Micro-District Model

[Aren Siekmeier]

I think this is a really interesting idea, but I agree that it would be very very difficult to run a match schedule like that... One possibility is to insert a break between every three matches so that every team usually has some pit time between each match, but that's cutting down more and more on qualification matches.

Something I thought of: why require all teams to have the same number of qualification matches? I wonder if it would be possible to have some filler line for the normal qualification matches, and possibly even have extra matches count for your seeding (of course now you have to average performance over match count rather than just adding - or maybe you could drop the worst matches). So obviously the teams who have fewer issues on the field will get more chances to play and improve their seed, while those who need more time in the pit won't get as much drive time. Creates an incentive to get the wrinkles worked out, but at the same time is maybe not a tradeoff we want in place... Just an intriguing thought...

Also, I often see people refer to the inspiration that comes from attending a big flashy regional event with multi million dollar A/V setups, loud music, nice venues, etc. But I don't really think this is the kind of inspiration we should be looking for, or the kind that is effective. The vast majority of the robotics season is spent in the build season, doing the bulk of the engineering. It may vary for others, but for me personally, I always drew the most inspiration from the build season and the chance to see and participate in the entire design process, and also the chance to see how much is possible with technology. And correspondingly, as a mentor, the build season is when I find the most opportunities to pass that inspiration on to the current students, by showing them everything that they can do and helping them with their own design process. The event is just a fun bonus at the end where you see your work pay off, and particularly if you drew significant inspiration from the build season, the flashy lights and party music aren't really a big deal... You still get to see your work pay off if it's in a high school gym.