[ratdude747]

Often it is not just one of these. Sure, one starts it, but another is what ultimatly kills it off.

Example: A team that died this year (AFAIK, based on the testimony of their head mentor whom I spoke with earlier in the year), 1760, a team from Kokomo, IN (Taylor HS IIRC?). They had long had issues with student involvement. as a result, their fundraising began to suffer, and the students that were involved lost interest despite being a somewhat competitive team. Near the end (2015 build season), all the work was being done by said head mentor, due to a lack of student interest and said mentor's self-admitted perfectionist tendancies. Between this and being a key volunteer at Indiana district events (AV crew among other things, how I met him in the first place), the stress was too much for his wife to handle, and he was forced to call it quits after said team failed to make district championship. As he said right after Purdue District, "this is the end".

Sad indeed... in a city known for FRC success. Dead after 10 seasons. While the withdrawl of a key mentor was the final straw, several other issues on the list led to said outcome.

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If I had to pick one cause over all, its a lack of interest/dedication at any level; said issue will, like a bad cold, spread to all levels in time. The other issues, a dedicated team will find a way around. Lack of space nearly sacked 16 numerous times, yet they still keep going (to say the least). 111 lost a lot of resources (space, most of a sponsorship, etc.) and they're still kicking. When it comes down to it, it's ultimately a matter of human resources; if a team has the drive and the ability, everything else will follow, in one way or another.