NY Districts - POA

[Sperkowsky]

Originally Posted by notmattlythgoe

One way to help grow your volunteer base is to run offseason events. It also helps to prove to the organizers that there are other groups in the area capable of running an event.

Agreed. Currently there is only 1 offseason event throughtout all of NY and LI.

We will be most likely hosting a free week 0 event next year but, we have not spoken about an offseason.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

The most confusing thing I take from this is why do we need more regionals? TVR and FLR are both already pretty small and we have enough teams to make IMO a perfect sized district. Creating more smaller regionals just sounds like a very expensive district.

The idea here is that more events of any type will create a larger volunteer base, as there are more opportunities to train key volunteers, a better gauge for how many volunteers the state can support, etc. Going from 4 regionals to at least 8 districts requires many, many more volunteers, so adding 2 extra regionals the year before helps ease that transition and create a larger base.

[Bluman56]

Originally Posted by notmattlythgoe

One way to help grow your volunteer base is to run offseason events. It also helps to prove to the organizers that there are other groups in the area capable of running an event.

This is extremely important. Unfortunately NYC has no offseason events (closest ones are in NJ) that can be used as "training centers" for young volunteers eager to try positions that might otherwise be filled at regionals. There used to be one in 2010 at Francis Lewis High School but I have yet to find out why that was never repeated. It's a shame but this ongoing discussion makes me very excited for the future of NY Districts.

I would love to help if needed.

[Sperkowsky]

Originally Posted by Bluman56

This is extremely important. Unfortunately NYC has no offseason events (closest ones are in NJ) that can be used as "training centers" for young volunteers eager to try positions that might otherwise be filled at regionals. There used to be one in 2010 at Francis Lewis High School but I have yet to find out why that was never repeated. It's a shame but this ongoing discussion makes me very excited for the future of NY Districts.

I would love to help if needed.

Well there is one a little closer now.
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...hreadid=146206

[Bluman56]

Originally Posted by Sperkowsky

Well there is one a little closer now.
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...hreadid=146206

Looks like we found an offseason to go to! Thank you 5123!

[Josh Goodman]

So, I will say that this has been on the Regional Directors radar for a few years now (as you heard in the email). I want to echo the important point of everyone being on the same idea that districts _will_ happen sooner or later.

The reason why they have not yet are the insane amount of logistics needed to transfer to a different system like this. Things like how to split up the district locations (Putting upstate NY and NYC/LI together makes no sense) as well as figuring out who is hosting the competitions, how many are needed, if we have a volunteer base and the teams to go.

To the point of TVR and FLR being small: TVR had 36 teams this year out of a 36 team limit, FLR has 49 teams this weekend out of a 50 team limit. I think you would see a slight increase in size if venue was of no objective.

I'm not saying "don't have this conversation", I'm saying: these conversations are and have been happening, so if you're interested and pushing the region to districts sooner rather than later, do what 1493kd did and contact the right people to see how you can be a part of it.

[Conor Ryan]

The best solution right now is to introduce more off season events. Long Island had Deer Park, one of the oldest off season events until it went away a few years ago. The district model is cumbersome to implement, off seasons are a natural transition and the logical step for the area.

If anybody in the Southern NY/LI/NYC region needs assistance in developing an off season, I would be willing to help get you off the ground and rolling. Feel free to private message me.

I might add that I have heard from the NYC committee and they are exploring the feasibility of a Westchester County regional. I don't know about the current situation, but volunteers are a known concern.

[plnyyanks]

Originally Posted by Conor Ryan

I might add that I have heard from the NYC committee and they are exploring the feasibility of a Westchester County regional. I don't know about the current situation, but volunteers are a known concern.

This is really interesting news to me - I'd venture to guess they're considering the Westchester County Center as their venue.

If the powers-that-be would like help making something like this happen, I'd be happy to join their efforts and help plan a regional in my backyard.

[Dominick Ferone]

I've seen most of the teams if not all the teams in New York and can say there is much variety in the whole upstate vs downstate with how things are done. Upstate is very well connected the capital area and Rochester both have great communities that are well connected. I'm pretty sure Rochestor helped a lot with setting up Tech Valley.
I know all the teams up state in my opinion is very well communicated and connected better than Long Island.

I'd be willing to help out if people need, I know people mentioned in the other district threads about setting up an event in our area and we can try and work with our school.

[Dominick Ferone]

Originally Posted by Conor Ryan

The best solution right now is to introduce more off season events. Long Island had Deer Park, one of the oldest off season events until it went away a few years ago. The district model is cumbersome to implement, off seasons are a natural transition and the logical step for the area.

If anybody in the Southern NY/LI/NYC region needs assistance in developing an off season, I would be willing to help get you off the ground and rolling. Feel free to private message me.

I might add that I have heard from the NYC committee and they are exploring the feasibility of a Westchester County regional. I don't know about the current situation, but volunteers are a known concern.

One thing was when the deer park one went away Half Hallow Hills immediately stepped in and picked up where they left off and continued the tradition.

[Brian C]

Here is a link to the Half Hollow Hills FIRST Team 3624. They host the HHH Invitational every November.

http://team3624.herokuapp.com/

It would be great if some of the NYC teams could attend.

[Libby K]

Originally Posted by Bluman56

This is extremely important. Unfortunately NYC has no offseason events (closest ones are in NJ) that can be used as "training centers" for young volunteers eager to try positions that might otherwise be filled at regionals. There used to be one in 2010 at Francis Lewis High School but I have yet to find out why that was never repeated. It's a shame but this ongoing discussion makes me very excited for the future of NY Districts.

I would love to help if needed.

As far as 'training centers', I know this doesn't help with the need for local NYC events - but if anyone wants to come out this summer to MidKnight Mayhem and train in a new role they're interested in, please reach out to me. (June 25, 2016).

We are pretty easily reached from the city - direct train from Penn, our train station is ~2 miles from the school. We frequently have NYC/LI teams come down to the event, so we'd love to invite volunteers as well.

Originally Posted by Josh Goodman

To the point of TVR and FLR being small: TVR had 36 teams this year out of a 36 team limit, FLR has 49 teams this weekend out of a 50 team limit. I think you would see a slight increase in size if venue was of no objective.

TVR also had a waitlist - I know we were on it, and I'm guessing there were other teams who didn't make it in as well. If venue size wasn't a factor, my bet is TVR would have a similar team count to FLR.

My question that came up, as I was typing this ... if the NY events are in Districts, where does that leave a lot of the international teams who have traditionally come to East Coast events?

[Jessi Kaestle]

Originally Posted by Libby K

My question that came up, as I was typing this ... if the NY events are in Districts, where does that leave a lot of the international teams who have traditionally come to East Coast events?

This is definitely something that the RD's are aware of and solving this issue will not be as simple as anyone quite likes.

There have been some talk of creating a European district but that creates complications of travel and visa's. For some countries, due to the political situations the countries are in, it is easier to get a visa to visit the US than it is to get a visa to visit some other European countries.

Another option that has been talked about on CD is that International teams could "Opt in" to a district but that creates a whole other issue of what happens if they make it to DCMP.

[EmileH]

Is it a possibility to continue to host one regional in the NY area alongside a district or possibly in NE/MAR alongside districts (since they are a bit more experienced) to allow for teams that want to travel into the US or from other US cities to compete near NY? Or is there a rule that disallows regional events in district-sanctioned regions?

[dag0620]

Originally Posted by EmileH

Is it a possibility to continue to host one regional in the NY area alongside a district or possibly in NE/MAR alongside districts (since they are a bit more experienced) to allow for teams that want to travel into the US or from other US cities to compete near NY? Or is there a rule that disallows regional events in district-sanctioned regions?

I don't think there's anything inherently against that. However the rules forcing teams that live in district boundaries requiring them to partake in the district system still would apply.

It's an interesting concept. While NYC has been THE event for international teams, I know it's not a cheap event to put on. Having a regional in NE or MAR for those teams would certainly be a cheaper alternative.