Quote:
Originally Posted by DareDad
Well why are you doing that then?
The state of Minnesota does not have grants to new teams. At least not that I've heard of. I know that Michigan and Iowa give (or gave) grants to teams but if Minnesota doesn't.
I go to MNFIRST.org and I see a button to donate, but I don't see any "free money for teams" verbiage.
So I ask again, explain how Minnesota is encouraging growth for the sake of growth?
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I can attest to much of what Eric and Evan have said. Only in the last year or two have we seen a level of performance across the board where most teams can participate meaningfully in each match, and this is great to see. But for many years, there was a large swathe of teams (at times including 2175) that struggled to perform the basic tasks of the game, and yes, even do the bare minimum by passing inspection and submitting for awards.
I struggle to say it's a disservice (Evan only said "almost") to the teams and students. Surely the something we've had and that has now matured a little more is better than nothing. There is certainly some benefit to the students, though it may not be the best use of resources to start large numbers of team with the generous donations of corporations without ensuring local connections that help the team succeed with that money. Any successful team would agree, it takes more than $5000 in cash to do well, and extensive mentor and sponsor support on a personal level are key as well.
Perhaps this is also true for volunteer supply (event venues, etc.); I can imagine that a higher level of competition and community connection among teams would lead to higher levels of volunteer involvement and more opportunities to make this district transition, which many of us feel is several years overdue.
The state of WI offering financial support for new teams is fantastic, and should not be turned down. Of course this will benefit students, and isn't just "growth for the sake of growth." But it will take more than just covering the registration fee for a team to survive and do well, and to ensure that WI's growth does not see the same growing pains MN has.