Future First Championship News

[MattRain]

As much as I hate the Super Regional Set up that FTC has, I feel like it would have been a better idea than this.

Reasons I don't like the Super Regionals FTC has:
-Extra costs (registration, travel, hotels, food)
- Top teams from different states that get a bad pairing of qualification matches, which don't make it to world then. (Some can relate to this I think)
- Time off work/school. (This hurts after burning through paid time off when you factor in qualifiers, regionals, super regionals, Worlds)

Even with the reasons listed above, I feel it would be a better option than going with two different events. Phoenix AZ to St Louis is 1457 miles, compared to Phoenix AZ to Houston which is 1172 miles, not much less...

You lose the true feel of a WORLD championship. I would like to compete with everyone around the world, not just the South portion of the US/World....

I've been to 4 (5 this year) World Championships. My best year still has to be my first year as a freshman. Smaller, and more family feeling. It just doesn't feel right anymore. FRC decided to go up to 600 teams this year, to allow more teams to come to the WORLD championship, yet the FTC community is still only 128 of the best teams.

FTC has 3799 Active teams, only 128 go to the World Championships, 288 go to Super Regionals...

FRC has 3245 Active teams, 600 go the World Championships, No Super Regionals....

Why FIRST?? In short, have FRC go to a Super Regional Setup like FTC, as much as I hate it. It seems like the lesser of two evils... I want to know the real World Champion.

[Sunshine]

Originally Posted by Rachel Lim

Seeing the best of the best is inspiring and pushes us all do do better. It pushes us to build a better robot, to want to win, and in that process we learn more than we ever would if we accepted "good enough" as our goal. Giving out more medals doesn't make everyone a winner, it just takes away from the teams that truly are. I understand that more teams in elims, more teams on Einstein, and more teams that win is a great experience. But I really hope that if my team ever gets this chance, we get it though our hard work and success on the field, not because more teams need to be picked and we just "good enough." Lowering the level of competition makes average acceptable, and makes aiming for more harder to push for. Please, FIRST, don't do this. Give us back champs. Give us back the experience of seeing all the amazing teams in the world, the feeling of watching those top teams play and saying "someday we want to do that." Give us back the best method of inspiration we have.

Always amazed when high school students speak greater wisdom than the adults in charge. Great job young woman!

[Rachel Lim]

Originally Posted by Botsup

I have read all 13+ pages of posts and not a single one is saying "great idea", not even one is mildly positive, most being very negative. I would venture to proclaim the FIRST community is united (a hard thing to do) in viewing this as a bad idea.

The issue is that CD normally has a pretty united set of views and opinions, and are the ones who are inspired by success, seeing those better than us succeed, and pushing ourselves to be better and to succeed. It means in general, I've seen CD like more mentor involvement, be more in support of cheesecaking, and like alliance selections from the top 8, and other topics more than what I've seen from other students and mentors, especially those not on CD.

I completely agree with you and I don't like this at all. But there are views not represented here held by many, perhaps even a (silent) majority. I'm willing to bet that some teams will be thrilled to get a chance to be at champs even if it's only half of it, even if personally I'd rather my team not be able to attend because we didn't do well enough instead of getting a spot because there are more spots and the bar was lowered. I'd guarantee you that many, many people will not agree with my view though.

[Jared Russell]

Originally Posted by JesseK

This is a bit of a volatile hyperbolic statement which doesn't state anything fundamentally new in the STEM education world, don't you think?

I was referencing the culture change aspect of FRC (robotics as a sport that appeals to non-participants, exciting finals matches on ESPN brought about by an incredibly high level of competition, building big and fast robots that make you say "wow!", etc.).

I don't think it is hyperbole to say that large decisions like this make me (and the majority of mentors with whom I have already spoken or who have posted about this) question FIRST's long term vision for this currently-unique-to-FRC idea, and open to the thought that FRC may at some point in the future no longer be the best fit for that idea.

Originally Posted by Sunshine

Always amazed when high school students speak greater wisdom than the adults in charge. Great job young man!

Pretty sure Rachel isn't a dude...

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Sunshine

Always amazed when high school students speak greater wisdom than the adults in charge. Great job young man!

Young woman you mean.

[aryker]

Originally Posted by Botsup

I have read all 13+ pages of posts and not a single one is saying "great idea", not even one is mildly positive, most being very negative. I would venture to proclaim the FIRST community is united (a hard thing to do) in viewing this as a bad idea.

SO>>>>

We can write more posts on Delphi, or we can take action! After all, this is OUR
organization. If there are no end users of the program, there is no FIRST. I for one am calling FIRST headquarters today, along with sending them an email, and an old fashioned snail mail letter explaining my displeasure and the reasons for it.

PLEASE JOIN ME! We do NOT have to just grumble and accept this!

(emphasis mine)

THIS! FIRST needs to learn that they can't just make these kinds of decisions without consulting the community! Let them know what you think!

[Munchskull]

Originally Posted by Sunshine

Always amazed when high school students speak greater wisdom than the adults in charge. Great job young man!

The posters name is Rachel, I think it is a girl.

[Rachel Lim]

Originally Posted by Andrew Lawrence

Pretty sure Rachel isn't a dude...

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

Young woman you mean.

I agree.

Thanks though, to Sunshine and to both of you for catching it before I even saw the post...
EDIT: And to Munchskull and to whoever else may end up replying.

[OAXACA]

I see both good and bad things with this.

1. I think it's great of FIRST to take into account all those teams who qualify for Worlds, but the expense is just to high to get STL. This year, we qualify for worlds, but the expense is huge. By having a venue in Houston, that makes things alot easier for teams in the neighbouring states.

2. I do see the argument that there should have been a venue on the west coast, the team count is higher on the 2 coasts.

3. One huge issue I have is that there will be duplicate awards passed out at both events. I understand that FIRST really isn't about winning and such. But by doing this, it kind of takes away from the award it self. Soon, every team you see at regionals will most likely end up at Worlds. Which might also put teams into the whole mentality, "We don't have to try so hard. There are going to be 1000+ Spots for championships, we're bound to get one".

4. I really hope that the winning teams at both championships can compete together for the true title of "World Champions".

I really do appreciate FIRST for trying to address the growth needs and I think it's swell that they're trying to come up with solutions for problems, But this wasn't the best solution for any problem.

There is my bit on it.

[Munchskull]

I am still at the point that I am hoping I will wake up to a bad dream.

[George Nishimura]

As great as Frank's blog is, FIRST seems like an unnecessary opaque organisation. How was this decision made: who did they talk to, what were the options and what are the priorities?

I would love to know more about how FIRST makes decisions: from GDC to Big picture strategy.

There seems to be a large amount of passionate negative reaction, and a fantastic opportunity in three weeks to manifest that constructively. I think (and not as any form of team representative) the idea of a visual protest (a poster at each pit or a petition) is a great idea.

From FIRST's perspective, I can understand if they want a cultural shift away from sports, or a sports-oriented culture. But as others have said, that side of FRC attracts a lot of people (including myself) to the program, so it would be great (and respectful to the community) to admit that up front if that was indeed the case. Especially as it's a tagline they are promoting in the announcement:

Sport for the Mind™

[MissDaisyGirl]

I'm going to leave a few things here that basically encompass just part of the feelings I'm having:

Philadelphia to St. Louis: 2 hr, 25 min
Philadelphia to Houston: 3 hr, 30 min
Philadelphia to Detroit: 1 hr, 35 min

Detroit is a winner, right? No. Is everyone overlooking the fact that Detroit is the most dangerous city in America? Its clear that the people making these decisions have never once in their life chaperoned 50 high school students through a large metropolitan environment.

"Violent crime rate: 2,137 per 100,000 residents
The Motor City tops the list of America's Most Dangerous Cities for the fourth straight year thanks to a stubborn problem mostly with gang-related violence. Violent crimes fell 10% last year but are still running five times the national average."
http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlj45jggj/1-detroit/

[jman4747]

Well I guess tell them you don't like it if you're going to champs. That stay silent during the announcement thing is going to be awkward though.

I don't feel as strongly as many do (I wouldn't quit FRC) but it's worse than the alternative in my opinion. And honestly I was more upset about the location than the model initially.

[staplemonx]

My Email to FIRST , limited to 255 characters.

Please do not follow through on your plan to change to multiple top level championships for FRC.

Instead, please maintain a single world championship and instead turn your non world championship venues into super districts.

It will be hard to motivate kids after next year since they will no longer be working towards being the best, instead they will be trying to hit some quasi defined goal of being highly ranked in the country.

Calling them next