Wanna ask why...

[AmyPrib]

This has been discussed many times before in other threads.

Venues have available times and non-available times. You take it when you can get it. Boilermaker must take place during Purdue's spring break. Someone from Wildstand might be able to say why Midwest was on the same weekend.

Yes, it's unfortunate that there's a lower number of teams. We had a few IN teams go up to midwest due to proximity. You get more matches, but less time in between for repairs. What can you do. You live with it and do the best you can. Sounds like the real world to me. I wish we could have seen some of the other big teams as well, but it was kinda nice seeing some of the rookies and newer teams come out strong and show what they got.
The part I hate the most about small regionals, is that only a handful of teams don't make it into eliminations. I just don't like that.

[MikeyP]

Originally Posted by AmyPrib

This has been discussed many times before in other threads.

What can you do. You live with it and do the best you can. Sounds like the real world to me.

Ouch.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Originally Posted by Richard

Adding numbers of participating teams to the summary in my earlier post:

Week 1 -- 4 Regionals (225 teams): BAE(52), NJ(63), VCU(64), Pacific Northwest(46)

Week 2 -- 8 Regionals (336 teams): Arizona(45), Buckeye(42), Finger Lakes(30), Florida(51), Great Lakes(63), Pittsburgh(25), St. Louis(40), New England(40)

Week 3 -- 6 Regionals (242 teams): Boilermaker(29), Chesapeake(64), Detroit(33), Midwest(31), Peachtree(45), Silicon Valley(40)

Week 4 -- 8 Regionals (296 teams): Boston(44), Sacramento(40), New York City(33), Long Island(39), So Cal(50), Waterloo(30), Wisconsin(34), plus Israel(26)

Week 5 -- 7 Regionals (361 teams): Colorado(48), GTR(74), Las Vegas(43), Lone Star(54), Palmetto(48), Philadelphia(46), Western Michigan(48)

So Week 1 average was 56 teams per event, Week 2 average was 42 teams, Week 3 average was 40 teams, Week 4 average will be 37 teams, and Week 5 average will be 52 teams. Average for all regionals is 44 teams.

What is a "good" number of participating teams at a regional event?

A good number?? Probably 45 would be nice. I know the problem with the venue availability and stuff like that. Does anyone know why MWR isn't still at Northwestern? I loved that venue... it was awesome. I'm not keen on UIC though. Kinda like the Family Arena in StL. Cramped.

Anyways, thanks for the replies.

[KenWittlief]

personally I would like to see a game that is scalable to the number of teams present at an event.

In the 1st few years of FIRST, there were only 2 or 3 teams on the field at a time - and they all played against each other. Having alliance partners is good in some aspects, but getting into the finals and playing one on one was pretty exciting too.

No backup team, no stand-in. It was all up to your team to win or lose.

If we get to the point someday where every high school has a team, there could very well be local regionals (in the middle of nowhere) with only 20 teams present. Having six teams on the field for each match wouldnt make much sense then.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

If we get to the point someday where every high school has a team, there could very well be local regionals (in the middle of nowhere) with only 20 teams present. Having six teams on the field for each match wouldnt make much sense then.

What if they set up regionals where your team had to attend if every high school has a team. Or if everyother school had one. I see FIRST growing into absurdly high numbers like FLL. If that happens, then I would go crazy b/c it would be very tough for teams to make names for themselves. It's a good thing that FIRST is growing, don't get me wrong. But it's been tough for 648 to get a reputation in the FIRST community. And the numbers are getting so high for me to remember which team is which. (Reuse the numbers again for God's sake!)

[KenWittlief]

Originally Posted by Budda648

What if they set up regionals where your team had to attend if every high school has a team.

I think that will be the case eventually, like HS football teams

but take for example, Alaska. How many highschools are there in the entire state? 20, 30? 60?

Would you expect all 20 teams from Alaska to fly to a regional in Seattle, as their only 'local' regional?

Same situation in Hawaii, N Dakota, Wyoming... local regional events will most likely be small in numbers.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by Budda648

What if they set up regionals where your team had to attend if every high school has a team. Or if everyother school had one. I see FIRST growing into absurdly high numbers like FLL. If that happens, then I would go crazy b/c it would be very tough for teams to make names for themselves. It's a good thing that FIRST is growing, don't get me wrong. But it's been tough for 648 to get a reputation in the FIRST community. And the numbers are getting so high for me to remember which team is which. (Reuse the numbers again for God's sake!)

I can see the advent of preliminary qualifying competitions, similar to what many states have for FLL. In Michigan, you go to one of the qualifying tournaments, and about 1/4 advance to State. For FRC, this could be modified to have two weekends of preliminary tournaments to whittle the field down to about 1000 nationally, which are then eligible for the 30 or so larger regional tournaments. You would have to advance out of at least one preliminary tournament sometime before you are eligible for the Championship "Tier" system.

Alternatively, we may get to the point where teams are limited in the number of regionals they can attend.

[Jill1022]

I would like to see Midwest Regional on a different weekend as Boilermaker so that I can volunteer at both next year or compete at one and volunteer at the other, but I do understand the difficulties of trying to book places so that everyone is pleased.

I did however see the advantage of having only 30 teams per regional, more matches, more chances at winning, a more personal atmosphere, etc.