[Wayne TenBrink]

Good discussion on some difficult and touchy subjects.

1) Sitting vs. standing: After standing all year at district/regional venues where the layout of the stands makes it less of an issue for those behind us (we normally sat in the back and could still see without binoculars), it was an adjustment to stand and cheer during the introductions and sit for the match. It was the proper thing to do under the circumstances, but it does put a damper on displays of team spirit. Perhaps in St. Louis they can put the fields further away from the side wall.

2) Einstein field placement & ceremonies: Instead of putting Einstein on the "50 yard line", perhaps they could put it in the end zone, oriented perpendicular to the other fields. The "wrap-around" seating would put more people closer to the field & podium. I think they do a good job with the scheduling. It is important to recognize everyone's achievements, and it is apparent that they do their best to be efficient with time. The sad reality is that if award presentations weren't intermixed with Einstein matches, people would not be there to watch them.

3) "Buy-In" vs. "Win to go": There are good reasons for the open bid system and I fully support the concept (every student should go to the Championship at least once during their years in FIRST). However, having open bids and other award winners there does affect the level of competition (good, bad or indifferent). What if they put all the regional event winners on two of the fields and the open bid and award winners on the other fields? The winners could still face each other on Einstein. I'm not sure I support this, but it might be worth some discussion.

4) General venue issues: I wasn't impressed with the food at the venue. I couldn't hear anything on the PA in the pits. I logged a lot of miles walking back and forth between the field and pits after every match. I wish we could have brought our own food and water. Oh, well. That comes with the territory. It's not a big deal, but I would appreciate any efforts to improve on this in St. Louis. I just hope we get a chance to go and find out if they do!

We had a great time in Atlanta this year. Thank you to everyone who made it possible!