So which one is more exciting? Regionals or the Championship?

[Ryan Dognaux]

Regionals got my vote. You have more matches at regionals, so it is more exciting for each individual team. Also, it is in a smaller area when compared to the Championships, so the crowd and music all get hyped up more. At regionals I had more energy to cheer and whatnot because I didn't have to walk so far to the pits and back. At nationals I was exhausted and just didn't cheer as much as I did at regionals.

[qhsscience]

So many thoughts I am not quite sure that I can organize them...

I voted for regionals because they are venues that have a limited number of teams all competing on the same stage. In many cases, going back to the same regionals year after year allow more relationships to build among teams as well as more competition/rivalry. I can think of a few teams that we look forward to seeing again and again because of friendships forged as well as competitive battles fought.

I also believe that regionals can be more exciting because there is more chance for success. I doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that less teams means more potential for team success in competition.

I started attending the nationals back when it was held at Epcot in the American Pavilion(?) and the number of teams then was much more manageable. Throughout the growth at Disney and the subsequent Houston National, I felt more disconnected at Nationals than at the regionals. Certainly there were more teams and nothing can compare to 18,000+ screaming fans (for excitement), but being limited to a field (Newton, Galileo, etc.) did effectively limit exposure to many of the other teams and I never felt like I had time to capture the whole experience. I guess in my long-winded manner, I am trying to say that I personally feel more excitement in the smaller regionals because I don't get overwhelmed as much as at Nationals.

Our team has made the decision not to attend Nationals the last two years for a variety of reasons, but the debate always arises - if we don't attend nationals, how will we ever know how good we really were? We shall see what next year brings...

[Tiki]

I'd say both regionals and championships are of an equal "exciting level". The Championships, with their sheer size, with you knowing how much work has been put into every single one of those robots and youre there to compete against every last one of them. Regionals are excitiing because you get to show the teams from around your region what youve been doing the past year. Youre there to show the rival town from just a few miles away just how much you worked for the sole purpose of beating (or allied with) them.

[Richard Wallace]

I've been to three championships: Hexagon Havoc 1996 at Epcot (with one of two St. Louis teams started that year; both have since disbanded), then Stack Attack 2003 in Houston, and Triple Play 2005 in Atlanta. Also seven regionals: Toroid Terror 1997 at Midwest (rookie year for that regional, I think), Zone Zeal 2002 at St. Louis (rookie year for that regional and for my current team 931), Stack Attack 2003 at St. Louis, First Frenzy: Raising the Bar 2004 at St. Louis and at Midwest, and Triple Play 2005 at St. Louis and at Buckeye. Starting in 2003 I have also volunteered at every FIRST event I've attended.

Regionals are more enjoyable for me. About 50 teams and the volunteer staff needed to accommodate them makes for an event size where I can comfortably try to meet and interact with most of the participants. Given the choice, I'd rather go to my home regional (St. Louis) and one or two others, and skip the championship.

[UlTiMaTeP]

Regionals are my vote. The Championship has better teams, is very paced, excitement, but completely draining. Regionals are a bit more loose and fun.

[Anubuss]

Give me a good Midwest Regional or West Michigan, and a FIRST season can be complete. Championships are always good because of the scale. But statisticly, MWR and WMR are some of the hardest regionals out there. And odds are you'll play ever team at the regional, giving you a better chance to see some heavy hitters go at it, where as Championships has the chance you'll never play a team you want to. (I wanted to see my team go up against 71 but they weren't in our division, and they didn't come to WMR this year )

[psych0gambit]

the Florida regional was probably the most exciting event I have been to. The Buckeye was really crazy (mascots and referees were dancing in the field, lots of people dancing all over the place) but it was still really quiet in the stands. The championships was really great experience but it wasnt as exciting and loud as the Florida regional.

[FlipperGiggles]

The Championship was def. the best. You got to see the robots you had only heard about, and you got to play with the best. Not only that, but you got to go to a different city and meet new people. Even thought VCU was great, Atlanta was better. We even did better there than at our regional.

[BandChick]

Although I like Regionals because they're smaller and easier to scout, I have to say Championships wins the prize for me.

Regionals are great because I can see my "close" friends. Like 103 and 222 and the teams I can't really just hang out and visit with on a daily basis. But those are the teams I see more than anything.

Championships is awesome because I get to meet new people. See my friends that livei n California, Canada, Texas, Georgia, and the places I couldn't even IMAGINE driving to (at least, not with my current car). You finally get to see the teams and the people you've been talking to all year on CD. Checking out the "infamous" robots that are not on your local coast. It's a great feeling because there's so much more to experience.

[Ashley Christine]

The regionals seemed to have more energy to me. Esp cuz they arent really able to do all the fun songs at nats cuz there is no place to dance

[David V]

Nationals for the sheer numbers. You've got tons of teams in the hotels to hang out with, tons of teams outside, everywhere. And finals on Einstein are great.

[ShaneP]

I voted Championships. It was a hard decision. During the championships I was a little more concentrated. But because the regionals are the first competitions of the year, to me they are a little more nerve-wrecking. By the time you get to nationals you are used to the surrondings(music, crowd, etc.). When you get to Einstein it is back to or over the nerve level of regionals again.

Both are a lot of fun and it is great to be around all the robots and competion.

[george56]

championships for the simple reason that there are 4 times more teams/people than at a given regional