[Wayne TenBrink]

Excellent presentation on FiM.

Regarding to the requirement for teams to provide volunteers - It would be nice if teams could fulfill their requirement by providing volunteers at district events where we are NOT participating. Is there anything that would prevent us from doing that in addition to the requirement?

The NC Gears are big fans of FiM. Having the chance to play a lot of matches at several events was very helpful in building our sense of team spirit and motivating the students to take our team to the next level (hey, we even have a website now!). I can't imagine going back to the old system, and I hope that everyone has the same opportunity in the future.

As mentioned in earlier posts, so much of what is good about the FiM model (bagging, 2-day events, smaller & more numerous venues, more matches per event, etc.) could be applied to the rest of FIRST even without a regional structure or "championship" event. If people want fairness, try to achieve it by raising the standard for all, not restricting those who have found a better way.

Thanks again to all those who made this possible.