[gblake]

There is a bigger picture than any one-dimensional aspect of this topic.

Like the elephant in the famous fable, that the several blind men declared was like a tree, a wall, a leaf, a snake, a stick, a ...; FIRST FRC is no one single method of *inspiration*.

It is not all about winning tournaments. Arguments that focus almost exclusively on winning tournament matches are very weak.

It is not all about learning to write code. Arguments that focus almost solely on code development are very weak.

It is not all about learning to become a machinist or CAD user. Arguments that focus almost exclusively on part/system design and fabrication are very weak.

Et cetera.

FIRST FRC (IMO) *is* about encouraging students to recognize that any of the zillions of multi-dimensional STEM pursuits that exist can be what they choose for a career. The topics I listed above involve only a few of the tools a FIRST team/mentor can use to accomplish that. They certainly aren't the only tools; and they certainly don't have to be mastered, or even tried, by participants. If those topics are simply noticed in a positive setting, FIRST's job is nearly done.

IMO, I haven't seen anyone come up with a cogent argument about why great, heaping, helpings of COTS parts, software, and/or strategic advice, prevents anyone from helping their team and individual students choose sensible goals, and then proudly achieve them during FIRST's annual rhythm.

I have seen complaints about each of the three topics that I listed above, and about a few more, but I haven't seen anyone convincingly write that they are unable to open the eyes of students to the STEM world of possibilities.

Market forces are going to continue to drive vendors to supply what customers want. If FRC continues to grow, greater numbers of teams are going to translate into more vendors supplying what those teams want to buy.

But... Do market forces that result in useful FRC COTS items stop anyone from helping students become interested in anything? Nah, they don't.

We can stop ourselves, if we get stuck in ruts; but that is something each person among us can easily fix, if we each care to fix it.

Blake