[PriyankP]

Is it moral to build a practice bot knowing that there is a team out there that does not have the resources to build a practice robot? Hmm...

In my opinion there is nothing about building a practice robot that is not moral. In fact, every team should build one because by building a practice robot, you become a better, smarter and a more efficient team. There is a reason why people say "practice makes perfect." If you want to be perfect at a competition, you HAVE to practice. It's as simple as that. I can't even imagine how frustrating FRC regionals would be if teams decided to learn to play the game on the field, during the qualification matches. We all know how exciting 0 - 0 matches are. We all know how exciting the first day of a regional is from the stands.

There are many things that give teams an advantage other than a practice robot. For example, mentors and coaches! Having knowledgeable and dedicated mentors is a massive advantage! I think, that's what sets one team apart from the other 40-50 teams at a competition. Coaches who can make the correct split second decisions also give teams a huge advantage! Someone mentioned that their robotics program is a credit course in their district. This could also be a potential advantage as students might work harder to get marks as opposed to not being worried about marks by joining robotics as an extra-curricular activity.

In fact, there is no way every team will have equal chances of winning a competition or doing well in general. If you are at a disadvantage because of one thing, work harder! Or, try to gain a significant advantage in some other aspect of FIRST!