?

They don't call it Nationals.

They call it 'The Championship Event', and have for the past year, or so, I believe.

Look on their website -- I couldn't find 'Nationals' on there...

Re: Nationals? Why not World Championships?
 

Well, right now, FIRST competitions are a very national thing, even though there are teams from other nations, all Regionals are in the US. The game is played entirely here. This will be appropriate when there are regionals in other countries :D

there is already a regional in Canada...but yea that does make sense.

Everyone calls it nationals so thats what was stuck in my head.

someday though it will be huge...

yeah there are teams in Canda, Brazil, the United Kingdom (Great Britain), and Germany. They're definately not calling it Nationals. Its been international for a while, hence its the U.S. F.I.R.S.T. Championship event.

FIRST dropped the US years ago because of the possiblity to grow international plus the fact there was a team from Canada. Also those (like me) that started in FIRST years ago when it was called nationals and you didn't have to qualify still call it Nats. Don't ask me why, but we do.

The Championship Event
 

Well from Canada I must point out that there IS a regional in Toronto, Canada, so that logic of US only events is void. As well there are now over 40 Canadian teams and I estimate 10 from other countries. When we joined FIRST its was US FIRST which sort of limited the view of the possible scale of the competition. Someone started a Canada FIRST and now we have to explain to everyone that we are the International Competition. It should stay the Championship Event, and in my opinion should change locations every year. Disney World was nice, but it got old, Houston is a refreshing change and I would like to see next years Championship in California or some where out west.

So call it the Championship Event, cause maybe someday a international team will win the "US National Event".

wait until there are lots of intl. teams then hold an north america vs. world torney!!! (like the NHL)

nah, not US versus the world...we already have that. But the Championships in other places every year would create difficulties. I hate to make a rant....but being in FLorida and so is Disney World...all we had to do was get a caravan of vans and leave early in the morning to be in time for piut openings. Now we must leave the day early to get to Houston (18 hours) but its a change of sencery which is a good thing. I'm kinda tired of Disney World...Epcot and MGM is good but the rest...you grow tired of it.

Re: The Championship Event
 

Well now even first calls it the championship event. Its no longer nationals, teams are just use to calling it nats because for a while there were no international teams, so you know no reason not to. It will always be called nationals by a majority of the teams, but the official name (or so it appears) is The Championship Event.

I still call it Nationals, even though it's been The Championship since last year. It's what I first knew it as, though. I guess I'm just resistant to change...

that's the problem with us veterans who've been around for a while. ;)

We have a trophy from the 1994 FIRST Championship event. Back then there were no regionals. The trophy doesn't say Nationals. It just says the Championship. So I'm not sure it was ever officially called the Nationals.

I think it might have been the National Championship, but I'm not positive about that.

Yeah but then there's our idiot (only my opinion) governor who basically siad something alon the lines of the fact that the State of Florida is glad and welcomes the FIRST National Championship.

Our 1996 banner says "National Champions"

Yeah, our banner from last year (2002 Championship Finalists)...I believe it says National Finalists but the ribbion with the medal doesn't.

When I brag to the members of my community, I always make it a point to say International finalist. Much more impressive.

The point is what does the banner say!?

I found the program from the 1994 Championship. It just talks about the Competition. However the winners from 1992 and 1993 are listed as "National Champions." But of course this was when it was "US FIRST" and was US only. I doubt it has been officially called the Nationals or National Championship since the addition of international teams and the dropping of US from the name.

archive.org keeps copies of websites from as far back as 1996. It was before the 1997 season that USFIRST became FIRST. The 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001 site all refer to the national championship. It is only 2002 and later that FIRST calls it just the championship. But, just like people call it USFIRST sometimes (even though that change happened 6 years ago), people still call it Nationals or National Championship, and probably will for quite some time.

Yeah, I looked at our 2002 banner....it says Championship Finalist on it.

World Champs... I like it! What about a regional in Brazil? :D
Wouldn't it be cool?