[Max Lobovsky]

In 10 years, I'd have to say there will be significantly more than 2500 teams. In the next few years, growth outside the US will pickup significantly. The competition will be in some way expanded to be much more year round wether (maybe several different games each year?)

I would say the greatest growth would have to be in Europe as most other countries probably will have trouble funding a significant number of teams. What do you think, our Brazilian friends? This might be remdied by having seperate competitions in certain regions with different robot requirements and such.

I think there will always be one central final competition. Even in sports where there are far more participants than in FIRST, sports generally still have a single, most important world competition.