The leadership of GeorgiaFIRST Robotics and FIRST South Carolina
are proud to announce the Peachtree District expansion
to include both states
The newly defined Peachtree District territory will now include all FIRSTRobotics Competition teams in both Georgia and South Carolina, beginning with the 2023 season. FIRST Robotics Competition teams in both states will have the opportunity to compete at multiple qualifier events throughout the Peachtree territory, leading to the District Championship.
As we continue to work toward our strategic goal of access to quality STEM programing through FIRST, this partnership allows both states to serve our youth at the highest level with a growth model for years to come. Our FIRST teams, volunteers and partners are our greatest asset. We are committed to serving all!
How does this partnership affect your FIRST Robotics Competition team?
Join us for our Peachtree District Town Hall Event on Thursday, August 25th at 7:00pm (eastern). We will present the season event locations, registration information, district qualifier information and more. See below for meeting link and information.
It’s my understanding that one of the biggest advantage of Districts is it’s more affordable for teams to compete in multiple events. Lower entry fees and with multiple events in each state, lower travel costs. Many teams will have a district event within a 1-2 hour drive.
I need to read more about the District model and/or attend the Peachtree District Town Hall Event next Thursday, but It’s my understanding a team doesn’t necessarily have to win a district event to qualify for the district championship. There is a point system & teams earn points by winning on the field (of course) but also winning awards. So there is less pressure to win at a particular event & more emphasis to be a strong well-rounded team.
Kevin,
The committee is preparing some Q&A materials for the townhall meeting. Each team can do their own research but there will be a bunch of frequently asked questions from the mentors, students and parents that we need to cover in summary form. The point system is complex, but the concept is not.
SC had only one regional event. Teams drove anywhere from a few minutes to 4 1/2 hours to compete. GA and NC were Districts, so not an option. The closest regionals were Smoky Mt (6 hours), Rocket City (8 1/2 hours) or Orlando (6 hours). We’ve had great times at those events, but the drive was tough, especially coming home Saturday night.
Here are some numbers I put together for what CMP qualification spots would look like should this district have formed last season. PCH only had 10 slots so the bump up to 14 is nice.
I’m excited to be able to play against some new teams during the district season. Hopefully this also opens the door for other districts trying to absorb nearby states.
Man, never would have thought SC teams would ever go to a district model. Great job to the FIRST Carolina committee in making this happen. Now to get ready for district play, this is a good hurdle to cross this year!
The location for events will be interesting. Historically the bulk of the PCH events have been on the western side of the state. Not a lot of density on the eastern side. The highest density of PCH teams is in the north metro Atlanta.
The density of teams in SC are more to the eastern side of the state in the northern and southern regions. So in theory the options will be closer to GA teams on the east side.
