A new era for FIRST.....and mixed feelings

[Ben Lauer]

Don't forget that this is assuming no over lap. When there is an overlap, some thems that haven't been in 3-4 years can participate.

One other thing. I went down this year without my team, we didn't qualify, but I volunteered. I had a great time, and even though my team didn't participate, I got to meet other people, and I cheered for thier team. Even if your team cannot participate, I think that you should try to get to Atlanta and watch or volunteer, it was a great experience that everyone should have!

[SilenceNoMore]

FIRST to me has turned into some kinda of monster (HEY!). An unorganized, unprofessional, and overstretched beast. It will only get worse, trust me.

This isn't your daddy's FIRST anymore, boys and girls. It is obvious that FIRST's main goal is no longer to inspire high school students to become engineers/scientists. It is now extremely political and money-oriented. I not saying that these two forces should be absent from FIRST, however they play too big of a role.

FIRST is not heading in a good direction.

[Mike Schroeder]

Originally Posted by SilenceNoMore

FIRST to me has turned into some kinda of monster (HEY!). An unorganized, unprofessional, and overstretched beast. It will only get worse, trust me.

This isn't your daddy's FIRST anymore, boys and girls. It is obvious that FIRST's main goal is no longer to inspire high school students to become engineers/scientists. It is now extremely political and money-oriented. I not saying that these two forces should be absent from FIRST, however they play too big of a role.

FIRST is not heading in a good direction.

your right this isnt my fathers FIRST, seeing as FIRST wasnt around when my father was in highschool... My opinion on FIRST is exactly the opposite, When you have a differnt game every year, how well do you expect it to be organized, things come up, as the bumper sticker says <explitive deleted> happens no one can plan for everything, you think the first football game was as organized as it is now, you think sports areas concerned about money as they were many years ago when they first started, FIRST is worried about sponsorship, they arent under Dean Kamen's Wing anymore, He wants to see this Organization survive on its own. The Regionals in most cases are now souly run by volunteers I think that is great, now FIRST can focus on giving you the student (atleast i am assuming your a student since you dont have the guts to put a number)

I think that you will find that FIRST is doing a great job with what it has, its growning extremly fast, and giving us tastes of todays modern technology, i think it should be mandatory for Dave Lavery to tell his "Inspirational Story" that he gave during The Cheasapeake Regional's first year, To me thats what FIRST is all about giving kids a chance to build robots with engineers, and Tradesmen and people who can give them insight into what they may want to do

I see nothing "politicaly or money-oriented" about that


-Big Mike the Thouroughly Inspired College Student

[Amanda M]

I think that people are forgetting something VERY important: FIRST is a robotics COMPETITION. That means that the best of the best go to the championships.

I don't want to sound rude, so I apologize straight off.

First of all, FIRST can't allow so many teams to compete at nationals. It would be wonderful to have the entire FIRST community present, but time simply wouldn't allow it. If your team wants to go to Nationals really bad, then just jump on the bandwagon with another team that's qualified. That's what my team did. Sam Rix from the team in England flew to Atlanta and tagged along with our team for the weekend.

I know FIRST preaches Gracious Professionalism, and Gracious Professionalism is a wonderful concept. But most teams seem to be it to manipulate any situation to their benefit. FIRST has a wonderful principle. That principle has nothing to do with getting every team in the world to nationals. Just because there is a limit, doesn't mean that they don't love you. It just means that there isn't time to fit in as many matches as the teams want.

Now, I have one small suggestion to make. If your team is worried about being qualified next year, then stop with the post season. Go straight to Pre-season. Start fundraising, start getting community outreach projects going, start prototyping and messing around with different drive trains and chassis. That way, when the game comes, you'll be prepared. You'll already have a base for your robot to build on. Then, build to suit the game.

Every team wants to go to nationals. It's the best FIRST party of the year. But I can guarantee that if you get started working now, and start making a difference in the community now, when it comes time for the next competition season, you'll have a great time playing and you'll have the resources to do so much more in FIRST. It won't matter if you qualify or not. You'll have inspired someone either on or off your team. Maybe both.


And that's all that really matters. Not where you get to go, but what you do. Winning and qualifying is a perk. If you don't make a difference, then it won't mean as much to you.


Just my humble opinion.

Amanda

[KenWittlief]

Originally Posted by SilenceNoMore

FIRST to me has turned into some kinda of monster (HEY!). An unorganized, unprofessional, and overstretched beast. It will only get worse, trust me.

...It is obvious that FIRST's main goal is no longer to inspire high school students to become engineers/scientists. It is now extremely political and money-oriented.

OK OK I admit it - I've been involved with FIRST since '98

and Im just in it for the money!

BTW - when do I get my first check? Im still waiting!

[Collin Fultz]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

OK OK I admit it - I've been involved with FIRST since '98

and Im just in it for the money!

BTW - when do I get my first check? Im still waiting!

it's in the mail.

i totally agree with Mike's post a few earlier and with Amanda's two before this. I also totally disagree with Silence's post.

"FIRST's main goal isn't to inspire"

What??? It isn't?!?!?! Then why, as a high school student, am I sitting at a desk at Rolls-Royce Corporation in Indianapolis working as an intern solely because of my involvement with robotics. Why, while in Arizona, was I offered a job at Sun Microsystems after I'm done with college solely because of my leadership shown on my team? "No inspiration"??? On the contrary my dear Watson...FIRST is all about the "I".

Maybe silence wasn't such a bad thing...

[nuggetsyl]

I feel that the nationals is going to become a joke. All the good teams are not going to be able to go because of the qulifacation system. Sure you will have the same year winners, but you have that now. IF there is a team out there that has not been to nationals there is a reason for it. I am not trying to take anything away from the rookie or 2 year teams out there but i really do not like the way first is treating teams that have been around for many years and has taken first to the next level. Hell beaty (71) would have not made it next year if they didn't win this years national whats up with that. I hope first sees that they are steping on older teams and stop.

shaun

[JudyVandy]

Please, watch your language!

[LauraN]

Originally Posted by nuggetsyl

I am not trying to take anything away from the rookie or 2 year teams out there but i really do not like the way first is treating teams that have been around for many years and has taken first to the next level. Hell beaty (71) would have not made it next year if they didn't win this years national whats up with that. I hope first sees that they are steping on older teams and stop.

You have an excellent point: we owe a million and one thanks to the older teams for, in many cases, making FIRST what it is. But should we "discriminate" based on how long your team has been around? If you think about it, FIRST's goal is to inspire students, right? And no one can participate on a FIRST team as a student for more than four years (with rare exceptions). So what's the difference between a four-year team and a five-year team? FIRST isn't catering to teams, it's catering to students on those teams. I think there's a big difference.

I apologize if this offends any of the older teams. I don't deny that you've done many great things for FIRST. But students on rookie and second-year teams, if anything, are in greater need of being inspired.

All these problems with nationals are being encountered because FIRST just keeps growing at an alarming rate. And that can't be anything but a good thing, right?

[phrontist]

What exactly ARE the rules for qualification this year?

I hope engineering innovation and animation are qualifiers...

[Barry Bonzack]

But should we "discriminate" based on how long your team has been around? If you think about it, FIRST's goal is to inspire students, right?

...But students on rookie and second-year teams, if anything, are in greater need of being inspired.

I completely agree. Schools just starting up have problems with budgeting because it is a new idea to the community. Business that have not heard of such a competition may be reluctant to donate, and it's difficult to convey to a principal what kind of funds go into making a robot. My team this year had enough funds for only one competition, and barely had the funds for transportation to even get us there. Being a rookie team is not easy, and just because it is the team's first year, it should not automatically disqualify them from being able to compete at the Championship due to not being able to keep up from veteran teams. Like Ben, I was able to drive myself to Atlanta just so I could experience what it is like to be with more talented teams, and was able to meet many other students with knowledge far beyond my own. This would be something I'd wish for other teams just starting up. keep Letting the Rookie All-Star award winner have a chance to compete at the Championship.

[nuggetsyl]

Guys i am not trying to say rookie teams should not go to nationals. IF you can earn your way in then great.

[Bharat Nain]

Originally Posted by SilenceNoMore

FIRST to me has turned into some kinda of monster (HEY!). An unorganized, unprofessional, and overstretched beast. It will only get worse, trust me.

This isn't your daddy's FIRST anymore, boys and girls. It is obvious that FIRST's main goal is no longer to inspire high school students to become engineers/scientists. It is now extremely political and money-oriented. I not saying that these two forces should be absent from FIRST, however they play too big of a role.

FIRST is not heading in a good direction.

Please explain with some detail sir. Since you have said something totally opposing a normal FIRST-ers view-point, explain

[Mike Schroeder]

okay people lets pretend for a moment that Dean Kamen didnt say that Life ISN'T fair and that the competition ISN'T fair, lets goto that magical place where money falls from the sky like water falls from a waterfall we will call this place, Make Believe Land, Now in Make Believe Land there is a FIRST team in ever hs in the US, i will say roughly 100,000 just for arguments sake and in Make Believe Land, ever team is allowed to goto nationals, but i hope that everyone is prepared for the 2month nationals, because thats about how long its gonna take, oh by the way in Make Believe land, FIRST will only be around for one year, because it will most like become bankrupt after that first national event so i guess the point i am trying to make is its not Finacially Feasable for every team to goto nationals, why dont you ask your football coach, what he would have to do to make it to the nationals each year

[Benzmacx]

In the "Real World" nothing is just handed to you and if your under the gun to get something done, like building a Robot in 6 weeks, its NOT going to be all that organized and i like it that way, think about how much it would suck if everything were dictated, This is a democratic and Capitalist nation here, if FIRST tried to organize everything for you all nice and perfect they would come closer to setting up to be a freakin' commie.

I like the way FIRST is now and i also won't mind the Qualification for Nationals as when the competition gets so big you can't practically hold that many people in one place. the NFL has like 33 teams, we have about 1000, think about it for two seconds please.



And whats the deal with National Chairmans Winners, do they still get to go every year??