[Mark McLeod]

Another problem, just with getting rookies into whatever their home regional is thought to be, is that they are traditionally the group that takes the longest to register. Most events are filled before half the rookies have signed up. That's why FIRST insists on every event having 10 reserved slots.

Rookies have a lot more dominoes to setup than veterans, and they don't yet know what those dominoes even are: get initial funding in place, garner administrative permission, find teacher advisors, recruit EVERY student member, locate mentors, find a room for storage and working, find out what kinds of tools & materials are necessary and where/how to acquire them.
Very little starts before the school year (and FRC registration) begins, so a lot happens for rookies in the Fall.