Quote:
Originally Posted by Chief Hedgehog
Going off of JackN and not wanting to derail this thread further - but what in the world is going on in Ontario and why is this one area producing so many great teams? Obviously the local FRC structure has struck a chord.
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I think this has been building for many years with the consistently high level of play exhibited by 114 and 2056 being a key factor in spurring the other team to up their game. My understanding is that other Toronto area teams have also done a lot of work to help rookies and up-and-coming teams get up to speed more effectively. When I watch the live streams in a little window on my work computer, I rarely see boxes on wheels lurching around, at the Toronto area regionals. Apparently, the local school board is also very supportive.
I also feel there is a psychological aspect to this. I recall sitting with some of the Toronto area teams cheering for 1241, 610 and 1477 in the 2013 Einstein Finals. They said that they had been so dominated by the pairing of 1114 and 2056 that they were amazed to see other Canadian teams make it that far. When 1241/1477/610 won, it seemed that the mentality changed from "only 1114 and 2056 are good enough to win Einstein" to "other Toronto area teams can win Einstein too". They were not just cheering for their friends, they saw hope of doing better themselves.