[Erin Rapacki]

What is your definition of an elite team? I, personally, don't think elite teams exist. No team gets special treatment by FIRST over another. All play by the same rules, with the same KOP, but some may have more funding than others. However, I wouldn't consider a well-funded team an elitist team either, nor one that wins a lot of awards.

Are you talking about the teams who seem to stand out from the crowd? Well, there may be reasons for that happening: there may be experienced mentors on that specific team who has networked their way into FIRST's decision making process (but that's personal involvement, not exactly team involvement), members of the team may be more willing to help out other teams, and maybe that team is just more noticeable. Marketing has a lot to do with that. Maybe their T-shirts are just more bright and fun. Maybe they have students (who aren't on the drive team) who would cheer, help, dress up, walk around and sell their team, who are just more INTO it than other students may be.

I know on some teams, the students who aren't on the drive team just sit quietly in the stands, fall asleep, or mope around outside the venue. This is not showing team support.

Therefore, in summary, elitist teams do not exist because none are treated any differently. There are just some teams who happen to be good due to the involvement of a few key individuals.