Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris is me
...but those aren't teams anyone wants to lose.
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Does anyone ever really *WANT* to lose any FRC team? In this discussion, I think we should be careful not to accidentally tread upon the ashes or smoldering embers of any struggling or previously-folded teams who might not be of the same level of recognition as some the more widely-known GM teams. It is always disappointing when teams lose any financial and/or human support. Many teams have faced the same or worse challenges and have managed to adjust, quietly.
These GM teams are filled with a bunch of skilled, creative, intelligent people who truly care about FIRST. I expect most of their teams will find ways to adapt to any changes that are thrown at them and survive in some form. Some have most likely been proactive enough to have already enacted plans to diversify their mentor and sponsorship bases prior to this bankruptcy announcement.
With facilities closing, merging, idling, etc., it will be difficult for
every FRC team under the GM umbrella to survive. Delphi has been playing the bankruptcy game for four years now. A few of our teams have folded during that time. Funding levels for most team have been reduced (and truthfully, they were in decline for many years prior to our bankruptcy in 2005). Many, many key mentors have also been displaced from their jobs, making it especially tough for those affected teams to adapt. BUT, it is important to note, the majority HAVE survived. Teams have accepted the reasoning behind the reduced funding and have adapted without complaint. Delphi thankfully continues to provide some level of support to its teams and is still supportive of its employees and their volunteer efforts.
It would be nice to think that GM will follow a similar path as Delphi here, but it remains to be seen how GM (or the government) will address its FIRST team sponsorships. Regardless of their decisions, it is logical to believe that GM teams will face many challenges in the coming months similar to those which Delphi teams have been facing. If GM elects to cut the majority of funding to teams, it is possible that a few may no longer be able to sustain operations as a result. Those who have depended upon a single large funding and/or mentorship source and have made no plans to diversify prior to now will be especially under a lot of pressure to reinvent their operations in a short amount of time. It will be unfortunate if some teams fail to adapt, but the FIRST community must be ready to accept the real chance this might occur, and it might begin to talk about how it can best be proactive in helping with the "transformation plan" of any and all teams who may be about to enter such unusual, unfamilar, and difficult situations.