Improving the District Experience

[IKE]

Originally Posted by Anupam Goli

...snip...

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?

That is a really interesting concept for a "district" championship that would likely be more like the "super regional" model we were shown many years ago...
******************************************

As far as variety goes, you may want to Talk to some of the Indiana people. I talked with Chris Fultz this past weekend. He mentioned they had the same concern when they started. He also mentioned how great it is to finally get to know other teams.

One phenomenon that doesn't get a lot of discussion is the community feeling that the district system creates. You see teams and people more often. More team members volunteer in some capacity, and get to know others by having lunch in volunteer lounge, or working through issues or just being in alliances together more often.

This sense of community engagement and friendships isn't only at the adult level, the students really get to know one another, and rival sport schools become "friends with robots".

I talk a lot with some of the Indiana crew, and they have really become their own family. The last couple of years (especially this year), I have got to know some of the PNW people, and they too have developed their own FIRST culture and they are a fun and Crazy bunch (and have this years Woody Flowers Award Winner in their ranks).

In previous years, I talked with MAR and New England. Those areas are a little different (or at least were when I was discussing). I have heard that they have stronger State and/or local team allegiances, but it would be good to close the loop with them. Of note, both MAR and NE are heavily comprised of "old guard" FRC teams. Before probably 2005, and especially before 2000, FRC was not nearly as friendly a place as it is nowadays. Back in the day, teams used to cover their robot when they weren't working on it to ensure no one got a picture so they couldn't "copy" their successful ideas. I think this could be a factor in the culture or at least the observed culture. I should note that I may have been talking to them after their first year and did not do the follow up I have done with other regions. IE, they could be having super friendly everyone loves each other events now.