Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon Stratis
You know, it bugs me a bit when people talk about "quality of robot/competition", like it's a bad thing that not everyone at champs has a perfect robot. I think it really misses the point of the whole competition - rookies, smaller teams, worse performing robots can all gain inspiration from being at an event with better teams. Teams of all flavors can gain experience, friendships, and show and receive recognition from teams from across the country and the world. It's one thing to play at your local even with pretty much the same teams every year. It's something completely different to play in an environment where you don't know everyone.
Is Champs all about the robot, or is it about Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology? Those teams that only get to go to champs rarely, if ever, can find it a transformational experience. Those teams that are always in contention for Einstein may not see the event as inspirational when they look around at glorified kit bots... but maybe that's because they're supposed to be the inspiration.
Instead of bemoaning how "watered down" champs is becoming, we should be trying to figure out how to make the event great for every team there.
|
While I agree with what you've said, I do hope that FIRST comes up with a way to maximize the competitiveness of the event. And I am speaking from the viewpoint of the teams that are to be inspired by this change. My team probably never would have qualified for Championships at our current level of dedication/expertise/performance, but we've always been on the cusp at our Regional. We've always made the Elimination rounds, but never the Finals. But now, with the increase of teams to 800, my team will have the best shot they've had at making it to St. Louis (now Houston). But even though my team is one of the targets for FIRST's change, I still want to see the best of the best playing on Einstein. I want to see the most intense, most competitive matches decide the "World Champions." And I think that others would agree.
The teams in the middle have to see what the top level of competition really looks like to be able to strive for it.