[Steve Howland]

Phew! This is a long thread.

The main grievances, from what I can tell, are:

1. Teams were not given a fair opportunity to provide input
2. This removes the opportunity to see the best teams, teams from around the world, and friends in the FIRST community all in one place
3. There are multiple champions, so none of them is the “real” champion
4. The idea of attending a Championship event is cheapened because there are two of them
5. FIRST tells you which event you’re going to, and it is based on geography
6. Travel costs and distances are not significantly lower for many teams (and increase for some)
7. Team quality at the championship events may be lower
8. Volunteer burn-out for those who try to attend both
9. Possible issues with sponsors/exhibitors who now have to attend 2 championships or select one

What are the positives?

1. Thousands more students at all age levels get to attend
2. Travel distances and costs are indeed lower for many teams
3. Economic benefit to the cities of Detroit and Houston
4. FIRST will become more prominent in these cities
5. More award winners at the highest level

And what don’t we know yet?

1. Will another Championship be added in the near future? (California? Virginia?)
2. Will a “super-championship” be added at a higher level?
3. Are there other things FIRST has planned but cannot yet announce?

If you think the negatives outweigh the positives, you have options.

• Email, call, tweet, comment, or facebook post to FIRST. An email address was provided: customerservice@usfirst.org. Politely explain your concerns. They won’t be answered immediately, but they have asked for your input so you may as well provide it. Maybe it’s not too late to change things. Or maybe with time and some more information, the community will start to sway more towards agreeing with, or at least understanding the decision.
• Go with it. Vent and discuss on CD, but understand that the conversation here will not be read by many people and is unlikely to change things.
• Boycott Championships. Have your lead mentor write a letter explaining to FIRST that beginning in 2017 you will not attend a championship event if you qualify, because you want to preserve the integrity and culture of the single World Championships.

(Please note that I am not advocating for any particular option)