Quote:
Originally Posted by Allison K
15% looks good for now, but might be on the high side if FRC grows. My assumptions in this statement are that anything over 400 teams is unreasonable given the logistics demands, and anything under 300 is undesirable as well.
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This is absolutely a great point. No matter what static system anyone is proposing (15%, or 400 team limits), they will all be outdated extremely quickly. As the number of teams (and events) increases, the number 15% represents increases, and the number 400 becomes tiny. In 2015 when there is (theoretically) 150 events sending teams, who gets to go and who doesn't? sending 3 teams per event is already over 400, and what about chairman's and rookie all star? 15% becomes a significantly larger number but by definition would scale properly with size. But!, there is no venue with capacity for 8 fields/600 teams. (please, if you haven't already, see
this) As you will read, the schedule is stuck, no room either forward or back, none-the-less expand. Districts add a level
before the current regional, and allow for a marginally larger coverage for district champs, but if the organization shifts entirely to the district system, the number of district champs rivals that of the current number of regionals. Adding another level of competition
after champs (District>District Champs>[then a regional?]> World Championship) has little room a reorganized schedule, unless the number of district events per weekend is dramatically increased. If you read Frank Answers Friday (
you can find it here) you
should understand why it is logistically impossible to have these progressive events immediately after each other, and thus there must be a weekend between each level. Having dozens and dozens of districts in one single weekend to fit the locked schedule, and necessary timing, requires: several dozen fields, and more challengingly: thousands of (more) volunteers.
Even combinations of these plans would soon fail as FIRST grows so quickly.
I am not proposing a strategy myself, I am simply gathering information and acting as the soothsayer of the impending crisis.