Quote:
Originally posted by Ken L
So, I don't know what to think right now. I have a weird feeling that sooner or later we will reach a limit where we just can't fit more teams around here anymore, without something being done. When I say something, I mean things like: 1. Economy go back to normal, 2. some sort of laws passed to help teams out finanically, 3. more regional FIRST staffs supporting teams out there and running the new regionals.
Feel free to put your thoughts into this topic... But I do ask you to think a little bit before you post. [/b]
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*After thinking for a week and just reading everyone's thoughts on this posting shows that a lot of other FIRST-o-holics understand and feels the growth pains FIRST is experiencing.
The same questions have been on the tables of many regional committee meetings and it is constantly in discussion. Every time I get together with any FIRST volunteer, all we talk about is how to make FIRST better. It is a very serious matter and most FIRST students do not see the situation (just like when your Mom and Dad are discussing family finances in front the kids). Moreover, because the “kids” are not acknowledgeable, they sometimes criticize FIRST’s good intensions. Most of FIRST is run by an army volunteers and a lot of them are business professionals whose time is valuable. FIRST could never afford the price tag of these professional salaries. In addition, these volunteers are never seen by teams because they are not at the competition but are helping with the business side of FIRST.
FIRST is going through a serious growth period. Already, I’ve hear rumors of regionals shutting down due to lack of corp sponsorship and more teams will drop out because of the high price tag of FRC or lack of interest by the schools. I have seen teams beg for funding- this is a negative situation to put students into but will occur more often in the future.
Fortunately, some of the veteran teams are generous enough to help needy teams. Even the National competition may change because of the huge growth and downed economy. The cost to send a team to the Nat Comp is huge. Most teams can’t afford it. The cost to run a Nat Comp is huge. Team that have sponsors with deep pockets this year may discover that funds are now cutted for next year.
So, expect more change and it will be painful.
FIRST Organization from a business point of view- just like any fast growing and successful small company their growth and expansion is feeling the pain of the economy depressed because of the dependency to this country’s economy and corp profits. FIRST business strategy must be revamp to meet these new challenges of event funding, team funding, and corporate interest.
The first ten years has been great, most teams from #1 thru #1000 were resourceful and were able to get the funding necessary to participate in FIRST. As increasingly new teams sign up the limited resources can’t subtend the larger quantity of teams. It is even more difficult for team is urban public schools (like NYC) to raise team funding. So teams are dropping out and some teams have to merge in order to remain in FIRST.
How does FIRST control the growth and maintain their goals and commitments to the students during this period of downed economy?
New competition maybe created like Edurobotic Competition, and Lego (FLL) Senior Competition for the High School student will help spread FIRST mission faster than FRC. The Nat may get scale down even more or split ? (East and West).
What else can students do- get after the FIRST Alumni for mentoring, volunteering, and fundraising and be more tolerable with changes that FIRST must take in the future to survive.
I too am confused and concerned.
