Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick TYler
I wonder where the idea to completely replace Vex came from?
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I'm as much out of the loop as anyone but have been trying to process this in a way that makes some sense to me, wanting to believe in the best of both FIRST and Vex. I am basing my conjectures on observations of FVC/FTC events vs. independent Vex events (i.e. Bridge Battle).
Fact: "Divorces" often occur over disagreements about money.
Fact: FIRST (FTC/FVC) registration costs $275/team. In contrast, there is no registration cost for the Vex Bridge Battle Competition (other than individual tournament fees).
Fact: FIRST has offered steep discounts on Vex kits ($375 bundle kit in 2006, 2 X $219 starter kits in 2007). In contrast, Vex at this time is not offering any quantity discounts (I asked), unlike Radio Shack, which offered at least 10% off on quantity purchases.
Conjecture: I am guessing that Vex would like FIRST to discount (decrease) its registration fee, while FIRST would like to see Vex offer discounts on equipment sold to registered teams, and this might be one of the causes of the break-up. Of course, this could be completely off; I could be in the dark about some huge elephant which is being kept in the closet.
On one hand, I can see why Vex might not want to discount its equipment – it sells quality products at a reasonable price, and the FVC/FTC discounts, along with the 50% Radio Shack sale a few years ago have produced continual expectations of unrealistically low prices. On the other hand, I understand why FIRST charges such steep registration fees. In addition to maintaining the full-time staff and having a budget for program development, the Affiliate Partner infrastructure costs something (conference calls, training), even though AP's are volunteers. This ensures that the quality of official FIRST events is high and somewhat uniform. I have coached FLL and FVC teams for 5 years and feel that what we paid in FIRST registration fees has been more than worth the money.
I have participated in a low-budget robotics program, and know that you often get what you pay for. For example, at one event, the competition field was specified to be 40" long in the official manual but was only 30" long at the event we attended. There were field objects that were supposed to weigh 7 ounces; the actual weight was 64 ounces. My team had a good experience at this event because I had warned the team ahead of time not to compare this event to a FIRST event (and perhaps because they took home 2 trophies). However, had there been more teams and higher expectations, this could have been a disaster.
It had always been my hope that FIRST and IFI would "kiss and make up" at the 11th hour, but this hope was dashed with the announcement of the new system. FVC was a partnership of the best program with the best system (IMHO), and the breakup will hurt them both, and the students most of all. But I also believe that both FTC and Vex will survive, and so will the students. Now there will be more choices, and I suppose that will be a good thing. But I will miss everyone in Atlanta.