The Minnesota Regionals

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A Short History of the Minnesota FIRST Regionals

By Nate Purdy

Just five years ago, there were only two FIRST Robotics teams in the state of Minnesota. Today, that number has increased to 131 and the state hosts three FIRST regional tournaments. Among these is the brand new Lake Superior Regional in Duluth, with the first edition wrapping up on March 12, 2011. Staged in the Duluth Entertainment & Convention Center, the regional hosted 40 teams and was a rousing success. Teams thoroughly enjoyed Duluth's hospitality and the competition venue. With this in mind, future Duluth regionals may also become a double regional event, allowing for a vast increase in competing teams. In addition, Minnesota's other two regional events draw teams from vast distances and represent FIRST with distinction. Located in Minneapolis, at the University of Minnesota's Williams and Mariucci Arenas, the 10000 Lakes and North Star Regionals make Minnesota a bona-fide FIRST destination. More than 120 teams can compete at the "double" regional.

How did Minnesota's FIRST presence increase so dramatically? For starters, those original two teams, most notably FIRST Team 1816-The Green Machine (representing Edina High School), spearheaded the campaign to inform the public about FIRST. Among the outreach activities were working with the media to present FIRST to a general audience, mentoring and assisting new teams in the Twin Cities metro, as well as taking part in then-Governor Tim Pawlenty's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) conference in 2006.

At the leadership level, Susan Lawrence, Regional Director of FIRST for the Midwest, organized FIRST events to attract potential corporate sponsors and mentors from applicable fields. Following a challenge straight from Dean Kamen to make Minnesota "regional-ready" through the addition of new teams, these efforts were stepped up immensely. At least 15 Minnesota teams would be needed to make this a reality.

That's where Ken Rosen came in. As the new Assistant Director of FIRST in Minnesota, Mr. Rosen was instrumental in directing expansion efforts across the state. Intent on emphasizing FIRST's inclusiveness, a diverse group of schools and communities were approached. By interfacing with both school districts and local corporations, he stirred up plenty of popular support for FIRST and the financial backing necessary to ensure success. 

These corporate efforts played a major role in increasing FIRST's visibility in the state, with notable people embracing the FIRST mission wholeheartedly. Dr. Stephen N. Oesterle, Senior Vice President-Medicine and Technology of Medtronic, Inc. and Bill McConnell, Senior Vice President of Boston Scientific Corp. each pledged to fund six new teams for the 2007 season. In addition, Dr. Oesterle consulted other companies about supporting FIRST, with funding arriving for more new FIRST Robotics teams.

On the wings of these endeavors, Minnesota reached the 15 team goal in Fall 2006. The next step was Minnesota's inaugural FIRST Kickoff Event, held at the University of Minnesota's Coffman Union the following January. Sixteen teams met to begin the build season by learning the year's game and receiving the official kit of parts. With expansion going smoothly, Spring 2008 was the target date for a FIRST Regional competition in Minnesota. 

As always, funding was key. To secure approval from the FIRST Board, Dr. Oesterle and Mr. McConnell promised the necessary funding for the event and for additional teams, supported by their earlier successes in getting teams started. Through Dr. Oesterle's continued outreach, many important sponsors went to bat for FIRST, supporting both individual teams and the regional. Support came from organizations such as NASA, Lockheed Martin, Best Buy, Cargill and General Mills. Medtronic, Boston Scientific, the University of Minnesota and 3M were the main funders of the regional, which was staged on schedule in Spring 2008 at the U of M's Williams Arena. By this time, the number of FIRST teams in Minnesota had increased to 78. 

Following the success of Minnesota's inaugural regional, it became plain that interest in FIRST was skyrocketing at such a speed that more space would needed for future competitions. The 2009 season featured the debut of the "double regional," incorporating Mariucci Arena and turning the campus of the University of Minnesota into a FIRST boomtown for one spring weekend. With the 2011 addition of Duluth's Lake Superior Regional, Minnesota has again proven to be an amazing home for FIRST Robotics and gracious professionalism. The future looks bright for FIRST in Minnesota and for the state's annual regional competitions.