[PayneTrain]

I love the FIRST Robotics Competition. Some people say "Wil, you complain a lot about FRC, why do you do something you obviously hate?" This is a program that has entirely enraptured me and to the chagrin of other obvious high priorities, I put a lot of time into my team. I know a lot of people put a lot of time into their teams as well. Don't we all want FIRST, an organization that by its very nature must always be sprinting forward instead of dragging its feet, to constantly be improving and tweaking the status quo to make the program better?

Some disagreements lie in both parties wanting to make the organization better in fundamentally different ways (2 champs), some disagreements lie in two parties wanting some change but have differences in methods (Chairman's feedback). The worst ones, and the ones that get me really fired up, are ones where under an almost instinctive impetus to make a change, the controlling party wants to actively fight against the change (Cali districts).

I think piloting a replay system at an event like IRI and other offseasons should lead FRC down the path to pilot it throughout the season in certain regions or globally, and see if it works by 2champs.

Raise your hand if you think missed calls are not a buzzkill and something no one ever feels bad about.

Stand and be counted if you think field disconnects make FRC better.

Shout from the high horse on which you ride, proclaiming "yes, I love to be in a program that says 'No! We cannot come up with any way of improving a problem that has existed for years! There is not even a problem! Scorekeeping errors enable teams, not disable them!"

I know who some of you are, I just want to see how this line of thinking will be swiftly dragged into the mud. FIRST can be all things to all people. It can be a program that transforms people of all ages and backgrounds. It can always be better.