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Unread 24-03-2010, 11:54
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Daniel_LaFleur Daniel_LaFleur is offline
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Re: paper: Growth of FRC

Quote:
Originally Posted by nuggetsyl View Post
Here the real question is when we lose a team, for whatever reason, what is the return rate? I think we are losing way too many teams because of the Chairman's award. The Chairman's award has started an arms race in FIRST. Who can start more teams (FRC, FTC, FLL).Give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Growth will take care of itself if FIRST keeps a good product.
I agree, a bit ... but not completely.

Starting teams is good (and should be encouraged), but the real work (and where the awards should really look into) is the sustainability of the started teams. If 75% of them fail after the first year, is that really what we want?

Creating fewer, but more sustainable, teams in the long run will provide FIRST with a far better base than starting 100s of unsustainable teams with no plan to become sustainable.

I'd love the Chairmans award judges to start asking about business plans for the teams that were started and how those plans will make the teams sustainable for the forseeable future.
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