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

[Wayne C.]

Originally Posted by Francis-134

With regards to the district system, I am a huge fan of being able to travel to distant regionals. If the district system does not allow for this, I will be greatly disappointed.

This past spring we at the NJ regional team have been working hard on a model similar to the Michigan model but with our events on weekends at the very start of the competition season window. It might allow travel to distant Regionals in the later weeks. We wanted to implement in 2010 but it looks now like that will not happen.

It is true that teams who normally stay close to home would benefit from the large increase in the playing times and get a bigger bang for their buck from the robot. This appeals to many. FIRST would also see a reduction in Fedex usage- something that overpowered them this year.

I however agree with you that I would find it hard to support a model that took up the entire competition season and disallowed for travel to other regions. Frankly for us it is the travel and playing with new friends in other parts of the country that makes FIRST enjoyable. I would hate to think of being restricted to playing the same teams over and over again because of a restrictive model. No offense to the local teams but we see each other all the time and we do have an extensive off season calendar here in the NE.

The Championships might offer a travel op but I do not have much faith in what I am hearing about locations for the future. Sorry.

Of course the proper way to do all this is to have a much more extensive competition season with a local tier followed by a tier series of regionals and the championship. I cant see that big a change occurring any time soon since it would cost $$$ and lots of time for the volunteer base.

Travel to new regions, especially warm ones after a cold hard build season, can be a great incentive for the team and a goal to work for. And if I wanted to play the locals continuously I would go back to coaching sports.


OK - off the soap box

WC

[Fe_Will]

Originally Posted by Wayne C.

Travel to new regions, especially warm ones after a cold hard build season, can be a great incentive for the team and a goal to work for. And if I wanted to play the locals continuously I would go back to coaching sports.

We feel the same way... March is always a good time to get away from the wet

[IKE]

I hope that FIRST never stops changing things. For almost 2 decades they have been trying and experimenting with different ways of doing things. If you ever get a chance to read some of the old manuals, go check them out. There has been a lot of change, and most of it has been for the better.

One of my favorite stories that the old timers on the team (I personally am a young pup with only 5 years under my belt) is one of the first years our team was involved with FIRST, they had a material mandate. They wanted a net to hold a bunch of balls, and you were only allowed to use certain materials. One poor student spent the entire build season unraveling some rope (allowed) and then re-weaving it into a net (you could not purchase netting).

I am glad that things have changed from those days. I hope things continue to change, and I hope I have the flexibility to adapt to those changes.

[Paul Copioli]

That sounds like 1999. We did the same thing!

[Steve W]

Originally Posted by Wayne C.

This past spring we at the NJ regional team have been working hard on a model similar to the Michigan model but with our events on weekends at the very start of the competition season window. It might allow travel to distant Regionals in the later weeks. We wanted to implement in 2010 but it looks now like that will not happen.

It is true that teams who normally stay close to home would benefit from the large increase in the playing times and get a bigger bang for their buck from the robot. This appeals to many. FIRST would also see a reduction in Fedex usage- something that overpowered them this year.

I however agree with you that I would find it hard to support a model that took up the entire competition season and disallowed for travel to other regions. Frankly for us it is the travel and playing with new friends in other parts of the country that makes FIRST enjoyable. I would hate to think of being restricted to playing the same teams over and over again because of a restrictive model. No offense to the local teams but we see each other all the time and we do have an extensive off season calendar here in the NE.

The Championships might offer a travel op but I do not have much faith in what I am hearing about locations for the future. Sorry.

Of course the proper way to do all this is to have a much more extensive competition season with a local tier followed by a tier series of regionals and the championship. I cant see that big a change occurring any time soon since it would cost $$$ and lots of time for the volunteer base.

Travel to new regions, especially warm ones after a cold hard build season, can be a great incentive for the team and a goal to work for. And if I wanted to play the locals continuously I would go back to coaching sports.


OK - off the soap box

WC

This is an issue that I have with the 2 different models. Why should teams that have the benefit of doing both while other teams cannot. If you are in the one model then you should have to stay there with no crossing over to the other unless both models are open to all teams in all areas.