Michigan, be honest, how is the district model?

[Karibou]

Originally Posted by GGCO

Other than that, the smaller district events are more exciting and fast paced. Also they feel more "local" - everyone knows each other. This makes these events feel more competitive and friendly. It's really cool to see a new member meet new people from different communities and schools.

While I agree with this - and love it - one of the biggest things that I miss because of FiM is meeting people from other teams across the country. I was only in FIRST/FRC for one year before the district model began, and my team only went to one out-of-state event (Pittsburgh), but I loved seeing all of the teams from places that I was unfamiliar with. In MI, you don't get to see the international teams either. It is impossible to do two districts, a regional, and the state championship without doing back-to-back events, which tends to put a strain on the students' school performance.

However, as has also been said, the districts are very fast paced and competitive. Getting two districts for the price of one regional allows rookies (and veterans, for that matter) a second chance to compete in case they run into glaring issues at their first event, without breaking the bank.

One other drawback is that the teams on the extreme borders of the area (in this case, the teams in the UP) experience higher travel costs because of their distance from the events. In New England, the events are more local to the teams there, and this wouldn't be as much as a problem. It's just a matter of where to draw the boundary lines.