[Andy Baker]

(dag nabbit... I broke my concise rule again... please bear with me as this is loooong)

FIRST is working hard to make ALL teams better, and provide ways for teams with less resources get on-the-field wins and awards. However, FIRST will never be exactly fair for all teams. I agree with the majority of the posters in this thread, as FIRST should not make more broad changes to make things more fair. Often we hear Dean and Woodie say that "FIRST is not fair". This is said each year at Kickoff.

We can tell that FIRST listens to teams and tries to lessen the gap between the high resource teams and the lower resource teams. Let's look at what has been done to improve FIRST in this area.

Here are some history and facts:

1. Alliances
From 1992-1998, there were no alliances. There was no collaboration, no sharing of designs, no co-opertition. In order to win, teams ganged up on 1 team at times. It was rough. Students were not encouraged to show off their efforts to other teams... heaven forbid they give away a strategy secret.

In 1999 the brilliance of the game was the insertion of alliances. Powerhouse teams had to depend on a partner. Lower resource teams could win with a strong partner.

2. Additional material freedom
From 1992 to 2001, teams could only use certain parts to build their robot. Only purchased mechanical parts and materials out of the Small Parts Catalog were used to build these complex machines. Did you need a gear reduction that was not provided as a gearbox in the kit? You had to make it from scratch from the list of additional raw materials. Did you need a gear or sprocket that was not available in Small Parts? You had to wire EDM or waterjet cut the gear.

Teams with excellent resources dominated back then. These teams had access to EDM machines and could design and create complex mechanisms that lower resource teams could not. Lower resource teams would see the exact gear they need at Martin or at McMaster, but they had no way of using it, since it was not available at Small Parts and they had a very hard time finding the resource of making the gear out of raw materials.

3. 2002 - 2003?
Additional awards were created for Rookie Teams. There was only the Rookie All-Star award. Now, there is Rookie Inspiration and Highest Rookie Seed in addition to the Rookie All-Star.

4. 2002: Kit drive train
FIRST made a great initial effort to provide each team with a workable drive train made from kit components. Before 2002, there were many events where robots were simply "boxes on wheels" that never moved. In 1999, 2000, and 2001, many alliances were doomed because it was 2 vs 1. 2 good robots could beat up on 1 good robot and 1 stationary box on wheels. The effort that FIRST put in to create the 2002 FIRST Kit drive train was commendable and provided each team with a workable chassis.

5. 2005: New kit chassis and drive train
In 2002, 03, 04... teams who used the kit drive train did move around the field, but they were still dominated (for the most part) by teams who made custom drive trains. In 2005, the kit drive chassis was a competitive base for a robot. Many teams who used this drive train won regionals. Sure, there are still teams with custom drive trains, but the advantage of one of these is smaller compared to years ago.

Now, for a story and some opinions from uncle Andy, so gather around the campfire...

I remember many years ago, sitting at the post-season FIRST forums in Michigan. All of the midwest teams were invited to voice their complaints to FIRST. Bob Hammond and KC Connor from FIRST attended this, posed questions, and took many notes.

They brought up the subject of fairness between teams, the idea of "divisions" of teams, separating the high resource teams from the low resource teams. Ken Patton, Joe Johnson, Raul Olivera and I were sitting together (for you new to FIRST, these three guys are some of the best robot designers and most inspirational engineers there has been in this program). We realized that we were these "high resourced" teams (since then, btw, each of our teams have lost resources). Lead mentors from the newer, lower resourced teams were giving their opinions. Of course, there was one guy who was really liking the idea of putting the higher resourced teams into their own division.

After some discussion, one quiet mentor from a rookie team spoke up, saying, "At the end of this year, we asked the kids what their highlight was. Our kids overwhelmingly answered this: when we beat Wildstang in a qualification match. I don't want that opportunity to go away. The teams who are new to this, or with lower resources must have the opportunity to play 'with the big boys'. While this surprised me, I understood it when it came from their point of view."

Of course, I am paraphrasing here, but something much like that was definitely said. The discussion ended right there. The one guy who was pushing for divisions was now quiet.

David needs a chance to beat Goliath. You want a way to inspire kids? Hand them each a little rock. Pour your heart into this program. Work side by side with them. Work late. Work through your problems. Get frustrated together. Let them see you mess up. Design that shooter for the 4th, 5th or 6th time. Don't give up. Tell them to go out and beat Goliath. They'll do it. No... that's not right... you'll do it together.

The propagation of the idea of making FIRST into a perfectly fair competition is just silly. Teams need to win, and they need to lose. People need to realize that the difference between winning and losing is HARD WORK. Woodie says this anytime he speaks... this is the HARDEST FUN YOU'LL EVER HAVE. It's not easy. This is life.


Andy B.