Texas Registration 2014

[jee7s]

Expanding on Karthik's 2003 numbers, the 11 remaining teams are: 57, 118, 148, 231, 418, 457, 499, 624, 647, 653, and 704. However, none of those were rookies that year.

Per TheBlueAlliance and FIRST's info, here are the rookie year breakdowns for surviving teams who had a rookie season prior to 2009:

2008: 2468, 2583, 2587, 2613
2007: 2158
2006: 1801, 1817
2005: 1642
2004: 1255, 1296, 1477
2003: <none>
2002: <none>
2001: 499, 624, 647, 659, 704
2000: 418, 457
1999: 231
1998: 57
1997: 118
...
1992: 148

The current team numbering scheme didn't go into effect until 1998, as I recall. So, that's why 57 has a lower team number than 118 even though 118 has been around a year longer.

Maybe that was too much detail, but I think it definitely shows the drought was longer than just the 2005-2009 stretch.

The 2009 jump probably has to do with the state grant program. I think it was a Texas Workforce Commission grant program that ran from 2009 to 2011. I was still with FRC 41 back in NJ for the 2009 season, so some locals might have to correct me on that. Anyway, that program started a whole bunch of teams because schools could get registration money quickly and easily. It's sad to see that so few survived.

[BBray_T1296]

Originally Posted by jee7s

I think it was a Texas Workforce Commission grant program that ran from 2009 to 2011. I was still with FRC 41 back in NJ for the 2009 season, so some locals might have to correct me on that. Anyway, that program started a whole bunch of teams because schools could get registration money quickly and easily. It's sad to see that so few survived.

Correct. The Texas Workforce Commission funded the entry fee for all Texas team's first regional registration for a few years. This has not been the case for recent years, and many teams who sprung up and depended on that money to subsidize their programs could not fund themselves anymore.

Proud to be a part of one of the 3 surviving rookies in Texas from 2004!

[Kyler Hagler]

IIRC the Texas Workforce grant is still active, now i don't know about rookie help specifically but i do believe you can still apply for it (I might be wrong). I know they help pay entry fees for teams to be able to go to championships but I don't know if they still pay regional registration fees.

[Steven Donow]

In a similar vein, I'd assume the 2011 and 2012 jump in rookies probably is related to the JCPenney sponsorships(and weren't they a title sponsor for the Dallas Regional?)

[BBray_T1296]

Originally Posted by DevenStonow

In a similar vein, I'd assume the 2011 and 2012 jump in rookies probably is related to the JCPenney sponsorships(and weren't they a title sponsor for the Dallas Regional?)

Yes, as their world HQ is in Dallas. That is where kickoff was for a while, and JCPenney was the reason the Dallas Regional(s) were in the expensive-and-massively-oversized-but-convenient-and-awesome Dallas Convention Center.

Since the company is struggling, they have cut most (if not all) funding for robotics teams. The regional has since (2013-now) moved to the appropriately sized Irving Convention Center (30 minutes away), and many of the teams who relied on their funding are worse off than they were.

I know the Texas Workforce Commission did not pay for our first regional in 2012, and maybe not even in 2011. Honestly I do not know more than that.

[jessjank.]

FIRST in Texas has gone through major changes this season. It is now under entirely new management - Skillpoint Alliance based in Austin, Texas. Skillpoint has been a longtime FLL Affiliate Partner and Central Texas FTC event manager, however, they have limited experience with FRC. The transition to a new FiT manager less experienced with FRC is part of the reason the granting process is going much more slowly this year. Down the road, the process should hopefully go far more efficiently and we'll reap a variety of benefits from this new partnership. For now, I know it's certainly frustrating for teams.

Another issue faced this year with regard to granting money is that the Texas Workforce Commission is being more assertive about prioritizing money going to teams that meet certain characteristics (regardless of whether they are actual indicators of a team's financial need). They are targeting teams whose members:

• are in 9th through 12th grade ONLY
• from economically disadvantaged families
• are enrolled in schools on military bases
• have disabilities
• are home schooled
• are from traditionally underserved populations (females, minorities, and from rural areas)

Once FiT has granted funding to as many teams as possible who match some of those characteristics, they will then be extending grant money to other teams who have applied. This is further slowing things down and contributing to a less than ideal situation for many teams.

Additionally, there are less Texas Workforce Commission funds to go around this year. Veteran teams may be granted between $2,500 to $3,000. Rookies may be granted between $6,000 and $7,000. There are a little over 50 veteran FRC grants (compared to 80+ last year) and around 18 grants for new FRC teams. Additionally, FiT will likely be granting only half of the registration funds to cover teams Championship registration costs, though that is still being finalized.

For your reference: Attached is an official FIRST in Texas document regarding Texas Workforce Commission Grants that details much of the above information.

[Whippet]

Originally Posted by jessjank.

They are targeting teams whose members:

• are in 9th through 12th grade ONLY

*snip*

Well, this is pretty disappointing. From grades 6 to 8, I was on an FRC team dependent on the TWC grants for entry fees. Without that team, I would not have the same opportunities that I have today. It saddens me to know that joint middle and high schools will have to exclude half of their students simply because of a prerequisite for their funding.

[emmcro]

Interesting number on the TWC Overall Grant chart. Any idea how it is broken down by cities in TX?

[Mykey]

We just came off of our second year as a Texas team (and are headed to Houston for the Remix tomorrow). Funding the team the second year was immensely more difficult than as a rookie team.

As an explorer post we are not affiliated with a school. Outside of the fact that we have to scramble for a place to meet, we have also discovered that there is a definite bias towards school programs. This not a complaint, it is just another possibility as to why some teams fold.

The observation about sports vs. STEM or the arts is absolutely too true.

We are also greatly helped by being in San Antonio. I do not believe that we would exist in a smaller town. It is already very hard to get participants (no school to draw from).

I would love a system where mentors share some time with newer teams. We already lend out teens, mentors would be invaluable.

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by Mykey

As an explorer post we are not affiliated with a school. Outside of the fact that we have to scramble for a place to meet, we have also discovered that there is a definite bias towards school programs. This not a complaint, it is just another possibility as to why some teams fold.

.

Could you expand on this a bit? Are you referring to grants?

[Mykey]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

Could you expand on this a bit? Are you referring to grants?

First let me start with FRC itself has never given us any problems.

Grants are a part of it, although there are more aspects to it than that.

We operate as an afterschool program and we take anyone who wishes to join regardless of their location or school affiliations. Because of this we have been accused stealing students from schools that have (or wish to have) FRC teams. We do not actively try to take anyone from another team, but we still catch grief if we are chosen over another. We have actually lost more to new school teams than we have taken.

When we applied for the TWC monies we were informed that we would have to get verification of the teens grade levels from their schools. And in fact if they are homeschooled (about a third of the team) that we would need to go to the schools they would have attended for verification. They backed off of this when they were informed it is illegal to require this in Texas (homeschools are considered to be private schools here). Schools are reluctant (rightly so) to release such information to other organizations. Try collecting this from six different ones.

As an Explorer Post we are provided with liability coverage and legal protection. This is normally a provided by a school. I am not sure how other teams that are not under a Scout/school umbrella address this.

We established ourselves as a not-for-profit organization and have had to establish titles and a non-residential address to be able to fill in the blanks for grants, approaching sponsors, establishing websites, ordering parts/tools from some companies and sometimes getting retailers to acknowledge our tax free status.

When you put your group forward as a youth group not directly affiliated with a school you would be surprised how many people treat the group with suspicion. They ask questions to find out what your "agenda" is. I think many assume that you are either a cult or a group of pedophiles (and sometimes both). We had a neighbor near the garage we meet in accuse us of running a sweatshop. As funny as this was it is an excellent example of how many approach us.

Please don't get me wrong, it is not all up hill battles. It is just that many things related to FRC are approached from the assumption that you are operating through a school.

[Mr.Frishman]

It is definitely more difficult to operate when the team is not district affiliated. We are the second FRC team in the area and the original has been the only game in town for a long time. Because of that our district does not look very kindly on us. Having said that, it is is still possible to operate without district help. We have to find alternate funding sources and so far we have been successful.Teams cannot exist year to year on grant funding alone.It was very easy to get a lot of money to start a team but most fund sources seem to want rookies.Time Warner Cable was a great example of this.

[Abhishek R]

Has the Texas Workforce Commission stopped sponsoring teams or have hey stopped giving grants for rookie teams or something else? As I understand it, they still sponsor teams that they originally gave the grants to.

And yeah, it's a good point that many people don't see FRC as they see "regular sports" or a fine art.

Also, district affiliation doesn't necessarily mean they receive support from the district, it may just be that some teams are affiliated with a school as a club and therefore associated with the district.

[Adrienne E.]

Originally Posted by KylerHagler

IIRC the Texas Workforce grant is still active, now i don't know about rookie help specifically but i do believe you can still apply for it (I might be wrong). I know they help pay entry fees for teams to be able to go to championships but I don't know if they still pay regional registration fees.

Through FIRST In Texas you can still apply for a Texas Workforce Commission Grant and more (http://firstintexas.org/).
"Each organization which provides funding for these grants has their own targets and goals for their funding. By completing this application your team will be reviewed for eligibility for all grants, and considered for all grants the team is eligible for. All of the information collected in this application is relevant to the targets or goals of one or more of our grantors."


It specifically states that you can use any money received for entry fees or equipment somewhere in the application. However the application process is extensive and required a lot of information that was impossible for me to find (or legally report). I filled out the application in August and I'm still waiting for a response. I've called twice and they have given me the same generic answer both times "We review all grants weekly, eventually we will get back to you."

Since 2010 they have paid championship registration for any Texas team that qualified at a Texas regional. They told us last year that this funding is subject to change every year and we didn't find out about the funding until about 6 days before St. Louis.

If it's frustrating to me, I have to assume I'm not the only one. This could be a deterrent for some teams.