Quote:
Originally Posted by Nemo
Holding regionals in expensive arenas with expensive lighting and sound and charging $9000 for two events is a bad model that stunts FRC's potential to grow. Put events in high school gyms with fewer teams per event. Make it possible for every team to attend two events for their initial $5000 registration fee. Zondag says it better than I do in his FIRST in Michigan district system FAQ. |
I actually think this is a terrible idea. When funds were getting low at the Wisconsin Regional and there were ideas of downsizing it to a college gym, I shuddered at the thought! There is something so awe inspiring about being in a huge arena, running robots instead of watching someone playing sports. Seeing the huge event just for robotics was so inspiring to me when I was a young freshman, something that could only be topped by attending the World Championship in Atlanta.
Since so few teams get to attend the World Championship, (and everyone seems to want to continue downsizing that number) if you start just holding events in dinky gymnasiums, all that inspiration goes away. While attending more events like the district system for a lower cost is a really great idea, I think bringing down the magnitude also reduces the impact of FIRST around you. Instead of helping it to grow, I think you are impeding growth by having FIRST events wither away from large, very public venues to small high schools that are in all probability off the beaten path and not nearly as inviting to outsiders who we are supposed to be attracting to FIRST.