[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

rookies are pretty well known for registering late. I'd hate to give a team false optimism about being on the waitlist, or to deny a rookie a spot just because they signed up late.

Not to fork the excellent discussion occurring in this thread, but on this note, perhaps the line does need to be drawn on rookies registering late (and I suggest drawing that line in the month of October). November and December is too late for a school to just begin to decide that they want to participate in FRC in January.

With a Rookie drop-out rate of nearly 45%, and data to show that later-registering rookies are more likey to not return the following year, we really do need to question whether it's worth it to allow these last-minute registrations by unprepared schools. FRC is a big kid's game, and it's not for everybody. Perhaps these late-registering teams need to take a year to attend some events, fund raise, and gather mentors before jumping into this, bankrupting themselves, and folding. What's the point in putting all the effort into starting new teams if nearly half of them are not managed well and/or have a poor experience and do not return the next year?