[Mary]

As a past but not current mentor, I find this pilot very unfair. To everyone, teams in and out of Michigan.

No one can really debate that Michigan teams will have an incredible competitive advantage anytime they play at events outside of Michigan against the other 95% of all FIRST teams. If I am reading this thread right (lots of information, forigve me if I am off here), then
1. Michigan teams will be able to play 2 or 3 different weekends/events for $4 or $5 thousand dollars less than all other teams
2. Michigan teams will have more time to work on their robots because they will not have to ship them (at least on my old team, we could not really work on the ship day as we had to get everything crated and ready for Fedex to show up at any time).
3. Michigan teams get to keep their robots between events, on an honor system

I do not get # 3 - why is this needed for the pilot? There seem to be events on back to back weekends all over the country? If Michigan teams can pilot a keep your robot \\\\\\\"honor\\\\\\\" system, then why cant all teams. Are the rest of the teams not trustworthy enough?

# 1 bothers me the most. Why do Michigan teams need to get any discount? The gives them an extra $5,000 to enter another event, to build a practice robot, to buy a second control system, and so on - how does this lead to anything even close to an even playing field if they get to play against teams at other events and the championship who do not get those advantages?

Hasn\'t it been pointed out that registration fees don\'t even go to pay for the cost of local events? If so, then 95% of the teams are paying more this year to subsidize a discount for kits and events for 5% of the teams. How is this a good or fair thing?

Last, as I said, this is unfair to all teams, including Michigan teams. They are not asking for this advantage or different playing field, but they will not get full credit for anything they accomplish outside of Michigan because everyone will wonder if they would have done as well without the huge advantages. I do not get this at all - arent there lots of off season events around the country that do this sort of pilot every year? Why not do it in other states - why should only Michigan teams get to save THOUSANDS of dollars, not have to ship robots and get a competitive advantage? I know how hard all teams, students and mentors work to get to fundraise and get to events and I do not get why FIRST would put such an unfair and unbalanced pilot into the regular season. Either test it for everyone or do it in the off season.