It's Championship, Not Nationals

[JaneYoung]

If my name is going to be connected with the term, yelling, I would like to take a moment to address it.

Taking a step back - FIRST started small and developed over time. A very short amount of time, if you think about it. Big Mike's post refers to a different time, a different era. That is when the competition was called, the Nationals. And then, FIRST grew and with growth, changed the name of the gathering of all of the teams that come together in the final event of the season. It is called the Championship event.

Change is very hard. We see it reflected in these fora often:
- discussions of name changes for teams
- event changes
- technological changes
- changes in sponsors, schools, mentors
- students graduating

That's just a few. Change. How we handle it, deal with it, respect it - is up to us individually and as a team/group/organization. It shows who we are and what we are made of.

--
So there you go,
that's pretty much how I 'yell'.
Jane

[T3_1565]

Originally Posted by JaneYoung

If my name is going to be connected with the term, yelling, I would like to take a moment to address it.

Taking a step back - FIRST started small and developed over time. A very short amount of time, if you think about it. Big Mike's post refers to a different time, a different era. That is when the competition was called, the Nationals. And then, FIRST grew and with growth, changed the name of the gathering of all of the teams that come together in the final event of the season. It is called the Championship event.

Change is very hard. We see it reflected in these fora often:
- discussions of name changes for teams
- event changes
- technological changes
- changes in sponsors, schools, mentors
- students graduating

That's just a few. Change. How we handle it, deal with it, respect it - is up to us individually and as a team/group/organization. It shows who we are and what we are made of.

--
So there you go,
that's pretty much how I 'yell'.
Jane

AHHH my ears.... you yell loudly..

[Nawaid Ladak]

I feel like this point needs to be brought back up.

I'm starting to see more use of the term "Nationals". Which is incorrect. we have 23 International Team attending te CHAMPIONSHIP EVENT. along with various numbers of INTERNATIONAL teams competing in the FLL World Festival and FTC Championships.

So please people, just a reminder, If this event was a National competition, it would be called that, but because it isn't. It should be called it's appropriate name.

[DarkFlame145]

I have been in FIRST since the 2005 season and was taught it was called Nationals for 2 years. To me it will always be Nationals, but I also call it "The World Torny" or just Champs. Incorrect or not I dont see why it's a huge deal. If you think about it Nationals can be twisted to mean more then one nation.

[Cory]

As a corollary, if FIRST wants to discourage the use of "Nationals" why do they refuse to call it the "World Championship"?

Baseball sees it fit to call the World Series winner the world champ, with only one international team in the league. Why shouldn't we?

[Cooley744]

This may upset a few people, but I don't really seem to mind what you call it. Maybe this is because I'm a pretty laid back person or maybe this is because I am not from another country so it doesn't offend me personally. Others on my team do care and since no one could ever "get it right" we've just started calling it the endearing term of "Atlanta". For me, I realize that no one means any harm by calling it Nationals, so if you slip up, or are stuck in your nostalgic ways, so be it. The name isn't as important as what goes on at the event. The fact that we do include international teams and treat each one with respect and equality is the important thing. Not what someone calls it.

[Leav]

As a member of a team from outside the US, I would appreciate people making the effort just so we feel people know we exist...

if someone knows of the Israeli, Brazilian, British, German, Turkish or "Bosnia and Herzegovina"ian teams I think he'd be hard pressed to fall back to using nationals, since it is simply not that anymore.

The "FRC Championship" is a much more inclusive term which doesn't marginalize us foreigners...

So yeah, i'd appreciate the effort, if only for the feeling that people know we exist.

-Leav

p.s.
The captain from "Spirit of the United Neretva" - Team 3368 (Bosnia and Herzegovina) won the Dean's List award at the Israeli regional!

[O'Sancheski]

Originally Posted by DarkFlame145

I have been in FIRST since the 2005 season and was taught it was called Nationals for 2 years. To me it will always be Nationals, but I also call it "The World Torny" or just Champs. Incorrect or not I dont see why it's a huge deal. If you think about it Nationals can be twisted to mean more then one nation.

same here... i was always told that it was nationals... but now everyone on my team is telling me to call it Championships... i just say nationals out of habbit

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Anybody notice that this was a thread that was last posted in May of 2008? Things have changed a lot since then. If you hear me refer to the Champs as Nationals, please forgive an old man who has gone through more than half of his First existence going to "Nationals".

[Dancin103]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

Anybody notice that this was a thread that was last posted in May of 2008? Things have changed a lot since then. If you hear me refer to the Champs as Nationals, please forgive an old man who has gone through more than half of his First existence going to "Nationals".

Agreed, although I'm not an old man and I just grew up with Nationals as the name, 15 years of FIRST. Although, I'm starting to come out of the Nationals way and into the way of calling it Championships.

[Boydean]

I don't mind it to much in casual conversation.

When it gets annoying is in written documents that are presented to the outside world. It can be, and will be confusing to someone if you try to explain FIRST and are talking 'nationals' but the brochure you just handed them says 'championships', and then later on FIRST's website it says 'FIRST Championship'. Now you have three separate events in their mind no matter how many times you tell them they are all the same.

Avoid this at all costs.

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by Dancin103

Although, I'm starting to come out of the Nationals way and into the way of calling it Championships.

Not according to your signature, Cassie.

When I began participating in FIRST in 1998, official documentation and communications from FIRST called it the Championships. This same discussion took place at that time. It's been 12 years and many still call it the "Nationals".

I like Cory's idea. It should be called the "World Championships".

Andy

[ICntIHaveRbtics]

I just cover all the bases and call it the "International Championship". Sounds even more awesomer.

I used to say Nationals as well, but the first time I said "Nationals" to my co-worker at FIRST, she was quick to correct me. Said they "stopped calling it that ages ago".

Either way, I don't think people should get in a tizzy over it. No matter what it's called, its a competition and celebration of the hard work and commitment of students all over that are going to one day change the world - and as long as people know that, then they can call it "the big robotics competition" for all I care =)

[Don Wright]

I say "The Galaxy Championships", you know...just to be safe so we don't have to go through this again in a couple of years...

[thefro526]

Originally Posted by Cory

As a corollary, if FIRST wants to discourage the use of "Nationals" why do they refuse to call it the "World Championship"?

Since I've been on the team we've always called it the Championship or the World Championship.

It makes us feel more important and special when we go.