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Unread 12-05-2007, 17:10
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gblake gblake is offline
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Re: [FVC]: Longer competitions

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Mitchell View Post
I personally would rather see more numerous smaller events than a fewer number of larger events.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KathieK View Post
More events with fewer teams = more tournament sponsors needed to help underwrite the costs of holding the events.
Pushing the system in the direction of more, but smaller, events is certainly an option. I see a few things that would need to go with it.

1) Less whoop-tee-doo for each small(er) event.

Finding the right balance between non-robot entertainment, ceremony, decoration and marketing eye-candy, and making the events attractive simply because the students' competing robots are interesting; is a tough judgement call. However, most local sports leagues manage to attract participants and crowds with the action on the field, not with other trappings. FIRST may want to adopt revised tournament standards (beyond the revisons already suggested during this last season for inexpensive events) for these proposed smaller events.

I presume that if FIRST competitions expand into the majority of the US' schools, then those schools and related organizations will take over determining how much of those marketing expenses are important to the program. If FIRST continues to be responsible for regional and world championships, then I presume those would still have budgets similar to their current ones.

2) Teams will need to have opportunities to attend these events throughout the 6 month FVC season (or whatever length it evolves into) at times that match their local calendars.

Offering a team two or three small events nearby them does no good if the events occur too early or too late in the season to match their local needs.

People in the small regions or counties/cities these proposed smaller events serve will need to be (trained and) entrusted with running them, or the formal FIRST organization will need to expand enough to supervise all of the events at the times the local areas need the events. The events final results will need to satisfy a globaly enforced standard. Their fanciness (and expenses) will not.

3) If the number of teams increases dramatically and if tournaments are small, then winnowing the teams down to a managable number for an (assumed) eventual world championship will require a few levels of competition.

Attending these levels will be an expense, and as the lucky/better teams move up this ladder they will have to travel farther and farther from home.... For these teams, this might cause a net increase in time and expense, not a decrease!

------------------------------------------

So... While I understand and agree with Kathie's point about funding more instances of the current style of tournament, I suggest that additional sponsors aren't needed so much as events that are less patrician and are more plebian. As the program becomes successful, more widely adopted, and more engrained in the culture, there is less need to make each event a perfect, do-or-die showcase that "hooks" first-time participants. Managing the transition from now until then is the tricky part....

Blake
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