Posted by Chris at 04/11/2001 12:05 PM EST
Student on team #610, Coyotes, from Crescent School.
I am currently one of the main players on our team involved with taking FIRST to the international stage. We are currently working on promoting FIRST with Canadian teams. Our goal is to get 20 teams from Canada at next year’s Nationals. Then the following year, we may even have a Canadian regional.
The point of this post is to suggest a three tiered competition. Regionals (optional) then Nationals. And then if you qualify at Nationals, you are allowed into an international tournament.
What do people think? Modify this idea if you have other suggestions.
Posted by Wayne Cokeley at 04/11/2001 1:11 PM EST
Coach on team #25, Raider Robotix, from North Brunswick Twp. H.S. and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
In Reply to: FIRST going international
Posted by Chris on 04/11/2001 12:05 PM EST:
: I am currently one of the main players on our team involved with taking FIRST to the international stage. We are currently working on promoting FIRST with Canadian teams. Our goal is to get 20 teams from Canada at next year’s Nationals. Then the following year, we may even have a Canadian regional.
: The point of this post is to suggest a three tiered competition. Regionals (optional) then Nationals. And then if you qualify at Nationals, you are allowed into an international tournament.
: What do people think? Modify this idea if you have other suggestions.
Sounds interesting. The development of a Canadian collecton is certainly a worthy cause. However it sounds like, by your description, the Canadian teams could not participate in the Florida spectacular and would be restricted to some Canadian National? Is that what you want?
International FIRST- Hmmmmm…
Posted by F Shariff at 04/11/2001 5:04 PM EST
Student on team #610, Coyotes, from Crescent School.
In Reply to: Re: FIRST going international
Posted by Wayne Cokeley on 04/11/2001 1:11 PM EST:
We were a first year FIRST team and we decided to go straight to the nationals, so what will stop other Canadian schools from doing the same?
I mean, people in the Great Lakes area can go to both, so us Canadians should be able to do the same, if and when we get a Canadian regional.
Chris was just speculating about the international competition, because that will be a few years down the road still.
: : I am currently one of the main players on our team involved with taking FIRST to the international stage. We are currently working on promoting FIRST with Canadian teams. Our goal is to get 20 teams from Canada at next year’s Nationals. Then the following year, we may even have a Canadian regional.
: : The point of this post is to suggest a three tiered competition. Regionals (optional) then Nationals. And then if you qualify at Nationals, you are allowed into an international tournament.
: : What do people think? Modify this idea if you have other suggestions.
:
: Sounds interesting. The development of a Canadian collecton is certainly a worthy cause. However it sounds like, by your description, the Canadian teams could not participate in the Florida spectacular and would be restricted to some Canadian National? Is that what you want?
: International FIRST- Hmmmmm…
Posted by Dan Baker at 04/11/2001 1:12 PM EST
Student on team #365, Miracle Workerz, from Avon Grove High School and Dupont .
In Reply to: FIRST going international
Posted by Chris on 04/11/2001 12:05 PM EST:
TI may look back at this post next year, or in the years following it and regret it, however I don’t think FIRST will ever…or at least in the near future require people to qualify for Nationals. To do this would be completly against what FIRST stands for. It would create a completly different atmosphere at the regionals. Instead of a fun, helpful enviorment it would quickly become somewhat cut throat and a thousand times more stressful. Suddenly if you get placed with bad alliance partners you might not be able to attend the national event at all. This would not go over well, I can assure you.
There would also be the problem of plane tickets and hotel rooms. Teams can’t be forced to buy tickets so quickly, the whole season not knowing whether or not they’ll be able to attend nationals at all. It just wouldn’t work.
FIRST is going to have to fix the overcrowding problem eventually, they’re growing at an increadible rate and now are starting to see growing pains. However, while i may be very wrong, I don’t think they’ll do it through regional qualifying.
-Dan Baker
Team 365
GO MOE!!
Posted by Jeremy Davis at 04/11/2001 2:25 PM EST
Student on team #422, Mech Techs, from Governor’s School and Verizon/AMF Bakery Systems.
In Reply to: I doubt FIRST will ever do qualiftying matches
Posted by Dan Baker on 04/11/2001 1:12 PM EST:
: TI may look back at this post next year, or in the years following it and regret it, however I don’t think FIRST will ever…or at least in the near future require people to qualify for Nationals.
I hate to disappoint you, but when I and some other members from my team went and saw Dean speak at the Richmond Joint Engineers Council banquet back in February, he said himself that FIRST had outgrown Disney and would most likely need to restrict attendance based on performance at Regionals. I completely agree that this is against what FIRST is all about, but unless a viable new idea is thought of, that is the direction we’re headed.
-Jeremy Davis
Team 422
Posted by Chris Orimoto at 04/11/2001 10:59 PM EST
Student on team #368, Kika Mana, from McKinley High School and Nasa Ames/Hawaiian Electric/Weinberg Foundation.
In Reply to: I doubt FIRST will ever do qualiftying matches
Posted by Dan Baker on 04/11/2001 1:12 PM EST:
I also will have to disagree. With the current growth rate of FIRST, they will soon be left with little choice on how to limit the overflow of teams at the nationals. I remember Dean talking about it at last year’s (2000) kickoff event. It will definitely be interesting to see how this develops over the next few years.
Just my personal thoughts…
Chris, #368
Posted by Laurence at 04/11/2001 2:13 PM EST
Engineer on team #537, Domo ARIGATO, from Sussex-Hamilton and GE Medical Systems.
In Reply to: FIRST going international
Posted by Chris on 04/11/2001 12:05 PM EST:
Are you aware that there has been a Canada FIRST organization/competition since 1994? http://www.canadafirst.org/
The 2001 competition was attended by some 28 teams.
Although both US and Canadian FIRST organizations seem related, I can’t find anything suggesting an on-going link.
I agree with Wayne that it would be a bad idea to restrict the Epcot finals to regional winners, but maybe doing the three tiered thing on an internaional level would be good - eh? I’m thinking something like the Ms America pageant, where winners from each country compete on the International stage.
That means you need to have Mexico FIRST, UK FIRST, France FIRST, etc… competition, and all have to be identical.
PS My First FIRST experience was as a student at Marianopolis College on their FIRST team.
http://www.robopolis2001.com/
Posted by F Shariff at 04/11/2001 5:01 PM EST
Student on team #610, Coyotes, from Crescent School.
In Reply to: Re: FIRST going international
Posted by Laurence on 04/11/2001 2:13 PM EST:
Oh, don’t get me started on Canada FIRST…
I’ve been to both competitions and Canada FIRST cannot even begin to be as well-run or amazing as this FIRST competition.
For example, last year, the chips in the circuit board blew every few minutes, so we received a whole rack of them!
This year, the actual circuit boards blew, so only a fraction of the robots worked by the end!
Canada FIRST cannot compare at all! Of course, this is my opinion.
: Are you aware that there has been a Canada FIRST organization/competition since 1994? http://www.canadafirst.org/
: The 2001 competition was attended by some 28 teams.
: Although both US and Canadian FIRST organizations seem related, I can’t find anything suggesting an on-going link.
: I agree with Wayne that it would be a bad idea to restrict the Epcot finals to regional winners, but maybe doing the three tiered thing on an internaional level would be good - eh? I’m thinking something like the Ms America pageant, where winners from each country compete on the International stage.
: That means you need to have Mexico FIRST, UK FIRST, France FIRST, etc… competition, and all have to be identical.
: PS My First FIRST experience was as a student at Marianopolis College on their FIRST team.
: http://www.robopolis2001.com/
Posted by Carolyn Duncan at 04/11/2001 3:48 PM EST
Student on team #495, The Pack, from Jamestown High School and VBEP/Raytheon/Saic.
In Reply to: FIRST going international
Posted by Chris on 04/11/2001 12:05 PM EST:
I think this is a great idea! There could be soooo much more to FIRST than there currently is. Especially considering the Brazilian team at Nats and the VCU regional. Someone also told me there was supposed to be a team from Puerto Rico but they lost their sponsorship at the last minute because the sponsor didn’t like the robot. Go figure. I also talked to some people from Australia. They were mentors but I think the team was American. Not real sure about that situation. Anyway, I think international would be perfect!
:Carolyn
Team 495
Posted by Jessica Boucher at 04/13/2001 10:16 AM EST
Student on team #237, Sie-H2O-Bots, from Watertown High School and Eastern Awning Systems & The Siemon Company.
In Reply to: FIRST going international
Posted by Chris on 04/11/2001 12:05 PM EST:
For my Int’l business administration major, I have to do a year abroad…and Im being drawn by the Netherlands, thanks to my exhange English teacher from there…he says Phillips is from there, and might be interested in sponsoring the first Euro-team.
Plus, they already speak English over there 
-Jessica B, #237