It have to happen sometime
Well, I hope people find the reasons FIRST provided reasonable...
It is something that had to be done, in my opinion, when the bads outweights the goods if nothing is done.
Cheer up, everyone. The odd/even qualification gives teams a chance to go at least once every two year. And teams with good competition records and chairman awards will be present at National, which mean there will still be tough competition...
But you are right, there won't every teams around the country in the pit area anymore.... However, looking at the amount of time it take to really walk through that kind of pit area and really meet those other teams, it's going to take more than 5 days if FIRST keep the growth rate from last year.
I know this isn't the time to say this, but I am going to say it anyway... FIRST learning experience isn't just about going to National, it's also the 6 weeks of hardwork you put into the robot, the rest of the year trying to prepare the team for competition, regional competitions, and/or promoting FIRST through out your community.
If you really want to meet other people, I suggest you go to another regional far away if you don't think you will be going to Nats that year. Meet those others through a much smaller competition and really get to know them. There is something different about regionals that Nats can't compare to, the sense of family and bonding between teams that are close to each other. And then, when you are prepared or when your year number comes, go to Nats and take a look at how FIRST have changed all those young people around the country...
Even though FIRST cap the size of teams going to National, they will never cap the amount of volunteers and spectators going. Therefore some of you can still go if you decide to observe the competitions and awards ceremony, or even just plain old volunteering...
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