Dream Team, the people

[Rich Kressly]

I love the Dream Alliance thread http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=45783 and it got me thinking. If you could build your own FIRST team from scratch, what would it look like? Mentors, facilities, budget allocation???

To make it interesting, here are the constriants:
1. Six Mentors - four technical, two non-technical
2. Build/Team facilities - What's it look like?
3. Budget limit= $30K/year

My answers...

Mentors: It's impossible not to leave great names off, but...
- four technical - Bill Beatty, Andy Baker, Dan Green, Kevin Watson
- two non-technical: Amanda Morrison, Anne Bergeron

Build/team facility:
I'm partial to the Team 103 configuration. Old habits die hard. In the school, CAD Lab, Shop with some automation/machining capabilities, full practice field, and another lab/room for animation, website, and PR.


Budget limit = $30K/year: This is a real challenging number, but
12K - registration fees - 2 official FRC competitions, 2 offseason
8K - robot build materials and tools
4K - hardware and software upgrades
4K - marketing/pr/display/vex/school curriculum integration/recognition of sponsors, mentors, etc
2K - toward travel
*Individual team members could fundraise to defray individual travel expenses.

[Dorienne]

Mentors:
Technical:
1. Dave Lavery
2. JVN
3. Mike Wade (our team's, not the NASA Mike Wade)
4. Elgin Clock ('cause I adore him)
Non-Technical:
1. Jenny Beatty ('cause I miss her, and I wanna work with her foreverrrr)
2. Kathie Kentfield ('cause I love her and miss her)

Work facility: A tech classroom. It's the best that way, I think, though you would probably need to have an engineer machine parts.

Budget Limit: $5,000 in a bank for the next year; $3,000 for the robot; $9,000 for regionals; $3,000 for transportation; rest for either saving or spending on volunteer work and such. ^__^

[Cory]

Technical Mentors: Andy Baker, Paul Copioli, Steve Kyramarios, Joe Johnson.

Non Technical Mentors: Kathie Kentfield and ????????

facility: shop with machining capabilities, full sized practice field, CAD lab, etc.

Budget:

$16,000 for 3 competitions.

$10,000 for parts/tools.

$4,000 for other miscellaneous costs.

[Gary Dillard]

Technical - Raul Olivera, Joe Johnson, Al Skierk, uh, Skierwike, uh, you know who I mean, and Kevin Watson

Non Technical - Amanda Morrison & Jenny Beatty

Facility - Take our S.P.A.M pit, add a carpeted, high ceiling full size practice field next door, and RUN A STUPID T1 LINE TO IT!

Budget - $12k for 2 comps
$8k for robot and tools
$2K for Lego League Support
$8k for travel subsidy - no student should stay home because of financial reasons

[Liz Smith]

I'm not so sure about the people... but when we (team 555) went down to Brazil team 393 showed us their robotics house. Basically its a house where they all go during build season, since they build during their summer break. Theres a work area downstairs and computers upstairs. It even has a little soccer field outside. I've been dreaming of a robot house ever since!

[Morgan Gillespie]

I'm not so sure about the people... but when we (team 555) went down to Brazil team 393 showed us their robotics house. Basically its a house where they all go during build season, since they build during their summer break. Theres a work area downstairs and computers upstairs. It even has a little soccer field outside. I've been dreaming of a robot house ever since!
Gah now I want one just scratch that soccer field and replace it with a test field. Yeah... Hmm gives me an educational reality show idea (heh kind of an oxymoron)

Real World : FIRST Robotics
Find out what happens when people stop pretending and start being real. When tiny dry erase board discussions break out into all out mental brawls.

“I sincerely feel that going in that direction will not result in what we wish to accomplish.” “Gaze upon this spreadsheet. This shows all the advantages of treads rather than wheels.” “While your spreadsheet analysis persuaded me of your opinion I still feel we should stick to what works. Also you have been known in the past to put fallacious info in you spreadsheets.” “Come now that was a rather long time past you cannot still use that against me. Yet I don’t see your proof of how wheels are better than treads.” “Well then you want to talk statistics!” “Yes!” “Well then as compared to robots that…”

14 hours, 4 CAD Drawings, 8 simulations later… “So it’s settled we shall use...”

On next weeks episode see what happens when we near the final week!

Yes I realize they don’t actually live in that house.

[Jay Trzaskos]

- four technical - Ken Patton, Andy Baker, Chris Carnivale, Raul Olivera
- two non-technical: Amanda Morrison and Jenny Beatty

Build/team facility:
Something similar to TechnoKatz. A full practice field, storage for old robots, a full machine shop (4 lathes, 2 mills, 2 large CNCs, a laser cutter, drill presses, band saws, etc.) a CAD lab.


Budget limit = $30K/year:
12K - registration fees - 2 official FRC competitions, 2 offseason
8K - robot build materials and tools
3K - hardware and software upgrades
2K - marketing/pr/display/vex/school curriculum integration/recognition of sponsors, mentors, etc
5K - toward travel

[rufu5]

technical mentors: Dan Ward, Randy Lamb (California Love!), Mike Copioli, JTosh
non-technical mentors: Libby Ritchie, Marci Cochran

Build/Team facility: How could you resist a "robot house"? Except ours would be called a "Robot Half-Way House" because we would take broken robots and re-build them ... on the off-season of course. The soccer field would be an all purpose field though for American or Australian rules football.

Budget limit = $30K/year:
16K - registration fees - 2 FRC Regionals + 1 Nats, 2 off season (IRI + Beantown)
8K - robot build materials and tools
2k - hardware and software upgrades
3k - VEX/school curriculum integration/marketing/pr/display/recognition of sponsors, mentors, etc

[Jherbie53]

Tech mentors I just don't know that many from around FIRST, so I can't really choose other than the ones on team 85. For the Non-Tech I would choose two from 85, Hilda Westrate and Mark Pierce. They do so much for our team. Mark does a lot for us. He is our team programmer, helps out on Chairmans, and gets kids involved with either the robot or programming.

For the place, I know I'm sounding biased but, It would be the Zeeland High School, team 85's home. I would have to change somethings, like we need more room for our stuff, and having room for past robots would be awesome.

Money would be like so:
16k 3 competitions - Two Regionals and Nationals
7k for robot materials
3k for Lego League
4k for random stuff

Really this can be difficult to choose. Who do you put in and who's out. What type of facility is better, High School shop or Sponsors shop, and there are so many things for the budget.

[Tim Delles]

4 Technical Mentors - Bill Beaty, JVN, Andy Baker, Paul Copioli
2 non - technical Mentors - Amanda Morrison and Kathie Kentfield

I'd have to stick to Clarkson set up of things, just with the addition of a full practice field somewhere on Clarkson's Campus.

$16,000 - 2 Regionals & The Championship
$8,000 - Build Season neccesities.
$3,000 - FIRST Integration into schools
$3,000 - Tools

[OZ_341]

The thread is very timely. We had a running gag at the Chesapeake Regional that I was starting a new team and everyone had to reapply for their jobs. I told the kids and coaches I was only looking for the best in FIRST. Every time I saw someone good from another team I would ask them if they wanted to join my new team. :D

But the reality is that I already have two of the best mentors that ever worked for FIRST Dina Campagna and Jim Haine. These people are pure genius. For the past 7 years they have quietly gone about the task of making our team one of the best places for students to learn and grow.

They don't get recognized or post on Delphi and you won't find them on anyone's list of Who's Who in FIRST. But have no doubt that they are the architects of one of the most successful programs in FIRST. I am embarassed to say that I receive 99% of the credit for their 7 years of work.

So I guess I better stick with them. :)

Oh yeah and Kressly... If you ever decide to jump ship, I guess I might take you too. ;)

But seriously, I think there is a Dina or Jim on many FIRST teams and all those famous mentors better call them right now and tell them how great they are!!!

[Uberbots]

Ah another one of those dream about what you probably wont get threads...

what the heck!
A 1:2 Mentor:Student ratio
A dedicated student body
24 rendering workstations, 3 servers, and 6 CNC machines :D
Any tool imaginable
an up-to-date machine/robotics shop
A vex league for junior high/freshman year, and an FLL for the elementaries.
hmm... lets see. a budget that could cover all of our needs.
---
Dream on! Dream on! Dream until your dreams come true!

--ss32

[Libby Ritchie]

Mentors:
Stu Bloom, Scott Ritchie, David Kelly, Josh Hambright, Andy, Baker, Chris Fultz, Marci Cochran, The Ladies from Team 71 (you know who you are!!)

Facilities:
Large work space with high ceilings, lots of equipment, a playing field area, a computer lab full of software, and a lounge for homework and sleep, if needed! AND...it would be awesome to have a full-service cafe with free food/drinks provided for all on our team.

[CraigHickman]

I'd keep my team. We're proud of our 100% student designed and built ideal.

The only thing that I would change is adding a garunteed budget each year. (we're a little tight every time...)

Also, a little bit more space. We could have bought a CNC mill for 5k, but we didn't have the workspace :(

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Technical - Raul Olivera, Joe Johnson, Al Skierk, uh, Skierwike, uh, you know who I mean, and Kevin Watson

Gary,
When in doubt, Big Al also works for me.

[Jherbie53]

OK now I have decided on the BOB Dream Team. Using just members from Team 85 for this one. First would be Doug Fairchild, Because he's been with the team from the very beginning. Second would be Troy Springer, for his design creativeness and technical knowledge. Third is Randy Westrate, He is our electrician and he can come up with good prototype designs, just look at our hopper this year. Last but not least is (would be Mark Pierce but I already have him on the non-tech side) Tim VanWieren, He is just as hooked as the rest of us, and its only his second year on the team.

Now I should talk about Hilda Westrate, because I didn't before. She has been like a co leader, along with Steve Yasick, for the team the past couple of years. She helps with the administration part of the team and is the leader for our scouts.

I am very happy that these people have been on team 85. I have learned a lot form them, and I still am to this day. Here is a like to team 85s page with all of our mentors on it, Mentor Page (http://www.zeeland.k12.mi.us/zhs/firstteam/Mentors.html). All of them have given so much of there time to the team. Time away from their families, who I'm just as thankful to as the mentors for letting us "barrow" their loved ones.

This is my Dream Team. The one I'm proud to be apart of, The one that I DO Dream about.

[st1nkm4n]

Technical mentors: 3 clones of Kevin Watson + the REAL Kevin Watson

Non-technical mentors: I am also going to have to go with Kevin Watson clones here

Budget 30K?
20K = Robot
1K = Recruiting
1K = Travel expenses
.5K = website
6.5K = Food
1K = Mutual funds

[We don't really care a lot about PR]
We are also a pretty small team, about 9 people, so 1K = a lot of new people.

Facilities we have are fine, but 2 more comps.

[Tetraman]

100+ Students
14 Mentors
Lowest budget possible

Our Goal...Each year we join up with a current robotics team and we join that team for the season.

[Arefin Bari]

4 Technical Mentors: Andy Baker, John V. Neun, Andrew Rudolph, Kevin Watson.

2 Non-technical Mentors: Rich Kressly, Amanda Morrison.

Anywhere with space of 50 ft. 50 ft. with the tools including basic ones, a mill, a lathe, bandsaw, drill-press, grinder.

Budget would be $20,000 bucks. $12,000 bucks for registration, $2,500 for building the robot, $2,500 bucks for stuff that the team would need (T-shirts, food, etc). Save the rest for next year.

[Rick TYler]

*sob*
*sniff*

[Andy Grady]

Ok I'll play the game...

Technical Mentors: Mark Koors (45), Jorge Martinez (126), Raul Olivera (111), Rob Zeuge (121)

Non Tech Mentors: Liz Calef (88), Kathie Kentfield (173)

Facilities: Design Room for CADD design and animation, Large playingfield area full with picnic tables for eating while watching the robot or doing strategy, massive shop with 3 Lathes, 3 Milling Machines, CNC, etc..., annnd massive conference room.

Budget:

16k for 2 Regionals and Championships
8K for materials and tools
2K travel
4k misc.

[Chris Hibner]

I think it would be fun to team up with Andy Baker, Dave Scheck, Ernie Pacsai, and Brandon Martus. Yeah, that would be a good time.

[Raul]

I think it would be fun to team up with Andy Baker, Dave Scheck, Ernie Pacsai, and Brandon Martus. Yeah, that would be a good time.

Would that be technical, non-technical or just a lot of hair?

[Josh Hambright]

Tech Mentors:
Steve Florence (461/Purdue FIRST): This guy taught me alot of what i know and can fix/build just about anything, with just about anything faster then just about everyone
Darrel Noble(71): Electrical/Technical Guru of 71 fame, great mentor, great to work with, and always good in a bind.
Bob Evoy(Former 68): What can i say, Bob is definately one of my FIRST heros
Big Bad Al(111): Because once again, this guy is a hero of mine, and we can all learn some stuff from him.

Non Tech:
The Team 71 Bot Boosters: I count them as one because their guys and gals all work together as one seamless indestructable all powerful unit of Non Technical AWESOMENESS!
Amanda Morrison(1720): Although she isn't much good when it comes to eating contests or human player contests, and she may not know everything about the internals of robots, there isn't much else she isn't absolutely amazing at.

Build Team/Facility:
Several good laptops for programming/debuggin. A couple of good CAD/Animation workstations. A high quality bridgeport and a good lathe, bandsaw and drill press. A couple of CNC's, laser cutters. Some nice welding equipment. Ohh and daily shipments from MSC, McMasterCarr and Digikey...A nice place for displaying our trophies, banners, and some good high quality blowups of robots in action. Some comfy sofas for taking power naps and high speed internet access. Ohh and a firemen pole, because really what FIRST is missing is the ability to get from the second floor to the FIRST floor without using stairs...

Budget:
$8k for competition robot and practice bot (YES IT CAN BE DONE I SWEAR!)
$3k for tools and computer equipment
$2k for website/technology/video/audio production costs
$3k for travel
$12k for registration fees
$200 for the firemens pole!
$1k for outreach and PR
$whatever is left for helping out rookie teams.

[KenWittlief]

ok, my dream team is going to be a little difficult to assemble. We may need a time machine!

Ken Olsen: Founder of DEC. Took IBM headon to build digital computers when IBM dominated the field.

Nicola Tesla: Man was a genius in every field he poked his nose into.

Orville and Wilber Wright: Can these guys count as one? I dont think I can get my technical team down to 4.

Dr. Ferdinand Porsche: mechanical engineering genius who designed the original Porsche sports cars and the orignial VW Beetle.

George Washington Carver: another prolific inventor with an astronomical IQ

oops! Im up to 5 (or 6?) for my technical team.

Non-Technical:

George Eastman: Fouder of Kodak. Was an incredible businessman with a heart of gold.

Dale Carnegie: a person who studied human nature and human interaction and was an outstanding motivational leader.

Kate Gleason: First woman inducted into an engineering society. Lead the way for women to become engineers.

John Denver: Was a great humanitarian, full of positive energy, and could fill a concert hall and raise $30,000 in one night :^)

Oops! Im up to 4 people for non-technical. Maybe I need to form two teams?

[Sharkbyte]

Dream Team Budget: Unlimited

with an unlimited budget, you don't have allocate resources :D

[KenWittlief]

PS, if someone lends me a time machine to assemble my dream team, I promise I will not use it to subvert the 6 week build time limit, or to peek ahead to the championship and see which robots have the best strategy

or to use technology from the future

Really! You have my word!

[Tetraman]

I still believe I would be a lot more fun to have a team with more kids than I could handle on a team with a small budget.

[Madison]

I've started a reply to this thread four or five times and been unable to definitively select a group that I'd like to work with -- something certainly harder than picking a group that'd beat me.

Technical mentors:
Bill Gold
Karthik Kanagasabapathy (go Amanda! :p)
Travis Covington
Cory McBride
Heidi
Melissa Wheeler

With $30,000:
Three events -- $16K
Parts -- $4K
Travel -- $8K
Swanky Team Merchandise -- $2K

Yeah, my priorities are often screwed up, but I need to have my fun somewhere.

[JVN]

I'll just do the fun part (I've been giving it a lot of thought):

Copioli
Baker
Hibner
Mimlitch

Kanagasabapathy
Kressly

Beat that. (I made each of these choices for a specific reason, for instance... Paul is there for comic relief.)

-JV
PS - The only tough thing would be determining who would coach!

[Jason Morrella]

So "that's" the way it is in that office.

Funny how the guy who signs your paycheck just happened to make your list. How is that raise request going anyway? Should we assume you'll also be carrying his bags for him at the airport in Atlanta? Putting the boss on the list, but not the girlfriend - hope that strategy pays off for you.

:)

(sorry, it was a big softball you threw up there, no way I was not going to take a swing)


I'll just do the fun part (I've been giving it a lot of thought):

Copioli
Baker
Hibner
Mimlitch

Kanagasabapathy
Kressly

Beat that. (I made each of these choices for a specific reason, for instance... Paul is there for comic relief.)

-JV
PS - The only tough thing would be determining who would coach!

[JVN]

Funny how the guy who signs your paycheck just happened to make your list.

He's one of the most brilliant mechanical engineers I know, and we work together every day. If I had a dream team, he'd definitely be on it, because I already know we can solve tough problems working together.

(And if I don't get the payraise after saying all that, there is no justice in the world.)

-JV

PS - If I wanted to be murdered sometime during week 3, I'd put my girlfriend on my team. (If I even survive that long.)

[Ricky Q.]

PS - If I wanted to be murdered sometime during week 3, I'd put my girlfriend on my team. (If I even survive that long.)

I'd bet money on that.

And for me:

Baker
Copioli
Hibner
Patton

Karthik
Laurie Vertz from our team, she does amazing things.

Budget limit = $30K/year
15K - 2 FRC regionals and the Championship
5K - robot build materials and tools
8K - Travel for mentors and students (they give up enough already)
2k - marketing and fun stuff

If you don't like it, I'll buy you a Coke.

[Kevin Watson]

Technical mentors: 3 clones of Kevin Watson + the REAL Kevin Watson

Non-technical mentors: I am also going to have to go with Kevin Watson clones here

Budget 30K?
20K = Robot
1K = Recruiting
1K = Travel expenses
.5K = website
6.5K = Food
1K = Mutual funds

[We don't really care a lot about PR]
We are also a pretty small team, about 9 people, so 1K = a lot of new people.

Facilities we have are fine, but 2 more comps.Wow, thanks! As I consume inordinate amounts of Diet Pepsi while designing stuff, you'll need a separate line item just for Diet Pepsi. $4K should be enough for the six of me..., uh..., us..., whatever <grin>.

-Kevin

[Kevin Watson]

I love the Dream Alliance thread and it got me thinking. If you could build your own FIRST team from scratch, what would it look like? Mentors, facilities, budget allocation???... Thinking even bigger, how about each NASA center build a 'bot and compete it at the national championships? A possible JPL team motto comes to mind: "Drivers? We ain't got no drivers. We don't need no stinking drivers!" <grin>.

-Kevin

[Chris_Elston]

I think this is an interesting thread.

I am also going to open a can of worms.... ;-)

Look at all the Indiana mentor names! Woweeeeeeee

I feel like part of one big family at IRI or any time we get together as Indiana teams. We just recently got together at the Indy State house not too long ago.

I hope we can rub some of that Indiana family loving off on our surrounding states.

What a great showing of mentors on this list from Indiana. I couldn't agree more.

[PatrickN]

Well if it was an all-Canadian dream team eh...

I'd go with
Technical:
Derek Bessette (Lead mentor of Niagara First, enough said)
Shawn Lim (Canada's most recent WFA finalist from team 188)
Todd Wilick (Originally from 1305 now mentoring NiagaraFirst, his last 5 regionals = 1 chairmans, 2 EI, 5 regional wins by my count plus a bunch of other awards)
Ian Mackenzie (Originally from 188, was one of the main forces behind the 2004 simswerve robot of 1114, which was probably the most advanced Canadian robot ever)

Non-technical:
Karthik K (Yup :p )
Mark Breadner (Probably the single most influential individual in terms of bringing FIRST to Canada)

I agree, this was the fun part. I have no idea about the budget...

[Mike Shaul]

"Drivers? We ain't got no drivers. We don't need no stinking drivers!" <grin>
I would LOVE to see an all auto match!

[JackN]

I thought about this recently and this is what I chose

4 Engineers
Bill Beatty
Copiolis'
Andy Baker

2 Non-Engineering
Karthik (Just For Scouting/Strategy)
Amanda Morrison

Does that not sound like the most bizarre and funny group ever. It would make me laugh to see Karthik and Paul Copioli together. Also we would design some of the most ridiculous robots of all time. Swerve drive all day and all night baby. AndyMark for free, that would be sweet. The game strategy would be genius with Mr. Beatty and Karthik working together. Baker and Paul Copioli would be my field coach to help us secure victory.

My workshop area would be similar to that of the Beatty work area. Providing us with excellent tools and machinery.

13K Competitions (1 Regional, Championships, and IRI, Kettering Kickoff And the Ford Invitational)
8K Robot/Practice bot
5K Trailer and Tools
3K Travel
1K PR, LEGO, and VEX

That would be team 2158 Team Simtechnochickens FVC (all the team numbers added together plus mine)