Welcome to Chiefdelphi!
Here's a thread that should help the number of FIRST teams participating and where. It's pretty accurate and very helpful. I hope that your article goes well (you should post it when finished; I'm sure it'll be great
)
Oh and by the way, if you're having a hard time getting used to the forums, ask someone for help; everyone is pretty good about that here. Just remember, everyone was once in your shoes.
Good Luck!
--Mike