[smistthegreat]

Before cmp, I was very against 2champz. Now, I'm still against it, but at least a little conflicted. I was in attendance at the town hall meeting, and my opinions were definitely impacted by the response I saw there. I'll try to explain as best I can.

My team is a very young team. My team is not motivated by trying to be world champions, since right now it is not a realistic goal. We qualified for cmp this year by winning a regional as the 23rd pick, and missed division elims. Was it worth it? Yes. My students absolutely loved it. They went to the innovation fair, talked to college reps, met their heroes (Grant Imahara, Dean, Woodie), and made friends from around the world. They were inspired by the championship experience, and I believe that other students on other teams should be able to experience this. My students had a wonderful, inspiring time at this cmp, and as a mentor I consider this a success.

BUT

Not at the expense of the competition. As a student on another team, I was able to compete on the Einstein field. I still consider this a defining moment in my life. It's easy to talk about how the program is more than the robot, and the teams that would benefit from an expanded cmp far outnumber those who feel disenchanted or alienated by this dilution of the competition. But the relatively few teams that are driven by the desire to be world champions make this program what it is, and I don't believe FRC could be the same without them. These are not teams that are made up of intimidating, win-at-any-expense people. These teams that are so vehemently opposed to this change are literally the teams that make FRC what it is. They are teams that run off season events, start other teams, win prestigious awards, and volunteer their time and resources to inspire others.

I love this program. This program has shaped me into the engineering student and mentor I am today. I have been inspired by winning events. I have been inspired by talking to elite teams. I have been inspired by the championship experience. And I believe that this program will not be the same without all of the above.