[Alpha Beta]

Some Pro’s from the meeting:

• More than twice as many qualification matches for a single $5,000 entry fee.
• After passing inspection and trying out the robot on a real field teams would still have a 6 hour fix-it window in their own shops to make improvements and then compete again.

o This could make a huge difference for those teams who struggle to compete the first weekend, especially if they can make some contacts with other teams to share resources or expertise before finishing their season!

• More qualification matches will give the ranking system for selecting alliance captains a better data set to function in and perhaps overcome some of the qualification schedule randomness.
• High School gymnasiums will force a smaller tournament size (Hale Arena was rated for up to 64 teams) and give each team a greater chance of being selected for eliminations.
• More time for judges to make the best selection for the traditional “Friday Night” awards.
• Significant cost savings over the large arena which (If corporate donors maintain their current level of giving) might be able to be used as grants to help offset travel expenses for those who would require hotel stays for the additional weekend.

Some Con’s from the meeting:

• All teams have to commit to both weekends, increasing the time commitment significantly over our current system.
• Need twice as many volunteers or a bigger time commitment from our current slate of volunteers.
• Concern that the grandeur of the event, and its ability to attract sponsors, will be diminished.
• This event model has a smaller capacity and as a stand-alone event (instead of one that includes a district championship) has limited room for growth.
• Would miss some of the competitive level and inspiration that the teams who travel in from more distant locations bring to the tournament.

FYI: According to FIRST there were 39 teams within a 50 mile radius of Hale Arena’s Zip Code that competed in “Ultimate Ascent”. (And according to “Where in the world is FIRST” it looks like there are another 7 or 8 teams a little farther out who can claim KC as their closest regional.) There was no discussion on if there would be a geographical area that would be given priority registration in this model, but it is one of the pressing questions.