What would you do to improve the FIRST experience?

[Gefowl]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

Stop focusing on growth. unpopular statement but - teams that don't move don't inspire. Let's focus less on "a team in every school" and more on building sustainable programs. Would a school start a Division 1 football program without a coach with some basic experience or knowledge? No. Why are we doing FRC teams that way?

Those last two really have to go together - don't start teams with people who have no experience with teams. But how do they get experience? By being at these events.

Cannot agree with you more.

However, One of the odd things with FIRST is that it's difficult to convince middle/elementary aged kids (and in an extent parents) to invest their time in FIRST unless there is an FRC team they can see themselves joining later in high school. If there isn't an FRC team that students know they can join later being on a JFLL-FTC team may not seem to be worthwhile of their time.

To (quickly) make sustainable FIRST programs it almost has to begin with an FRC team. I think FIRST needs to put more emphasis on the importance the lower levels of FIRST are to a successful and sustainable FRC team to rookie teams.