Quote:
Originally Posted by rsisk
I think my definition of a "Have" team would be a team that is well rounded and stable. Good mentor support. Competes well both on and off the field. Has a season that is more than just Jan-Mar. Has a strong student base that doesn't collapse because of a graduation ceremony.
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Well said! I want to expand on the "well rounded and stable." Teams that are just building a robot and go to events while money is hand to mouth are the Have Nots. Teams that have a business plan and are executing that plan, along with doing all the other things that are not directly tied to building a robot (Media, outreach, etc) are the Haves. The teams that have their 2011 money either in the bank or committed are Haves and I'd bet are working on their 2012,13 funding now. (Grants have a long lead time)
Small cost robotics (VEX,FLL,FTC,Best,Firefight,Airbots,SeaPerch,etc) can be covered by small fundraising / grants and parents. FRC is very expensive in time and money. The "powerhouse" Have teams have deep multi-year partnerships in the community and business. The Have teams are working on making those partnerships be multi-year.
But moving from a Have to Have Not can happen in a blink if the team management gets distracted.