Quote:
Originally Posted by DareDad
Minnesota would need 15 district events just for the teams in Minnesota. If only Minnesota teams were allowed it would orphan the teams in North Dakota, northern Iowa and north/western Wisconsin. Add those teams into the district and there would need to be 17 to 18 districts minimum. Minnesota would be running 3 or 4 events per weekend during competition season.
You can't expect the key volunteers to work for six weekend straight. To make districts work you need six or more event leads, FTAs, FTAAs, Head Refs, Lead Queuers, Pit Admins, Lead Robot Inspectors, Judge coordinators, Lead Safety inspectors and probably a couple more I'm forgetting. That's fifty plus people all making a commitment to train and work four weekends during competition season.
Minnesota has some really committed key volunteers. But it's a small group that's maybe a third of what would be needed. Right now its a group of people who do Duluth's double regional and then Minneapolis' double regional. I've already committed to Iowa next year and I expect there will be enough of the core group that the key positions there would be covered.
It's the minor volunteers that are where Minnesota has trouble, and that I suspect has to do with the size of the events which have all of the teams in the area competing, so most of the natural volunteers are already occupied.
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How did you calculate the need for 15 events? I show 192 teams for last season. That would mean 10 events for 40 team events or 11 events for 36 team events and 12 events for 32 team events. Even with 10% growth you would be covered with 2 events per weekend and 36 or more teams per event. Wait another year and you'll find you are stuck with starting off with those 3 event weekends and that is when you get into big trouble as a start up in my opinion.
The non key event volunteers are easy. As mentioned you can require teams to provide volunteers like MI does or just ask nicely. We've done pretty good rounding out the volunteers for most events by just asking teams if they can provide someone.
In my opinion this year MN really really needs to push for people who want to be key volunteers in the District system and have them shadow the existing key volunteers. It would also be a good idea to strongly encourage mentors from the influential teams and key volunteers to attend district events in one of the current districts that is most convenient for them. The earlier you start preparing the easier the transition will be. The longer you say we aren't ready the longer it will be until you are ready and the harder it will be.