Your Best FIRST Experience

[Lisa Perez]

So.. What was yours?

I think mine definitely had to be winning the Engineering Inspiration award at the Western Michigan Regional last year with 573. It happened to be my first year in FIRST, and the first year that the guys' school took their sister school into the team. We came together beautifully during the season while forging long-lasting friendships.

During our matches at that regional, we weren't doing that well at all.. But we didn't let the down spirit get the best of us as we normally would in our everyday lives. We were eager to show what we had learned during the season and to share the great experiences we had.

[sanddrag]

I'm glad a best thread got sarted but I think we should restrict it to anything except awards because that might be most team's best experience.

[jgannon]

Though our team won a few things this year, my best experience has to be the time I spent at nationals. I had so much fun walking around the pits and the Georgia Dome, meeting all sorts of neat people. The cool thing about FIRST is that you don't have to win anything to have fun. Even as we sat in the Curie stands, ranked 53 out of 73, waiting for the alliance selection to be over so we could go home (unaware that anyone would be crazy enough to pick us), I had already decided that this was the most fun I'd ever had. Getting the chance to continue competing was just icing on the cake.

This whole rookie season was an incredible experience. When I sat down with our team to start planning after the kickoff webcast, I thought there was no way that we were going to have anything even remotely impressive in six weeks. Not only did we manage to perform reasonably well, but our robot never once broke down or tipped over, something I am immensely proud of. (We did manage to snap a piece of Lexan in half (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=26995), but we were half-expecting it, and it didn't affect our performance.) And of course, I can't forget mentioning getting to watch our coach getting a mohawk (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/pictures.php?s=&action=single&picid=7055&direction=DESC&sort=date&perrow=4&trows=3&quiet=Verbose). In the last few months, I've gained so much from FIRST that it's hard to single out one great experience.

[Lisa Perez]

I'm glad a best thread got sarted but I think we should restrict it to anything except awards because that might be most team's best experience.

Yeah. Good idea.

My best experience: The team unity that we had that year :D . And the way we were able to overcome differences this year.

[AsimC]

My best FIRST experience has to be this year, my senior year on the team. I was chosen as team leader and my job was to make sure the team succeeded in their goals. One specific experience that i thought was great was when our team mentored a rookie team and I was there to guide them. Its an awesome feeling seeing people look up to you. Also, as team leader, i was in charge of the chairmans award, our first year applying for it, as well as the Woodie Flowers award, which me and 3 other ppl wrote together. Then at regionals, it all came together. First, on friday, the rookie team we mentored won the Rookie Inspiration Award, followed by our mentor for which we wrote the essay, won the Woodie Flowers Award. The next day, our robot placed third overall, and then the rookie team we mentored won the Rookie All-Star award AND the Rookie Highest Seed award, in total, they won ALL 3 rookie awards. And lastly as the competition ended, we won the Chairmans award. Those three days were absolutely unbelievable.

[Koko Ed]

My favorite moment was the second day at the 2003 Buckeye regional when all of the Rochester teams started screaming out their Rochester New York chant.
That was fun. :)

[Sean Schuff]

Great thread! I'm sure everyone has many great experiences to contribute.

My best FIRST experience happens once a year at the same time. During our team's end of the year banquet students present letters to the mentors on the team. Each student writes letters to those mentors who have impacted them the most throughout the last several years. Every year I go home with the letters they've written to me and I can't help but get a little misty when I read them. To read about the impact I have had on these students and the fact that it is from them personally makes these letters the highlight of my season every season.

Thanks to all the students from team 93 who have written such moving letters. YOU are why I do this FIRST thing year after year!

Sean
AKA Schuff-man

[spears312]

For me its a bit of a hard pick for my best FIRST experience (and Ive only been at it for a year :yikes: ), but its either going out and watching the robot being built and helping out where I could, or its was the first practice game of the FL regionals (in which my team was in). I was just amazed at how much excitment there was and how cool it was to watch all the robots and see how they all played the game.
But thats just so far, I think there are plenty of more great first experiences to come.

[Joshua May]

Mine would have to be last year, during our first match as we were allied with 696 at SoCal. We tipped both of the opposing robots, and got the best score of the day and held first place for some two hours. Just the adrenaline rush when we tipped those robots was awesome enough to make it my best experience.

[sanddrag]

Mine would have to be last year, during our first match as we were allied with 696 at SoCal. We tipped both of the opposing robots, and got the best score of the day and held first place for some two hours. Just the adrenaline rush when we tipped those robots was awesome enough to make it my best experience.Hey, that's totally awesome. I remember that match. We had done some serious flipping in Phoenix but it was cool when we took both 'em down in our first match. Thanks for being allies. It really was a great feeling when each of us held first place for a while. Other team's were just swarming our pits weren't they. :) :cool:

[Joshua May]

Hey, that's totally awesome. I remember that match. We had done some serious flipping in Phoenix but it was cool when we took both 'em down in our first match. Thanks for being allies. It really was a great feeling when each of us held first place for a while. Other team's were just swarming our pits weren't they. :) :cool:

Yeah, that was great. Were you in the drive crew or did you watch from the stands? I was the Human Player then.

[Billfred]

Personally, my favorite one was during Palmetto. It was our seventh match, and we were paired with (looks) 271 against 168 and 1319 (at the time, the #1 seed. They also won top rookie seed). This match went down right after we took off our arm, which wasn't doing us much good. I don't know how the guys did it, but they pulled off an 80-30 upset. (It also gave birth to the catch-phrase "Team 1293: Armless, not harmless!") The buzz lasted exactly ten matches, until we were defeated again by 393 and 780. (That match, we were paired with the RoboCards, who became the top seed. Funny how that happens, huh?)

[#1Transgirl1140]

It's hard to narrow it down to one best experiance. This was my first year in robotics, my teams second year.The whole season was awsome. My first regional, Detriot, was crazy. We drove to Wayne State everyday from our school wich was about an hour away. I didn't do much at that regional because I was just trying to adjust to the FIRST compition atmosphere. Grand Rapids was a different story. Our transmissions broke down so many times, the people in the machine shop knew who i was. In case you didn't know, we have a plantary gear system transmission, it has two moters a bosch and cim, the cim is our main and when the bosch is kicked in, we're fast :D Anyway, this past year has been a great experiance

[KathieK]

My best FIRST experience? There are a lot... Watching the webcast of our team winning the Championships at Epcot in 2002 (and wishing I was there!)... riding a Segway for the first time at Bash at the Beach in 2003... hearing our essay "All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in FIRST" being read aloud by the emcee at the Mid-Atlantic Regional in 2004... receiving a really nice thank-you card from the Chairman's Award committee that I mentored at the UTC New England Regional in 2004... and recently, starting FIRST NEMO so that mentors like myself can share ideas with each other... but the absolute BEST FIRST experience I get comes every year when I see the impact of the FIRST program on our students. That's priceless!

[Will Hanashiro]

its so hard to pick one experiance which i would call the best. the whole FIRST experiance has been great. ceremonies in orlando, with that wonderful corus singing all the national anthems... before releasing the doves; running thorugh epcot trying to make it back in time for our next match; walking out on mandy moore to go to the party; getting cramps in my leg from the ramps in houston; winning regionals... getting awards; moon bounces at regional parties; hypnotists; ypsilanti, grand rapids, pittsburgh, orlando, houston, atlanta;

all of these memories, along with the time spent building the robot itself, all come together to create an experiances that only FIRST can provide.

[jpsaul7usa]

My favorite FIRST moments haven't come from any competitions or during travel, they were all in our workshop (team members' parents' garage), around 2AM during the last two weekends before the ship date. I would stay late, work on the bot, talk about the robot and the game with another weary eyed person, and nearly fall asleep wrenching or wiring something. Those were the days... :rolleyes:

[Barry Bonzack]

The days of nationals gave me some of the best memories of my life thus far. FIRST will be an unforgettable experience for sure.

[JoeXIII'007]

The BEST FIRST Experience...

Taking over a small city (Grand Rapids), finding nerds EVERYWHERE, then
taking over a HUGE city (Atlanta, GA), finding geeks EVERYWHERE, and at both cities, trying to get small groups of people to respond to our 'AY!" It was fun all day and all night till the very last hour of the very last day of competition. Too sweet! :cool:

[sanddrag]

For me, I would have to say the entire Phoenix regional in 2003. It was totally awesome. The regional still is just as awesome, it's just this year our robot wasn't quite as much.

[Jeff Waegelin]

My best FIRST experience has to be qualifying for Nationals in 2002. We started the year with a shoestring budget, no place to work, and not qualified for Nats. Through incredible teamwork and dedication, we managed to pull everything together, win the Buckeye Regional, and qualify to attend Nationals. Hands down, that was my best FIRST experience ever.

If you want to know more, check out my FIRST Historians story, "A Special Championship", about the subject:
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22407

[MrToast]

Any time the robot broke and I got to fix it was the best FIRST experience. It's really awe inspiring how some guys you've known for about 10 minutes that come from halfway across the country will bend over backwards to help you get your robot fixed. Absolutely incredible!

For example, during the semifinals of BattleCry 5, the clutch on one of our drill motors broke and we would've been out of commission if 1027 hadn't graciously donated us a new drill motor. Talk about GP! We had about 20 minutes to our next match, and we were able to get the old drill out, take it apart, install the new clutch, and get it back together in time for the next match! Many hands make light work and close quarters in a robot. :D But all that aside, I love plunging my hands into the innards of a robot in order to improve it and make a truly competitive machine. It gives me a feeling of power knowing that the fate of the matches rests in the repairs my hands make.

Dude, I love FIRST.

MrToast

[RBrandy]

My best FIRST experience is when I heard the name "Sean Schuff" come from the emcee's mouth at the St. Louis Regional this year. Then telling him he was a Woodie Flowers award finalist on the phone because he couldn't be there because of his newborn son, Noah. He jumped in a car later that night and came down because he wanted to be with his team so bad. If that isn't dedication, I don't know what is.

[melissa]

I think my Best FIRST experience is not just one single experience...but the entire time since i joined my team. MOE is comprised of 14 different highschools, and when I joined my freshman year I was the only person from my school...and I didn't know anyone. Now going into my third year on the team I have really found people who I can trust and rely on...and I have made some great friendships. The best part about that is I wouldn't have known any of them if i hadn't joined the team. It's not like I will see them in school everyday or at a school function...but we all came together...past school rivalries and the traditional school separation...to become a team. Just to see all of these people who normally wouldn't notice eachother grow and spend so much time together that we've become like a "family" is one of the things that I like best about FIRST. So no, I don't have one best experience... because every time I walk into a meeting or go to a competition, I learn something new...about the robot...or about myself. Before I start going on and on haha...My best experience would be everything :D (yes i really can make a decision lol).

[oretta.flood]

[QUOTE=Lisa Perez]So.. What was yours?

Hello. This is my first year of being on my Robotics team and attending events. Team 1114 has been to two regionals this year and will be attending GTR this weekend. Both events had been my favourite experiences. They are amzing. The energy, the team spirit, the antisapation, seeing your robot work and accomplish exactly what your highest hopes for it were. These events are like no other and Im glad that I got involved. :)

Im so proud of my team. We all worked together and acomplished alot.
2006 Great Lakes Champs (1503, 1114, 67)
2006 Waterloo Regional Champs (1114, 1503, 1281)
2006 Waterloo Regional Chairmans Winners

Winning Chairmans was such a great Highlight to the weekend.
~Loretta

[KenWittlief]

Ive been a mentor on teams sponsored by three different corporations. Without taking anything away from the other two I have to say:

the year I was an X-Cat was the best. They have won the chairmans award twice for good reason. In that one year alone, so many things went well

a few of us had a mantra that year, "more teams! more teams!...." and now Xerox sponsors several teams

we really pushed for a regional in Rochester, NY - and for the last two years Xerox has been a primary sponsor of the Finger Lakes Regional at RIT.

But most of all, the impact the team had on the student's lives was excellent.

[lukevanoort]

Initial testing this year. When it was finally proven to some doubting mentors that a six wheel drive works and only our second time ever (as far as I know) that we managed a full systems test prior to the competition.

[Tetraman]

This is truely what FIRST is all about. At the Buckeye Regional this year, me and my team were really into just cheering for anything. We cheered for 93 just cause we liked the number, we cheered when our robot fell over, we cheered for 703 and actually got them into cheering for their team, we even cheered chants of teams that wern't at the regional like 1559 and 250.

The other team at the Regional from New York was team 1230, and they could only bring 5 team members and about 5 mentors. So we adopted them and cheered for them when their team was out on the field. We had such a time just cheering, it as so fun. We didn't even care if we got any Team Spirit award (which was the origional plan to begin cheering), we just enjoyed it and the time we were there.

We got into the finals, and each time our team was called, all 10 or 12 members of the team that were there from 1230 stood and clapped for us. We never expected and never thought that a team would thank us like that. It seems so small to most people, but to each member of my team and to each member of 1230, we felt real sportsmanship, gratious professionalisum, and Team Spirit between us. Team 174 is always going to cheer for team 1230 from now on in honor of the most amazeing experience of FIRST I've ever seen.

[dubious elise]

With my team, between the late-night drive-team icings, "Ricky Taco", head shavings, and incredible build-season learning opportunities, I think that there have been too many great experiences to count.

I think that my best out-of-team FIRST experience was meeting Mr. and Mrs. Ritchie at the Boilermaker Regional this year. I was so surprised that they had remembered a post that I made when their family was going through such a rough time last year and how I had rustled up some donations to send down to help. It was a pleasure to meet them and to work with Mrs. Ritchie's team, 393 - hopefully our paths will cross again in the future. This chance meeting truly reminded me what a family, not just FIRST, but the CD community is.

[thatphotochick]

i've had so many experiences within the past 2 years of FIRST, it's hard to even name half of them, and we're not even to the Championship in Atlanta yet this year. All the dance parties on the field in pittsburgh this year was awesome, when 1038 decided to join 365 for the 'we like to party' dance, that was so much fun. last year in atlanta, hanging out with 1567 in our hotel, having our own party just floors up from a prom in our hotel. and the biggest..both seasons, just watching the teamwork of building a robot together, being able to accomplish something..and that goes for every team. it's amazing to me that 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, even 60 people can come together and make a robot together...or that same amount of people helping other teams to fix their robots

[techtiger1]

There are many great FIRST experiences I have had over the three years I have been in FIRST. Including three very well lets just say interesting build seasons, 2 regional finalist awards, a semifinalist award, judges award, creativity award and 2 trpis so far to Nationals which have all been amazing. My favorite experience though was at UCF our rookie year in 2004 with 9 teams members, a mentor and a few parents we won the rookie all-star award which really suprised us and got us a trip to nationals. From then on 1251 and everyone on the team that year has been hooked on FIRST robotics. Winning was great and we didn't realize it yet but we had embarked on something that changed the way we viewed the world. ;)

Thanks FIRST,
Drew

[Beth Sweet]

My best experience had to be this year at the Wisconsin regional.

Last year was pretty diappointing, because while we were able to make a very nice looking robot, functionality wasn't our strong point. We only attended one regional and didn't get selected for the tournament.

This year, we really got things together. We performed well at Detroit and at that time, it felt very satisfying. Then we went to Wisconsin. I watched my kids in the pits, talking to judges and putting the safety glasses on the blow-up leprecan (yes, that's spelled wrong). When things went wrong, I watched them grab the robot, at some points, go inside the robot, fix it and put it out on the field fully functioning. I saw my kids thinking up strategies and counter-strategies for each robot and alliance. I saw my kids really experiencing what the program is all about. That makes me feel like all of the hard work and time that myself and our team's other mentors have put in has truly been worth it. That is the best feeling that I know of.

[thatphotochick]

well really the best experience in FIRST, yet, for me really was the sheer disbelief that 395, 1038, and 1743 won at pittsburgh. 1038 came into pittsburgh not knowing how well the robot would work, how stable it would be, if it was robust, if it was completely done or if it needed more work, and the team was a bit disorganized. but when we all (395, 1743, and 1038) gathered by the field to see the results of the last match and saw the results that we won...all we could do was jump and shout and hug everyone we saw, i was crying...if we really were not certain what was going on i'm sure there'd be some kissing going on. it was just a great moment for me..being someone that never won anything..being a part of 3 teams that came together and tried and succeed

[BHOP]

My favorite best FIRST expirence is probably during the semifinals on Einstein. I was on the field operatung the arm. We were down a match, then we came back and won one. During the thrid match at the very end, with like 10 secs left, we grabbed a tetra. 5...4...3...2...1...Time slowed down as I watched the tetra fall onto the goal to cancel out the red alliances row, break the tie and win the match...0 ERRRRRR! After we beat that alliance, I knew we had won nationals. Probably my favorite match ever knowing I pressed a little button to win us nationals. Our alliance pulled out tons of last second saves, thanks HOT and Beachbots, you guys rocked.

[Ben Lauer]

Refereeing at IRI in 2005. Awesome teams, laid back fun. I got to meet some really awesome people, and the best seats in the house.

[akshar]

my best FIRST experience was this past weekend at the 'FIRST' ever Boston Regional, my team, 1568, was ranked 40 and our record was 2-8. the team knew we had a very good defensive bot, but going into alliance picking we wernt sure that our rank would help at all. and then it was time for the top seed 121, and 233 to pick its last alliance member, and they picked us...for defense, scouting does help after all, we ended up going to the finals and winning, we did what we did best, play defense and we won the regional. Looking ahead, since this might be the teams last year (lost 2 last year including me, will lose 5 this year and leaves 4 members behind and no programmar) this is the best experience i have had

- thanks to 121 and 233 for making it possible

[Dan Petrovic]

Buckeye Regional last year was intense.

It started with the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. That was nice. Then Halo 2 every night in the hotel rooms. Then the practice rounds showing all of the midwest teams what the New England teams are made of. We attempted to cap four tetras on the center goal but were slightly tapped by another robot and went crashing down. I heard the entire stadium all yell out "Aww!". One of the Regional Champions told us that they were going to pick us but we were picked by another team before they got the chance.

Then to top it all off we were slaughtered by the National Champions, team 67 HOT, in the first round of the finals.

[Almaster]

I experience one of my best FIRST Experiences at the SO CAL regional this past weekend. Due to a lot of different things team 22 was in a big whole on Thursday and Friday!!! everything that could go wrong went wrong at the regional. we basically had to do our robot from scratch! well anyways, every time we needed something within 30 seconds we would have at least 10 teams at our pit ready to help or offer what they had!! then finally when we got on the field on Saturday we got a standing ovation, i felt the love and gracious Professionalism from every team there!!

all i could say is THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE THAT HELPED!!!!

SPECIAL THANKS TO TEAM 599 and 330 who Showed us why they are both soo superior in FIRST!!!!

-team 22

[bbguy5]

Probably becoming friends with Baxter bomb squad and road tripping it from chicago to mountain home for spring break in 2001. Or at the GLR making a half court shot in 2001, or being on stage at florida in front of all those people. FIRST was definitley the best time I ever had in HS.

[Team75electric]

My best was definatly recently at boston. Dean and Woody were there, and we won autodesk visualisation award. Then we eon the engineering Inspiration award for the second time.

we have recieved 4 Autodesk visualisation awards in the past 4 years

and we are the first team to win 2 EI awards at different reagionals in the same year

[Koko Ed]

Nothing beats the 2005 FLR experince. What a fun weekend all around. From the overwhelming spirit to the absolutely fun after party and of course winning the regional (after 14 years of futility) didn't hurt niether. ;)

[Joe J.]

This year at Wisconsin 862 won two awards; Delphi "Driving Tomorrows Technology" and DiamlerChrylser Team Spirit Awards, as well as getting selected for the tournament by 525 and 1732. It was amazing to get two awards at one regional after not getting a single one for 3 years.

[irishninja]

My best experience was yesterday. Throughout the entire bulid season, our team had lots of trouble just getting started and then making it work. Yesterday we demonstrated our pulling through, and we made finals with 759 and 421. Thanks a ton guys it was a great season. And congratulations to 1880 395 and 375 for winning. Definatley my best moment.

[YonZ]

Yesterday we demonstrated our pulling through, and we made finals with 759 and 421.

That was an awesome day, but my best FIRST experience has to be winning The Chairman's Award last year at NYC. We were really going for the award, and I had worked a lot on it throughout the season, was one of the three team members representing the team at the presentation, and had organized one of and been to many of the events we held, etc. that Dean (who was at NYC on Saturday and made the presentation of the Chairman's Award) was reading off of the paper that the judges handed to him. It was very exciting and emotional, and was a great achievement for the team-- and it was great to be a contender for the award that took us to the Championship!

[EricRobodox]

I experience one of my best FIRST Experiences at the SO CAL regional this past weekend. Due to a lot of different things team 22 was in a big whole on Thursday and Friday!!! everything that could go wrong went wrong at the regional. we basically had to do our robot from scratch! well anyways, every time we needed something within 30 seconds we would have at least 10 teams at our pit ready to help or offer what they had!! then finally when we got on the field on Saturday we got a standing ovation, i felt the love and gracious Professionalism from every team there!!

all i could say is THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE THAT HELPED!!!!

SPECIAL THANKS TO TEAM 599 and 330 who Showed us why they are both soo superior in FIRST!!!!

-team 22

Thank You, it was a pleasure and fun to machine half your robot at the machine shop with Jim and Tom, as well as help team 22 out at our Robotics FIRST Aid station. Good luck at nationals. I was very happy to know that i helped a lot with your robot, as well as you guys getting on the field.

Have fun at nationals. we wont be going because of senior prom conflicting with the date and half the team are seniors. :(

[KathieK]

2006 update: Best FIRST experience this year: getting my n.e.r.d. shirt, walking into the new Connecticut Convention Center the Wednesday before the UTC New England FRC Regional and the New England Regional Vex Event and seeing how the months of meetings, planning, e-mails and cellphone calls had come together in that giant venue! Greeting the teams on Thursday morning in the lobby, watching their faces as they peered through the doors waiting to enter the hall, greeting the Vex teams on Friday morning (many of whom traveled VERY long distances to be with us for one day in Hartford)...meeting old friends and new ones.. seeing the eyes of the VIPs light up in Boston when I brought them onto the playing field and into the pits; and of course, being honored with both the UFH and 2006 UTC NER Volunteer of the Year Award knowing that there are thousands of worthy volunteers making this program happen all over the world. :)

[AJL930]

My best expierence was in my first year in 2003, when our team along with 269 and 45 won the Midwest regional. Just the shock of having it be my first year and all really was a big moment for me.

[Idaman323]

Well, last year.. our rookie year, it was the Tetra Stacking game. We used an pneumatic to power our arm. We were with an allaince.. and started playing... not that long into the game, all of the bots... were either tipped or shut off, or malfunctioning... We happen to be the only bot left. The problem was... we forgot to shut our release valve at the beginning of the game. So our arm was not working. So we could really do anything... so all we did was just spun in circles. We went around about 10 times before the end of the game. The arm was flyin up and everything. Good times.... we ended up loosing by like 1 point... 12 to 11 or somethin like that.

(this was at st. louis regional)

[Jeff K.]

So far, out of my two years of being on my team, my best FIRST experience had to be driving in the finals with 968 and team 4 and winning the SoCal Regional yesterday. It was our team's first regional win and we had a lot of fun and are very proud of Dori The Punisher.

[Dan Petrovic]

So far, out of my two years of being on my team, my best FIRST experience had to be driving in the finals with 968 and team 4 and winning the SoCal Regional yesterday. It was our team's first regional win and we had a lot of fun and are very proud of Dori The Punisher.

4th year and you guys have a regional win.

11th year and we've got nothin'...

Well pre-2002 we must have won something, but I have no idea.

Nice job ;D

[Jay Trzaskos]

I could never pick one moment, but I think I can pick one from every year so far...on second thought, lets make that two from every year.

2002: I wasn't officially on the team but I went to all the competitions. (1) Seeing the team take 3rd seed at both Buckeye and GTR. (2) Going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and seeing all the teams together there and talking to different teams about their robots.

2003: Still not officially on the team. (1) Watching the robot get up the ramp on only one drive and lifting its wing to let our partners on the ramp. (2) Seeing the dual wing design finally lifting to allow our partner on the ramp on Friday at UTC. I am positive that is the loudest I have ever heard anyone scream or cheer for any one of our robots our robot.

2004: First official year on the team. (1) Winning the SBPLI Regional with 1114 and watching Karthik take off his shirt and wave it around his head.[yes, I do have video] (2) Walking into the Georgia Dome/meeting Andy Baker, Raul, and Paul Copioli and walking down "murderers" row with John.

2005: Operator. (1) Looking at Ader and seeing her start to tear up as they announced that we had won Motorola Quality at FLR (2) Meeting Ken Patton at FLR, and then spending the entire Saturday of GTR talking to he and John.

2006: Operator. (1) Having the entire team pile on top of Ader, Chris and I after winning FLR. (2) no idea?

[Bridgette]

I would have to say my best experience was being #1 seed and winning the Boston Regional. We also won the GM Industrial Design award, our first award since winning the National Motorola Quality Award in 2002. It was just amazing.

[s_forbes]

I think my best experience this year would have to be playing with our alliance at the Davis-Sacramento regional. We got the exact two teams on our alliance that we wanted (852 and 1662!), and we were so relieved when 1662 went unpicked until it was our turn again. Playing with you guys was probably the coolest thing that I had witnessed all season.

On a sadder note, one of my worst experiences was when autonomous was set off during the setting up of the robots in one of the final rounds. While the robots were being set up and turned on (and with people still on the feild), the trumpet sounded and several robots ran off into their autonomous modes. I was at our drivers station which happened to be the nearest to the other alliances favored low goal, and I turned around just in time to see 955's robot come charging straight at us and bounce off of the lexan at full speed! Luckily no one was hurt, but we were still a little shaken up. (And our control board was knocked off of the shelf due to the impact, and being made of plexiglass it cracked in several places)

[Mike Hendricks]

My best experience, is something I will never forget in my life, and I'll consider it the best 5 minutes of my life.

It was at Atlanta in 2004, Saturday afternoon. We already won the Curie Divsion (as rookies) and just finished packing our pit and crates up. I was put in charge of one of the Divsion Champ trophies (to make sure it got back to the school safely). With the gold medal around my neck, and the huge trophy in my hand, I started walking to the door. As soon as I left our pit area, they started BLASTING "We are the Champions" in the pits. It was so loud it gave my chills. I just slowly walked around the pits until the song ended, with tears in my eyes.

Every time I hear that song, it reminds me of that moment in my life .. something I will never .. ever .. forget. When I got back up to the top (Everyone in Atlanta 04 remembers the 4 stories of escalators to go up before making it to the ground level of the GWCC) my team was waiting for me and looked at me strange and asked me what was wrong .. I couldn't say anything and we just walked off to the hotel. Thanks again 1038 and 175 for that awesome weekend. I really can't think of a better way to end my Senior year, our rookie year as a FRC team, or a better way to spend a weekend. That event (walking thru the pits at the end) is probally why I'm still involved with our FRC team; it was just so incredible, that I now want to do whatever it takes for someone else on our team to have that feeling.

*proud mentor of FRC #1388*

[BHS_STopping]

I think my best experience this year would have to be playing with our alliance at the Davis-Sacramento regional. We got the exact two teams on our alliance that we wanted (852 and 1662!), and we were so relieved when 1662 went unpicked until it was our turn again. Playing with you guys was probably the coolest thing that I had witnessed all season.

On a sadder note, one of my worst experiences was when autonomous was set off during the setting up of the robots in one of the final rounds. While the robots were being set up and turned on (and with people still on the feild), the trumpet sounded and several robots ran off into their autonomous modes. I was at our drivers station which happened to be the nearest to the other alliances favored low goal, and I turned around just in time to see 955's robot come charging straight at us and bounce off of the lexan at full speed! Luckily no one was hurt, but we were still a little shaken up. (And our control board was knocked off of the shelf due to the impact, and being made of plexiglass it cracked in several places)

Not to mention that one person on the field was almost run down by a run-away bot. I'm just glad that everyone was alright in the end.

Anyway, I do have to say that this regional brought yells, laughter, and tears to nearly everyone in our section of the stands. I couldn't have been any happier sitting with the team while supporting our alliance. Our elimination matches are something that I will probably never forget.

I would also like to give a heartfelt congrats to all of the teams there, esspecially the Chairman's Award winner Team 245 and Team 753 for their Engineering Inspiration Award and their spectacular defensive showing. I hope that all of the teams there had as great of a time as we did.

[KenWittlief]

I think the best single experience Ive had being a mentor was 2002, with the Xcats at WDW (the last year at Epcot). We had Sunday to ourselves at WDW, and I spent the evening with Jeff Debes and a couple students wandering around the parks.

That night we sat at a table by the pool and the two of us decided to start a new team - all by ourselves. We had no idea how we would make it all come together, we simply decided that Rochester needed another team.

With the help of 4 or 5 other people we came within one teacher of starting a team the next season at the School of The Arts. Xerox even agreed to fully sponsor the team. But since we could not get a teacher onboard that team never materialized. Xerox went on to sponsor new teams at Webster HS, and Jeff Debes was key in establishing team 1450 at Ben Franklin HS (also sponsored by Xerox).

I went on to mentor team 578 and was not involved with team 1450. Looking back, the thing that made that experience so extraordinary is it started with just two people, with an idea and the gumption to say "we can do this!"

[Libby Ritchie]

With my team, between the late-night drive-team icings, "Ricky Taco", head shavings, and incredible build-season learning opportunities, I think that there have been too many great experiences to count.

I think that my best out-of-team FIRST experience was meeting Mr. and Mrs. Ritchie at the Boilermaker Regional this year. I was so surprised that they had remembered a post that I made when their family was going through such a rough time last year and how I had rustled up some donations to send down to help. It was a pleasure to meet them and to work with Mrs. Ritchie's team, 393 - hopefully our paths will cross again in the future. This chance meeting truly reminded me what a family, not just FIRST, but the CD community is.

My best FIRST experience came out of tragedy one year ago. As some of you may remember, on April 8th my kids and I were in a terrible car accident and had multiple injuries, with our daughter (age 11) almost not surviving. While our daughter was still in the hospital, and I was not able to walk due to my injuries, my 8 year old son and I woke up one month after the wreck to find that the house was on fire! To say that we were having a bad month was putting it lightly.

A group of FIRSTers made a bad situation one of the best FIRST experiences both Scott (234) and I have ever had. I would like to say that the people of FIRST made a huge impact on me and my family. As my kids and I were still recovering (and at the hospital) leaving our house fire mess for my husband, Scott, to deal with, here came a huge group of Indiana FIRST people to help him out! I don't even know who all was there that day, as it was a blurr and I couldn't be there, but you know who you are and we appreciate you so much. And Marci Cochran of team 447...I love you! Thank you for being such a great friend! :)

Elise...it was wonderful to finally meet you! You have NO IDEA how much we appreciated what you did for our family last year, along with so many from the FIRST family from not only the US, but from around the world. As we approach our one year date for both our car accident and house fire, it all sinks in more and more what you all did for us. Words cannot thank everyone enough for all that you did for us. THANK YOU, FIRST MEMBERS!

[emnasson303]

I'd have to say, my first regional ever (J&J, College Ave. Gym). I was in 3rd grade, and didn't completely understand the concept of FIRST, but by the end of Saturday, I had yelled so much from being into the game, I lost my voice. That's when FIRST REALLY hooked me.
But as a follow up to that, 2004 was just a great year all around. We preformed well at the Jersey Regional and at Annapolis, and we had a great time in Atlanta. It just ran smoothly, and that always makes for a great year :)
And I certainly can't complain about this year, 303 really came together, and that puts a positive light on how next year should run. Lots to look forward to!

[sheltie234]

I think my best FIRST experience was at 2004 Midwest. My brother was a newbie on 234 and I thought FIRST was just a waste of time; those guys spent their Friday nights and Saturdays working on this robot! When I went to the competition and saw all of those teams and teenagers so excited about engineering, math, and science, I thought FIRST was the coolest thing in the world. I am now a freshman on 234 and I love it.

[Daniel Morse]

My best FIRST experience was this years (2006) build season, because I was the president, project manager, designer, and machinist. I basically got to do it all this year, learning how to manage people, learning how to design an entire part of the robot almost completely on my own (not entirely, I had group members, but he was a rookie, so I ended up making a lot of decisions and designs on my own when I wasn't teaching him. Our engineers were there for 45 min each day, and mine mainly acted as a consultant). I also got to actually machine parts that I designed and them see them work :D . Basically, FIRST is the best thing that happened to me in all of high school, it made me want to take on all of the challenges that I did this year. It did not hurt that this year we were finalists in the Boston regional (thanks team 40 and 69)! This was an amazing year!

[jagman2882]

My best FIRST experience was probably winning the Buckeye in 2003. We were a rookie that year and were not really expecting much but maybe more than we should have. I was the driver so i am telling it from my perspective on the field. After practice day we were all pumped because we had had quite a good day, first mistake. On friday we started our matches and by the end of the day we were ranked 52nd out of 60 or so teams. We went to the social and got some advice from a rather Ko-razy X-cats mentor :D . But that was only to me and Alex Cormier. So we went back to the hotel rather dejected. Some of the kids on our team got all the kids together in one room and reminded us that we could still be picked and that we needed to put all our energy into saturday and hope that we got picked. So the next day we got of the bus in front of the Clevelend State Convocation Center with a bang. We cheered the whole way into the stands, we were pumped up and ready to battle. We played great matches in the morning and by the time it was ready to pick we were ranked 11th! Two teams got pulled into the top 8 and we were the next team up but we didnt get in. So we had to wait and when the 4th seed of 541 and 27 came up to make their second pick they spoke those words: ELEVEN TWENTY-SIX!! we went CRAZY. we couldnt believe it! We roared into the finals and after winning the first match in the finals with 541 and 27 we were inserted in with 541. In auto mode we both went over the ramp at the same time and met (I believe at least) B.O.B. with thier large yellow bot with the suction cups and huge arms at the top. Unluckly for 85 they toppled over and i knew at that instant that we had just won a regional on our first try!! At the end of the match i went crazy, i ran over to the sideline where our team was cheering and hugged everyone i could. I was so excited i knoced over some of the railing! It was probably the greatest moment of my life. Thats my BEST FIRST story although the entire 2004 year was a good story but not the best.

[BHS_STopping]

In reply to the above post, it's cool to hear that another rookie team had such a great showing. We too also felt the surge of that final match when our allience started to pull through to victory. Words cannot describe the feelings of elation and happiness that we felt last weekend in Davis, but I can tell you that we were almost up to our necks in tears after that final match. I loved our alliance partners; they were probably the most supportive group of teams that 1726 has ever had the fortune of playing with.

[JaneYoung]

Last year during Saturday competition, Pope John Paul II died.
The cheering, waving, moving, competition stopped for a few moments of silence. Silence so still, a pin could be heard if it had dropped. The international gathering of competitors and supporters reined in the adrenalin and allowed grace to fill the quiet in Reliant Center.

One of our alliance teams was team 1621, ENIAC, a rookie team from Brazil. When the competition was over, they quickly gathered at the edge of the field with their drive team and prayed the Hail Mary in Portuguese, their beautiful language. I was there with them,quietly standing, speaking the words in English. As they dried their eyes, they raised their arms and yelled, 'Oopa Oopa Oopa' and began hugging and shaking hands with everyone on the alliance teams. Pictures were taken, tee shirts were traded and they came and gave me their flag.

During the moment of silence, our team members in the stands acknowledged that continuing the competition would be difficult for ENIAC, team 1621 - but we knew they were a F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Team and would do just fine.
That is one of my favorite memories.
Jane Young

[robochick1319]

It may be a little premature to say that this is my best experience with FIRST, but it was spectacular.

After breaking in qualifying early on Friday we were heartbroken. We hauled our robot in two pieces back to our pits. I was in tears, convinced that the 12 hour trip had been in vain. But we pushed and pushed to make the regional worth while.

It really touched me that so many teams cared about us and offered what help they could. BMR was probably my favorite regional of ALL TIME. I loved the teams there and the competition was well worth the drive.

I hope to go back next year. This is my favorite FIRST experience because I learned that miracles can happen if you just try and push. With 1272 and 85's confidence in us, we overcame a lousy qualifying match.

Thanks again and a million times more to everyone at BMR!!

[SirLancelot]

My best FIRST experience...
wow. It's been two years since I've started and I can't hardly believe it...
I think that the best experience so far would have to be going to the Championship event about a month and a half ago and seeing what a real community FIRST is. The concept of 9000 robot-oriented people didn't really sink in for me until our team went to nats. Good food, good friends, and good fun. It was a marvel of organization and enthusiasm like I've never seen it before. Just looking out over the stands in front of Einstein, during the final matches.....well, wow. It's wonderful to be part of such a tight-knit team and organization.

[987HighRoller]

My best experiences have to be the build season and seeing our 2006 robot, Ace in competition. Also, I learned how cool mentors are!!!

[Katie Hans]

Well, this was my freshman year, so there will probably be better experiences than this, but this was favorite moment this year.

I was chosen to be the backup human player this year, and I got to do a few practice rounds at GTR. I was then told I would be able to be in a qualifying round in Nationals. The time for Atlanta came and I was put into our first qualifying match. I was really nervous, but I loved the feeling I got when walking with the robot through the tunnel to the field. And it felt really great having people walk up to me and congratulating me. :)

Another really great FIRST experience for me - I know this is really lame, but it's definitely a wonderful thing for me - I made friends. I was amazed by how supportive everyone on my team was of each other, and it also helped me come out of my shell just a little.

[santosh]

My two best experiences...
1st- Freshman Year in 2004, winning the Peachtree Regional and Ther Chairman's award there as well as the Entreprenuership award at VCU. And then going to Nationals and getting to be an honorable mention.

2nd-This year...Threepeating at Peachtree by winning Chairman's and getting to hang out with all my friends on all of the other teams there, and then getting to play on the same alliance as our good friends from 832 against our good friends from 1414 in the playoffs. And then getting to see 1414 win so many other awards after they won the whole thing. And then finally being able to see our good friends from 1746 win the Rookie All-star award.
And then at Nationals when we put our right module on 30 seconds before our 2nd to last match started while in line with the help of our alliance partners. WE lost, but that had to be the most exciting and fun thing ever.