[Cory]

Everyone commonly brings up the fact that with the money saved from going to one event could start a new team.

I don't think that's accurate at all though. While you may have enough money to start one, can you guarentee you'll have money year to year to give them? Or that you can guarentee there will be sponsors available to fund them yearly? How about mentors?

My point is, that even if a team could afford to start a new team, it really is not a smart idea. Especially in an environment like California, where we are saturated with FIRST teams, what happens after the first year? Can the team find enough money to survive?

I think it's MUCH more preferential to use the money, however the team sees fit, to inspire the current members of the team, than to inspire a group of kids for one year, and leave them to fend for themselves, and likely slowly (or immediately) die out.

$0.02