A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

I find that I learn most from reading these multi-paged forum discussions about everything FRC - whether it be a team's biggest mistakes or greatest triumphs. Here is the statement I'd like you to fill in for me:

A Strong FRC Team Should. . .

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

A Strong FRC Team Should... have a clear vision and an understanding of how to achieve it within their means.

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

...encourage and exploit partnerships

• between students and mentors
• between team and community
• between business and education
• between different FRC teams
• between different STEM programs

etc.

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

A strong FRC team should foster an environment that encourages its members try new things and take risks to show them what they are really capable of doing.

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

Encourage students to explore all avenues of the team and find the one in which they can become the leader. The mentors should only provide the guidance to keep them focused and on track to achieve whatever goals the team has decided on. This should ultimately become a student driven and student built robot with only the necessary help from mentors.

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

Build strong links with the local community, teach a huge variety of skills, inspire students to take initiative for problem solving outside of FIRST.
"Spread the Wildfire!"

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

Work with other strong teams around them to help weaker teams become stronger in order to raise the level of play for all teams.

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

A strong FRC team should have clear goals. You should know your team goals by heart and think how do you achive them every day.

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

A strong FRC team...

Should always have fun win or lose, in the end its just a game :)

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

A strong FRC team has students who aren't afraid to ask for help when needed, mentors who aren't afraid to go the extra mile to help their students, AND other team's students, parents who aren't afraid to try and help whether they have engineering experience or none at all.

In summary: A strong FRC team has a dedicated core of students, mentors, and parents, who find ways to be involved and make the entire team better.

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

....build a strong Team Culture based on caring, honor, and the principles of FIRST. A strong organizational culture will give your team a purpose that you will get you through difficult times.

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

Close. I want to modify this slightly...

A strong FRC team should have clear ACHIEVABLE goals.
Having goals is great, but if they are unrealistic then they become demoralizing and lose their meaning. i.e. Don't set a goal as Win the Championship/Championship Chairman's if you've never won at a regional level.
There are realistically only about 6-10 teams that could set that a an annual goal

A strong FRC team should have STRETCHgoals.
This is wear you have that thing you aren't sure you'll have time/ability to pull off but you put it out there as a carrot. i.e. Have a great shooter and 30 point climber this year. Most teams could only reasonably pull off one of the two.

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

A strong FRC Team...

-Has strong mentors with a variety of skills, not just engineers
-Has a clear and consistent identity
-Has a culture of fun
-Teaches how to BE a Gracious Professional, not just to act like one
-Understands their limitations and works within them, while trying to overcome them
-Works together throughout the year, not just during build season

...and a lot of other stuff.

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

Inspire.

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

Conspire to despite what may transpire !:cool:

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

Just stick to it; you fail to accomplish everything you give up on.

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

be creative in solving problems and advancing itself and those around them.

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

Nice.
Would add has a business plan or the start of one.

Re: A Strong FRC Team Should . . .
 

A strong FRC team should be a team where members respect and idealize their mentors as their most influential teachers, and yet they won't be afraid to stand on their own and discuss matters openly when a disagreement arises