Dear FIRST Robotics Competition Team,
Over the past ten years, FIRST has experienced incredible growth. In great
part, this is due to your own efforts and the effort of hundreds of
volunteers in your communities. We sincerely thank you all.
We expect continued growth and believe that maintaining the high quality of
FIRST programs and events is one key to that growth. Accessibility and
inclusivity are also key components of growth; so making the most of our
local presence is critical to the future. All of you who have shared the
challenge and rewards of participating in the FIRST Robotics Competition
know that the true impact of the program is not limited to the activities
of building the robot or competing in a specific event. Impact is the
result of teamwork, partnership, mentorship, and shared success. It is the
process rather than product or performance that is at the core of what
makes FIRST unique.
Following the 2001 season, there have been significant discussions with
teams, sponsors, supporters, and staff about how we can maintain our focus
on delivering high quality experiences, developing accessible and inclusive
programs, and growing grassroots opportunities for participation and
involvement. As a result of these discussions our Board of Directors has
determined that it is in all of our best interest to implement a
qualification process for participation in the Championship.
This letter will explain the logic behind this decision, present the
qualification process, and share preliminary logistical details regarding
the 2002 Competition.
The decision to develop a qualifying process for participation at the
Championship has been made for several reasons: a) both Walt Disney World
and FIRST are concerned that the current event is not scalable and that
growth-related changes are adversely affecting the quality of the
Championship experience; b) team sponsors have expressed concern about the
increasing costs of sending teams to the Championship; c) the FIRST
"village" at EPCOT has reached the physical limits of the space; and d) the
expense of staging the event has risen dramatically due to it's size. While
limiting the Championship attendance, we are working on building the
quality and number of regional events. This will give more teams,
volunteers and spectators access to FIRST while fulfilling our mission.
The following qualification process will be used for teams attending the
2002 FIRST Robotics Competition Championship:
1. All teams must register to compete in a FIRST Robotics Competition
regional event before they can register for the Championship.
2. Teams automatically qualify for the current year in the following ways:
a. All former Chairman's Award winners (1992-2001)
b. Prior two years Chairman's Award finalists (2000 & 2001)
c. Prior year National Championship winners (2001)
d. Teams that participated in the original competition (1992)
e. Current year Regional Event winners (2002)
f. Current year Regional Chairman's Award winners (2002) (new award)
g. Current year Technical Award winners at Regional Events (2002)
(Driving Tomorrow's Technology, Quality, Creativity and Leadership in Controls)
3. Teams may qualify through performance during the prior year (2001)
based a point system. Five (5) points are required to register
a. Regional or National Divisional winner 3
points
b. Regional or National Divisional finalist 2
points
c. Judged Award winner at Regional or National Event 2 points
d. Top Seed at Regional or National Event 1 point
e. Top Rookie Seed at Regional or National Event 1 point
The balance of the openings will be available on an odd / even basis based
on team number and year, i.e. even numbered teams can register for the 2002
Championship on first come - first served basis.
The cost of the Championship, including on site transportation and the team
party, is included in the FIRST package price for hotels. Many teams that
booked outside of the Disney package have still used the provided services
and thus were effectively subsidized by other teams. In order to fairly
distribute the event cost among all participating teams and keep package
prices to a minimum, teams booking outside the package will be assessed a
per person event fee. The amount of the fee will be determined in the near
future.
In prior years, teams have expressed frustration about the lack of on
premises accommodations available. Walt Disney World is currently
constructing a new hotel on premises that will provide 2,000 additional
room nights for FIRST teams. This increased capacity in conjunction with
cost containment will allow over 85% of the teams to be accommodated on
site at a package price estimated to be 10% or more below 2001 costs. This
is a positive development for all involved.
I hope all of you are looking forward to an exciting and challenging 2002
season. The 2002 schedule is now on the web site at
http://www.usfirst.org/2002comp/FRCEvents.html and registration will open
Wednesday, September 26, 2001
Sincerely,
Robert Hammond
Robert Hammond
Director, FIRST Robotics Competition