[Chief Hedgehog]

Making it to World's is taxing on any team - let alone a Rookie team that does not yet have the structure built in.

My team made it in 2013 (our Rookie Season) and our budget that year went from $15,000 to over $30,000. Getting a team of 24 (plus parents) to the event ran over $7000. Hotels were around the same. Granted, some of the parent's covered for their kids, but we included that in our accounting for the next time we qualify.

In 2013 we had 8 Sponsors - we are now at 20. However, we are now at 50 kids in our program, so the next time we make it we will be looking at a cost of $30,000.

I want my team to make it to Champs. However, our goal each year is to qualify for the MN State Tourney. This is a much better bargain for our dollar. What I think that FRC should have done is to help create state or 'regional championship' events that lessen the burden on each team.

What I am afraid of (for FRC) is that World's has become an albatross that is difficult to fund, difficult to find a proper arena and host city, and difficult to manage the overall logistics. By splitting into two, FRC has doubled down on this - without looking at the impact on teams such as mine. What happens in years after 2017 when teams qualify and then empty their coffers and then struggle in subsequent years to regain that money?

FRC is not without competitors - especially in the school curriculum style teams. VEX is the clear next successor, and BEST is a distant third. However, if the costs continue to escalate for FRC teams, they may turn to these other events. I am a bit disheartened by this decision by FIRST.

And this is the reason that I would like CMP to return to a much smaller scale and only the Region/District Champs, Chairman's & EI winners qualify outside of the HOF teams (I am not against a wait list - if your team has the funding, have at it). The other award winners and Wild Cards could get a instant pass to their respective State Tournament or 'Regional Championship'. I know that this is not ideal, but it would lessen the cost on the smaller programs.