Limiting teams to Nationals

[patrickrd]

Originally posted by Michael Krass


But, how do you plan for that?

It's one thing to say to say it's not cost effective for the winning to team to hand around a few days for a competitor. . . but, how can a team plan for that prospect at all?

This could be a couple months later, so teams would have time to arrange for transportation. They would have time to do fundraisers. Optionally, FIRST could budget a portion of the entrance fee at nationals to help get these teams to this competition.. We're talking about 8 teams, and this event would hopefully be considered nothing more than a post-season competion -- an opportunity for some of the best robots to get together and see what they can do. Why is there even a need to declare a national champion? Is that more important than limiting teams from participating in nationals?

Now, switching subjects onto the option of placing a limit on the number of teams going to nationals, I think there is a problem. Personally, and I speak personally and not for my team, I would have a huge problem going to nationals with the knowledge that because my team is going, another is not. It's not my position to judge which group of students (my group or the team we'd be excluding) would be more influenced by a trip to nationals. I simply cannot imagine participating in nationals with the knowledge that another team, because of my team, is sitting at home watching the competition on NASA TV. Also, how could a national champion be declared when not all teams are even given a shot? Every team that has the desire and resources to go to nationals should be allowed to participate.

Patrick