**FIRST EMAIL**/FIRST Adds District Event Model Alternative to FRC Program

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by EricLeifermann

The opt-in thing is cool i guess, but how about an opt-out? My team is located in the western side of the UP. The closest district last year was 8.5 hours away! We had to travel down state 2 times and it didn't save us any money.

I said it last year and I'm going to say it again, Nobody thinks about logistics! Yes we got 2 comps for the price of 1 but we had to travel farther than anybody else in MI. The farthest anybody in the LP had to travel was what 5 hours maybe? It takes us that long just to get to the bridge! And we have to do it 4 times(there and back 2 times)! Thats alot of miles and alot of money to spend on a bus and hotel's.

I'm all for the district events I just want them to change the lines and allow more than 1 state to be involved, I want to compete against more and different teams!

One thing to consider was that last year was special. Many people are resistant to change. If teams were given the option of participating or not participating, less teams would have participated. If enough teams didn't participate, it would have doomed the system because there wouldn't have been the required density of teams. This wouldn't have been because the system wasn't good, but because people were resistant to change.

Now that a vast majority of Michigan has said they like the system, letting a few teams like yours opt-out wouldn't hurt anything. You might get a different response if you bring your objections up to the right people this year.