Quote:
Originally Posted by EricH
You're preaching to the choir for a fair number of SoCal teams, but the higher-ups do. not. like. the idea of districts.
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This is the worst kept secret in the FIRST community.
I think it's something like 47% of the 2016 FRC population will be operating under the district system in 2017. Were California to also be in the district system we're talking over 55% of FRC teams in the district model.
The rules put in place back in 2008 before the inaugural season of FiM pilot were ones that were negotiated by Michigan and Manchester. Some of those rules were meant to intentionally wall off the laboratory the movers and shakers in Michigan wanted to build; people did NOT like the idea of districts when they started.
There are existing rules put into place that do not necessarily have to be followed (the district model ideally could scale that you could have zero steps between district events and championship events, or 1, or 2!) The locks on inter-district play are being fiddled with in this offseason and I would not be surprised to see some of the newer and smaller district systems open themselves up more to fill out their rosters.
If representation of 55% of FRC teams went to Manchester to petition modifications of district rules, could something happen? California does have an opportunity to lead FRC through sea changes, but they need to actually pick up their anchor and go. Trying to tweak the district model so it can be the path forward for 100% of FRC teams (yes, 100%) is the proverbial gorilla in the room. If the powers-that-be in California want districts, they will help drive that change. If they don't, the rest of the community will be held hostage until smaller confederacies that dot the midwest form up into the model. Then the leadership of FIRST California will likely need to adapt or die.