Student lettering in FRC

[Siri]

Originally Posted by sgreco

I'm not saying it's bad to call it sport, I'm just questioning if it matters. Some people seem to think it is a necessity to the advancement of the program to have it classified as a sport, and I don't.

I think this depends rather heavily on where the particular expansion is occurring. At the level of broad-spectrum American culture? [unfamiliar with international] FIRST probably doesn't need to an ESPN sport. However, just of the schools/districts I know personally, several give particular benefits to things called "sports" (some include the likes of varsity choir and marching band in here). For instance, earning the right to letter in robotics opens up previously unavailable school funds, teacher stipends, facility rights, and more for the team. I suspect it also impacts things like advertising and recruiting in some places. If nothing else, in schools that consider "varsity" to include more than traditional "sports", lettering gives FIRST a level of credibility I suspect most of us believe it deserves along side music groups and academic teams receiving the same school-based honor.