I'll add one more personal tidbit about why we should not extend the build season, and maybe that will help some of you understand why many of us are against it.
My profession is a full time high-school teacher, teaching 5 classes with about 150 students total. I also like to help with mentoring a Lego robotics team at a local elementary school one day per week for much of the school year. I am also a Tech Leader for the school district which has about 6-8 meetings per year. Along with the teaching job, I am often wearing the hat of computer technician, machine maintenance technician, machinist, welder, procurement specialist, high altitude balloon chaser, and now auto mechanic and detailer (all associated with the teacher job).
In the fall and in the spring, I am a professor at the local community college two nights a week. This conveniently falls just before and just after the FIRST build season (by a matter of a couple days). Post-bag (like the day after) and before and during competition season, I'm teaching in a second job two nights a week. I already turned down teaching another class at both the high school and at the college, because I want the time for FIRST.
As a college professor, I make about $52/hr. As a teacher, even with the additional college class, I already don't make enough to afford a house in the area I work. Doing FIRST Robotics, I make about $1 an hour (stipend), but I do it because I want to, not for the money. I've already turned down a 20% pay increase at the high school (to do another class there) and $52/hr for about 4 hours a week to do another class at the college. So, you could say my future ability to own my own home has been hampered by my commitment to FIRST Robotics.
Participating in FIRST Robotics costs me money. Lots of it. Even if I flipped burgers for the time I spent doing FIRST Robotics, I'd be at least $5000/year more wealthy. I don't necessarily mind because I love doing it, but let's be realistic here. To extend the build season any more, I would no longer be able to teach the one college class I do, which would cost me about $3500/yr, not to mention the mental and physical toll it would take. I'd like to retire someday.
There's only so much one person can give. Everything I do, I like to do well. I never like to give a half-hearted effort at anything. If I do it, I'm all in. There's no cutting back time in any of it to balance it all. Not in my world. If I can't do something well, I don't do it at all. The problem becomes that there are only so many hours in each week, month, and year.
I wasn't going to mention this to avoid starting any rumors, but I feel it's relevant so I will. At the Inland Empire regional, Frank Merrick spent a while talking to my team in our pit, and one of the questions he asked was "What would you think of a longer build season?" to which I replied "No! Please don't! We want to see our families!" I hope he heard me. Of course my students were all for a longer build season. I guess that's why we have teachers like me to set them straight.
Anyhow, I bet my case is not all that unique.