[ryanmathewson]

One of the first times I was inspired by robots was (through the semi inappropriate show) Battlebots. Having that national TV time was huge.

Since inspiration is such a huge factor in FIRST, I would love to see at least the 2 Championships (or 1 for 2016) get some TV time on a major channel, preferably one available on basic cable or antenna TV. If I remember correctly, I read some of the late 90's competitions were shown on ESPN. Getting on the airwaves of basic television could inspire kids in places and in socioeconomic levels that we were never able to reach before. With the availability of at least a computer or two at nearly every school in the nation, having something on TV that is so incredibly cool and inspiring will drive kids to jump on that one computer and do research. Next thing you know, you have a plot similar to the Spare Parts movie that came out this year.

This year in St. Louis was my first year at Championship, as well as my team's first. I wish I was still young enough to be on the team when we made it, but I was incredibly proud seeing them even make it that far, and finishing middle of the pack.

At championship, I had the fortune of doing many things: Volunteering on field repair/reset for Galileo and interacting with those teams every match on Thursday, Exhibiting for an international Engineering fraternity and sorority (Sigma Phi Delta and Alpha Omega Epsilon), and being a mentor for a team that made it that far. When I walked in to the dome on Tuesday during field set-up, I couldn't contain my excitement: We had made it. And over the next two days as teams showed up, It went from real to extremely real. I could see in the eyes of everyone I talked to, no matter which of the 3 things I was doing, that they were extremely excited to be there and inspired by such a huge event.

If inspiration is really what FIRST is about, the split is great. The only difference I think should be changed, is we should have one winning alliance. This would maintain one of the few competition aspects that people complain about losing due to two championships. Maybe that requires FIRST paying for the 8 "Einstein" alliances to gain free travel to the second championship to compete there in an extra large Einstein bracket. Maybe it's just the winning alliance of the first championship comes to the second to face the winner of that championship to crown the ultimate victor. I don't know. But as long as we distinguish championships apart, say "north" and "south" as previously suggested, I would be fine with two winning alliances as long as the inspiration is the main goal.

Since I graduated, I've always loved the quote, "Inspire a Generation." It's the reason I am as active as possible in FIRST even with college. The inspiration I got from FIRST, mentors, coaches, and everything I learned through FIRST are the reasons I landed a NASA internship this summer as a rising college junior at the University of Missouri. We need to keep that going, for the sake of the future generations. Even as a college sophomore, white middle-class male, average GPA, Mechanical Engineering major, not at a highly envied engineering school, about as average and non diverse as you get, I thought I could get an internship because you all made me believe I could. And after 8 months, 35 companies, almost 100 position applications, only 2 interviews, many rejection emails, and a last minute phone call, I get to work for my dream company. And if you all can inspire me, you can inspire anyone else to do the same thing, to push their goals and keep pushing to achieve them.

Pay it forward and keep inspiring, FIRST.