Michigan, be honest, how is the district model?

[sgreco]

Originally Posted by Katie_UPS

To get to champs in an earn-to-play way (winning events/chairmans/EI/rookie all star), it costs teams

in MI: $5000 (registration) + $4000 (State) + $5000 (champs)= $14,000

not in MI: $5000 (registration) + $5000 (champs)= $10,000

(I'm sure someone will say "Then just fundraise more," but I'm just pointing out the fact that MI teams have to pay more to earn-to-play at champs)

I understand that to get to Nationals it could be cheaper out of state, but Michigan team can also opt to attend a regional. If they don't like the steps in districts, they can leave the state and do what everyone else does. The Michigan team also gets 4 events in this comparison, not 2 like the other team. It may be more money, but they are also getting more.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by sgreco

I understand that to get to Nationals it could be cheaper out of state, but Michigan team can also opt to attend a regional. If they don't like the steps in districts, they can leave the state and do what everyone else does.

I heard once of a team that wanted to opt out of MI and just go to the WI regional. Even if they opt to do this, they still had to pay the Michigan registration fee, making their only regional $9,000.

[sgreco]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

I heard once of a team that wanted to opt out of MI and just go to the WI regional. Even if they opt to do this, they still had to pay the Michigan registration fee, making their only regional $9,000.

They paid $9000 and went to the WI regional, but did they attend 2 districts as well?

[AdamHeard]

I have no numbers to back this up, but from posts I've seen it seems like single regional teams are in the minority at champs. Furthermore, single regional teams are vastly the minority in elims at champs, and ridiculously in the minority for division/champs winners. There are some exceptions of course, but for how many teams total do a single regional, the numbers are low at champs.

So, if you want to go to champs (and do well), go to two regionals first

[Mark McLeod]

I think you might want to run real numbers on this before making up such a conclusion.
I just looked and it's almost 50/50 (46% vs 54%).

Statistically speaking, people can be notoriously bad guessers. (Apartment for Peggy)

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

I have no numbers to back this up, but from posts I've seen it seems like single regional teams are in the minority at champs. Furthermore, single regional teams are vastly the minority in elims at champs, and ridiculously in the minority for division/champs winners. There are some exceptions of course, but for how many teams total do a single regional, the numbers are low at champs.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

I think you might want to run real numbers on this before making up such a conclusion.
I just looked and it's almost 50/50 (46% vs 54%).

I stand corrected.

Do you have numbers on eliminations by chance?

[Tom Line]

Pro's:
1. We pay less to play more. This has all sorts of benefits:

• Exposure to more robots and more teams
• More practice
• More time to work out the bugs on the robots during competition
• More friendships with awesome Michigan teams
• Rapid-fire turn around means the teams get very good at fixing their problems

2. For awards like Chairmans, we get far more practice (have to present multiple times)
3. Michigan sends teams to championship that have done well repeatedly. Not just 1 time.

Con's:
1. Generally speaking, the field of teams we see in Michigan is limited to Michigan. I miss going up against Wildstangs, Technokats, Beatty, and many others nearby.
2. The events are somewhat less glamorous.
3. The district events are very much 'jammed' time wise. A day is cut out of a district to save money, which means we're usually up scouting until 1 AM on Friday night. There's no reall time to go swimming, go out and get a nice meal, etc if you're planning on picking the next day. Likewise, we start earlier. It's exhausting compared to a regional. We're HAPPY to go to state championships and world championships because, frankly, it's WAY more laid back with a much longer turn-around time between matches.

All in all, the district model is superior in my mind. However, there are things I miss about the regionals events - the glamor and glitz, the laid-back atmosphere and time to have fun, etc.

[nikeairmancurry]

Originally Posted by sgreco

They paid $9000 and went to the WI regional, but did they attend 2 districts as well?

This is true... and many of teams opt to do this each year...

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by sgreco

They paid $9000 and went to the WI regional, but did they attend 2 districts as well?

I think they ended up just doing Districts, but what I was trying to say though is that you have to pay $5,000 even if you opt out of any districts. I think?