Invading other regions!

[fatjoe3833]

There are teams from upstate NY(229) and Indiana (234) competing in this year's Long Island Regional. Normally, I would be thrilled to have teams participating from outside the area. However, the event capacity was lowered to 30 teams this year and some local schools may be shut out.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by fatjoe3833

There are teams from upstate NY(229) and Indiana (234) competing in this year's Long Island Regional. Normally, I would be thrilled to have teams participating from outside the area. However, the event capacity was lowered to 30 teams this year and some local schools may be shut out.

The couldn't they just participate in the New York City Regional which can accommodate about 60 teams?

[fatjoe3833]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

The couldn't they just participate in the New York City Regional which can accommodate about 60 teams?

They could participate in the NYC regional. However, teams from eastern Long Island would probably have a 3 to 4 hour commute each way due to traffic. Hotel rates are ridiculous in the city and parking is hard to find and expensive. Mass transit would be difficult as the Javits Center is not convenient to any subway stops.

[Sgraff_SRHS06]

How can everyone forget the land of the Wedding Crashers and Crabs???

There are still 40 spots open for the Chesapeake Regional! (I'm actually thinking about volunteering there in the spring, but I'm not sure.)

[Zoheb N]

Well 118 will be going to the new New Orleans Regional

[Po-ser]

I wonder how Javits is going to work out this year. It would be really interesting to have all the great teams from around the country converge in the coolest city ever (no bias, I swear). It would probably be great for publicity. On the other hand, FIRST already gets a good bit of publicity as is. Also, whenever my team travels, we're always the last to leave the pits and barely see whatever city we're in.

Anyway, 694 is hoping to travel to GTR this year, in addition to making the arduous twenty minute slump from our school to Javits for our home regional . Then it's off to Atlanta.

On an interesting fund-raising side-note, we struck a deal with our advisor that we would get to go to Nationals if we students raised the registration money entirely through our own labor. We bought boxes of M&Ms and other candy from Costco and between about fifteen of us (out of the thirty that will eventually participate), we've raised over 500 dollars in PROFIT (which means over 1000 in raw cash) in only about five days. The coolest part of it all is that however much money we raise that exceeds $5,000 gets detracted from our travel expenses! So for teams looking to go far this year, there's a great way to make some fast cash for you.

[fatjoe3833]

I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this. However, I think the issues with wait lists and getting locked out of your local regional can be solved by initially allowing teams to register for their local regional only. Then, the number of open slots could be posted and teams could register for non-local regionals.

[Karthik]

Originally Posted by fatjoe3833

I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this. However, I think the issues with wait lists and getting locked out of your local regional can be solved by initially allowing teams to register for their local regional only. Then, the number of open slots could be posted and teams could register for non-local regionals.

The thing is, there isn't an issue with teams getting held out of local regionals. Each regional committee holds aside spots for late registering local teams, as has been stated earlier in this thread. The committees decide on how many spots to hold back based on how many local teams existed in the previous year, and how many rookies they project to join. I've seen accommodations made for local teams who've waited until late November to register for their home event. Because of the way the system is setup right now, there's no need to make unnecessary restrictions to the registration process.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by fatjoe3833

I know a lot of people will disagree with me on this. However, I think the issues with wait lists and getting locked out of your local regional can be solved by initially allowing teams to register for their local regional only. Then, the number of open slots could be posted and teams could register for non-local regionals.

One problem is defining what is local. Some make sense - Portland is local to most teams in OR and WA. But for a team in the western Detroit suburbs, is local GLR or DET? For a team in N VA, is local Richmond or Annapolis?

Beside that, what if you can't go to your local because of a date conflict? Are you shut out from registering for your first regional, and then can't get into a regional with preferred dates for your team?

If teams are concerned about getting into one and only one regional, they have to be prepared to sign up immediately when the registration process opens. Yes, a couple regionals fill up quickly - DET within hours, for example - but as Karthik posted there are spots held back for special circumstances. Talk to your state/regional partner.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by fatjoe3833

They could participate in the NYC regional. However, teams from eastern Long Island would probably have a 3 to 4 hour commute each way due to traffic. Hotel rates are ridiculous in the city and parking is hard to find and expensive. Mass transit would be difficult as the Javits Center is not convenient to any subway stops.

Well would you recommend them banning teams from outside the area? I don't think that would go over very well in the FIRST community. Most regionals welcome teams from outside the area because it's hard filling up regionals. Just ask regionals in Pittsburgh and Waterloo who would love to have your problem.

[fatjoe3833]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

Well would you recommend them banning teams from outside the area? I don't think that would go over very well in the FIRST community. Most regionals welcome teams from outside the area because it's hard filling up regionals. Just ask regionals in Pittsburgh and Waterloo who would love to have your problem.

Like I said previously, I gladly welcome teams from outside the area. I just feel that it is unfair for a team to have to travel for eight hours a day when there is a regional right in their own backyard. Teams such as ours expect to attend our local regional and develop our budget accordingly. We usually raise just enough money to participate in our local regional. If we had to travel we would not be able to participate in FIRST at all.

[Madison]

Originally Posted by fatjoe3833

Like I said previously, I gladly welcome teams from outside the area. I just feel that it is unfair for a team to have to travel for eight hours a day when there is a regional right in their own backyard. Teams such as ours expect to attend our local regional and develop our budget accordingly. We usually raise just enough money to participate in our local regional. If we had to travel we would not be able to participate in FIRST at all.

The regional planning committees withhold capacity at the events for local and late registering teams. If a team wants to compete and can only manage to attend a local event, the folks who work so hard at organizing these events (and get nothing for it, nine times out of ten) will work with them to accomodate their needs. I promise.

[fatjoe3833]

Originally Posted by M. Krass

The regional planning committees withhold capacity at the events for local and late registering teams. If a team wants to compete and can only manage to attend a local event, the folks who work so hard at organizing these events (and get nothing for it, nine times out of ten) will work with them to accomodate their needs. I promise.

Thank you for the info. I was unaware and greatly appreciate it.

[Mark McLeod]

Originally Posted by fatjoe3833

Thank you for the info. I was unaware and greatly appreciate it.

Sign-up for SBPLI and get on the waiting list now.
There will be room for more teams.

FIRST asked the Regional Committee to reserve more slots this year that will be distributed later. Maybe three local rookie teams are anticipated this year and one is already registered and taking one of the regular open slots anyway.

It's going to be tight, but more local teams will get into the event. You have to be on the waiting list though. It'll be first-come, first-served when the slots open up.

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Hey, 234 - Jerome Kator one of your old mentors from Rolls Royce works here at Northrop Grumman in Bethpage. Reunion time.

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And Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy. My brother worked there, but "let's not bring the Civil War into this." }:['

[Jeff K.]

Originally Posted by M. Krass

The regional planning committees withhold capacity at the events for local and late registering teams. If a team wants to compete and can only manage to attend a local event, the folks who work so hard at organizing these events (and get nothing for it, nine times out of ten) will work with them to accomodate their needs. I promise.

Yeah, that's why we signed up for Boilermaker first. This is going to be the second year in a row that we really traveled a far distance for a regional. In 2004, we just went up to Sacramento. Last year, we went to the BAE Regional in the Northeast. We were there for the whole week, and went on college tours the days before the competition. When we go to Indiana, we'll probably go on some college tours so we have a legit. reason to take the whole week off lol.