[Greg Needel]

i am posting this thread as both an observation and a question that hopefully has an answer, it is not my intent to complain about things.

This year more then in the past it seems as if FIRST is very disorganized and it is possible that this is all coincidence but i am beginning to suspect it is more then that.

just a few of the problems this year
Manuel misprints - every year there are some but it seems like there were more then ever. different things from items mis-labeled to wrong amount numbers, causing confusion as to what we were and weren't supposed to have in the kit.

rule flip-flopping - many answers in the Q&A have been changed repeatedly giving contradicting information, and having the possibilities for messing up team designs very late in the game.

motor mistakes - the fisher price motor mix up giving motors rated for 6 volts, the van door motor where there are 3-4 different model numbers that vary in speed, as well as the implications of giving motors that have been deemed rejects from the factory

skimpy KOP - the KOP while very nice with the kit bot seems to be very small and inconsistent by previous years standards giving very limited materials to start with. (even though that is part of the challenge)

late information - information for the different regionals, suppliers and some game element drawings have been very late in their arrival.

these are just a few things i have noticed.


i understand that alot of what i have said can be written off to the fact that there are over 1000 teams and organization on that scale can be difficult, as well as the KOP could have been designed that way to increase the challenge but it just seems like alot of slip-ups this year.

now as a mentor/volunteer/ FIRST-o-holic i brought this information to the public eye to first identify if there is a problem and if there is ask if there is anyway the first community can help. I personally feel that FIRST is a wonderful program and i don;t want to see little problems interfere with the program's potential impact on the students involved in the program so if anyone knows whats going on or if FIRST comes forward and says they need help i am sure that the FIRST community can do whatever it takes to help the organization we have all come to care for so much.


once again this post was not meant to offend or criticize the way things are run the purpose it to identify a potential problem so that a solution can be rectified.

Greg Needel