Championship Location Announced

[nicholsjj]

http://www.businesswire.com/news/hom...is-Site-Annual

It is now official, St. Louis has been announced as the choice for Worlds through 2017.

[Hallry]

I was hoping for Indianapolis, or a return to Atlanta...but St. Louis will do.

The dates for Champs 2015-2017 are: April 22-25 (2015); April 27-30 (2016); and April 26-29 (2017).

EDIT: This also stood out to me in the article:
When FIRST competitors return to St. Louis, they will see even more new developments in the area, including an invigorated Arch grounds, Ballpark Village, and a redeveloped Union Station. Those new developments, of course, are augmented by many youth-friendly venues such as City Museum, City Garden, Saint Louis Zoo, the Saint Louis Science Center, the Saint Louis Art Museum, and the Missouri History Museum. “Our mix of attractions and venues is really quite impressive and attractive, particularly to young people,” said Ratcliffe. “We can’t wait to show another generation of FIRST what St. Louis has to offer.”

Please...not back to the Science Center...please...

[EOC]

Very good news for St. Louis area teams!!!

[PayneTrain]

This move sets a definitive bar for what the powers-that-be want champs to be over the next 4 years.

[JB987]

Disappointed...but we will get over it

[lpickett]

Great, I don't have to travel so far to see a lot of great teams.

[ice.berg]

Pretty disappointed in this decision I guess, even though I have no other venue to compare it to. It might just be I want something new and different, but to me STL has gotten kind of bland. But we will see whats down the pipe and what kind of changes they can make to improve CMP

[Blackphantom91]

I'm excited that it is in the same place because it is so close to home. I did want it to move to indy though. (Food Trucks!) I am interested in the new developments of the area for championships though. Sorry west coast teams.

[Nate Laverdure]

Originally Posted by Hallry

The dates for Champs 2015-2017 are: April 22-25 (2015); April 27-30 (2016); and April 26-29 (2017).

This means that FIRST CMP and VEX Worlds will coincide in 2014 and 2015.

[Calvin Hartley]

I would have enjoyed seeing a new city. The first year I went to Worlds was 2011, so I never have seen anything aside from St. Louis. Oh well. Don't get me wrong, I think St. Louis is a wonderful city for it. I just like to see new places.

[Phyrxes]

Originally Posted by Nate Laverdure

This means that FIRST CMP and VEX Worlds will coincide in 2014 and 2015.

Ugh, two years of potentially telling a group of students they have to pick one and can't go to both. Given the fact that May is effectively off limits I am not that surprised that this schedule happened.

[Racer26]

Originally Posted by Nate Laverdure

This means that FIRST CMP and VEX Worlds will coincide in 2014 and 2015.

Seems to me that's

a) going to be a problem for some teams and people which consistently make appearances in both places (like 1114 [who've never missed an FRC CMP since they were a rookie way back in 2003, and won't ever now that they're a HOF team, and who frequently send at least one team to VEX worlds] and Karthik [as part of VEX's GDC and a lead mentor for 1114 in FRC])

b) Yet another snipe at VEX/IFI by FIRST HQ, which frankly, are becoming quite tired. The stated goals of both programs are to better STEM education. Forcing people to choose between them is the WORST thing they can do. Stop wrestling over the existing Robotics program pie, and GROW the pie. First the switch away from IFI controllers in FRC, then the axing of FVC in favour of FTC, then minibots which ONLY allow Tetrix parts, VEX parts being specifically banned, and now this. Just stop. Seriously. Are these the messages we want to teach the kids?

Note: I have edited this post. After some more consideration, I don't necessarily believe this to be as malicious as I initially thought.

[Thad House]

Originally Posted by Racer26

Seems to me that's

a) going to be a problem for some teams and people which consistently make appearances in both places (like 1114 and Karthik [as part of VEX's GDC and a lead mentor for 1114 in FRC])

b) Yet another snipe at VEX/IFI by FIRST HQ, which frankly, are becoming quite tired. The stated goals of both programs are to better STEM education. Forcing people to choose between them is the WORST thing they can do. Stop wrestling over the existing Robotics program pie, and GROW the pie. First the switch away from IFI controllers in FRC, then the axing of FVC in favour of FTC, then minibots which ONLY allow Tetrix parts, VEX parts being specifically banned, and now this. Just stop. Seriously. Are these the messages we want to teach the kids?

I am sure they are not making them be the same weekend on purpose. I remember reading last year that the weekends they were placed on could not be changed. They could not go later because they would interfere with AP testing, and could not go earlier because of venue issues. So I'm sure if there was something they could do to put them on different weekends they would do everything they could.

Also I am sure the switch to NI from IFI was not a snipe at IFI, it was just who they wanted to go with. Moving to FTC was the same thing, and Minibots was trying to promote their own program, not trying to undermine another programs.

[Nate Laverdure]

Originally Posted by Racer26

Seems to me that's ... Yet another snipe at VEX/IFI by FIRST HQ...

Agreed. Even if these things aren't intentional snipes, FIRST needs to recognize that they're being interpreted that way.

There's 52 weeks in the year. Plenty of room.

[Racer26]

Originally Posted by sst.thad

So I'm sure if there was something they could do to put them on different weekends they would do everything they could.

Call me cynical. You've only been around a short time. I've been around long enough to have seen enough little things to make me feel this way. I expect better from the organization I've devoted 10+ years of my life to.