We're always in training mode of new drivers. Throughout the regular competition, 4 students switch through the drive/op positions. At off-season competitions, anyone who comes can drive/op/hp... that's our ploy to try to attract more students. Due to the stiff competition of Battlecry, sometimes we limit it to only those who have ever touched the controls before, rather than complete rookies.

Re: I DUNNO...
 

AHAHAHAHA, "sponsors galore...have sponsors actually fighting over them!!" ... funny. Now, if only that were true.

U DON'T?
 

JoeL J:
I thought this was kinda common sense? i mean u would think companies would want to sponsor the best team in the nation (in theory)?
EH, GIMME A BRAKE I'M A ROOKIE:(
:rolleyes:

yeah trust me, winning has nothing to do with sponsorship
we figured after a regional win and a regional chairmans, we should have no trouble finding a sponsor to get us down to florida... nope everyone had to pay themselves

Being on Rage when we won Battlecry two years ago, and this year when we won nats, I can tell you from experience that winning nats is much bigger. The honor of winning battlecry is only recognized to those who have participated and watched it very closely. Those teams/people are far outnumbered by the people who compete/watch nationals. If you say you won battlecry than any team from the northeast knows what your talking about and is impressed, but the teams from the other parts of the contry only know what it is from the talk about it, which you know doesn't do justice for it. If you say you won nationals then everybody knows what your talking about, even the rookies:p
Winning Nats and Battlecry in the same year:p Well we'll see:D

Ok don’t take this the wrong way but you guys must be doing something wrong. I mean don't get me wrong; sponsorship is hard to find for all teams, but being the only FIRST team in your state I would think you guys have an easier time finding sponsorship than the states who have multiple first teams and especially states with multiple first teams in one city!!!
I seriously think that is on of the flaws in Deans plan to include all high schools in the country in FIRST.....After a while, there will be no sponsors to turn to if there is multiple teams vying for sponsors in one area!

I assure you we are doing nothing wrong. To tell you the truth, I think that it is easier getting a sponsor in a place where there is a lot of FIRST teams. At least they would know what FIRST is. In Rhode Island, especially living in a section where there is not that many corporations. The biggest here is the Navy and Navsea. There are a couple of corporations in Providence but they typically don't sponsor anything that far away from them.

Now for winning competitions, you win a sponsorship, is very rare. To tell you the truth the only one I can think of is Pepsi and 71. But that could have been a done deal before the national competition last year.

WELL...
 

Why don't you just get sponsors outside your area? When a team wins nationals pretty much everybody knows them. Most of the big team sponsors are nation-wide corperations anyway!

Congratulations to all teams who participated at BattleCry III - it was an amazing and exciting event and the finals were spectacular. Thanks to team 190 and all the volunteers, judges, referees, etc. for hosting the event.
A special shout-out to our rookie drivers Kevin and Talon - they have one summer competition's worth of experience betweem them and they did a great job today. We were psyched!
Again, good job to all.

~Synthia

Nationals is better, without a doubt.

Hmm... having placed 1st out of 289 teams or 1st out of 30 teams? Hmmm.... I'd have to go with the 289 teams...