Quote:
Originally Posted by Racer26
I do wonder though, how much of this phenomenon is PNW being good, versus the District model giving teams more playtime to iron out the kinks, and the DCMP being an invite-only of the best teams in the region
IN's DCMP is similarly strong this week, and MSC has been routinely one of the strongest events outside of CMP and IRI for the last 6 years.
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The district model creates a step change in robot goodness. The district model makes teams better. A lot better. You have enough matches to really iron out all the bugs, and the events are small enough that you can achieve any reasonable goal you set. This is awesome year one, but much like compounding interest it really starts to pay off as the years roll by and you can re-invest the skills, energy, and experience you harvest from the year prior.
I have had the pleasure of seeing this play out in real time on 1778. In 2013 (last year of regionals), we didn't get picked at Seattle, but we were just on the outside with a 10 pt hang and an inconsistent at best 2 pt shooter. In 2014, the goal was to make the DCMP -- and we fell short. But, we did make elims as a 2nd pick at both of our events, and at the 2nd event we made it to the SF, and the kids were ecstatic to have that win. The kids put in a lot of work in the offseason, and this year made it to the DCMP as a first round pick at both of our district events. And they are even more excited about the off-season this year than last year!
By starting the district model, Michigan invested their money in Warren Buffet first. We are all just trying to catch up, but in chasing excellence we've gotten a heck of a lot better.