Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon Stratis
But unfortunately the math really isn't that simple. Teams that attended multiple regionals previously shouldered much more of the burden willingly, while now those teams that didn't still have to pay an increased fee, much more than $244. It doesn't change the fact that there are 77 teams that now are being forced to pay for and attend two events. And while the comparison that's been posted of registration costs is nice, it does not take into account the total cost encountered per team for this change (additional travel costs, time out of school/work, for example).
CD is overrun with teams that regularly attend multiple events, and underrepresented by teams that struggle to attend one. I'm wondering, with all the different areas going to districts, has anyone done an analysis of teams that drop out the first year or two after the transition?
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Teams aren't forced to attend their second event. There are a small percentage of teams in districts that do only attend one event.
Considering the US registration fee is the same for districts and regionals, I'm pretty sure that the increase in Canadian registration fees are due to factors other than the system switch. Of course we can't say this for sure without information from somebody on FIRST Canada staff.
I will say (and from what I've seen, many of the people who support districts also support this opinion) that teams who struggle to attend one event (and/or struggle to field a robot) would often be better served by switching to a program with lower barriers to entry (FTC/VEX) as they're missing out on a significant part of the experience (being able to compete,
iterate, and compete again).
I concur with the need for analysis though. Always better to make informed decisions.