Decline of GTR Attendance

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Rick TYler

So stop being wusses, get your passports, and compete in Canada. We love our cold, damp neighbors to the north. We especially like winning their events.

I've been to this site far too many times:

The following outlines group travel requirements that permit student groups of 19 and younger to supply only a birth certificate for border crossings:

http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/lang_eng/eng_sa.html

Seems straightforward.

However, passports for adults aren't cheap. Not everyone expects to travel abroad and may not want to go through the expense for a one-shot trip. $100 plus postage. That doesn't include the passport photos:

http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/fees/fees_837.html

Not exactly a swift process either.

The passport card is a bit cheaper but still requires the usual government hassle.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt...card_3926.html

Overall, for a team with 5+ mentors, you're looking at at least a $500 additional investment. Not all teams/parents/mentors have that kind of disposable cash, as much as we'd like to think otherwise.

It's also a little bit different bringing FTC robots across the border vs. a 150 lb. FRC bot. The big boys are more likely to draw additional attention.

There are definite costs and careful decisions associated with traveling out of country to a FIRST FRC event. It's not quite as easy as saying "just do it". In that regard, we've banked 6 years of anti-wuss credits in attending the Mississauga regional, so we've earned a break, but yeah.