Improving the District Experience

[Anupam Goli]

After being part of a district system for the first time, I'm in love with it. That being said, I've heard a few dissenting opinions, and the love for the system in Georgia is not universal.

One of the complaints that struck a chord with me was the lack of team diversity in smaller district models, like ours. We had no out-of-state teams participate in any of our events. With little to no outside influence, the gameplay in our district seemed to stagnate, and the lack of deep strategy was noticeable even at district championship. I personally don't know if North Carolina experienced the same phenomenon, but I'd be curious for members of NC District teams to share their experiences.

The micro-district model that Indiana pioneered paved the way for states to go to the district system by themselves, but for regions that don't have the competitive history and powerful top tier, it's tough to play the same game that everyone else is playing in week 7.

Would combining with another region to form a larger district help? How can we ensure our region can be competitive and diverse instead of isolated and less competitive?