Re: When The Magic Works
 

(Just going to say: I've lurked on CD for ages, but this is the post that finally got me to register.)

First of all, congratulations on your team's successes at the Bayou Regional!
I have a lot of thoughts/feelings on this particular subject. This is my sixth year involved with FRC, all of them with 225. I've had the privilege of experiencing my team's growth from a 'nobody' at the bottom of the ranks to a successful team winning awards, districts, and regional events. Well, just one regional. (so far!)

A brief history of TechFire:
1999: Team creation
2006: Innovation in Controls, Visualization awards.
2007-2008: Team non-operational
2009: Team restarted at a different school with different mentors
2013: 1 district win, 3 robot awards, Newton Division QF
2014: 1 district win, 1 regional win, 1 robot award, entrepreneurship x2, Galileo Division QF
2015, so far: 2 district wins, engineering excellence x2

So in 2013, TechFire got its first major successes after 14 years (although an argument could be made that 2009 was basically our rookie year, redux.) I really can't place enough emphasis on the dramatic effect that this had on 255 and our opportunities. Most of all, we gained the attention and support of our community, which has allowed us to grow and help the community in return in the years since. Example A: our team budget, which more than doubled from the 2013 season to 2014, entirely with community sponsorship.

This post hits especially close to home for me this year, for a couple of reasons. This is our third extremely successful season in a row, and with all of the growth we've been having it leaves very few people on the team -mostly mentors- who remember what it's like to be ranked 48 out of 49. Obviously, winning awards and events is preferable to not, but I can't help but think that there's something extremely valuable to the humility that comes from knowing how far we've come. I'm a bit of a pessimist, and at the start of this competition season, (I'm not proud to say) I was a little worried that our success would start to impact things like our GP. This has proven to be not the case, which I am thankful for, and goes to show that whether you're winning awards or not, the spirit of FIRST doesn't change.

To answer your question: now what? I say, Find ways to use your success to drive further growth and success.

Re: When The Magic Works
 

I don't have much to add to the topic (2992 has seen a roller coaster ride of success these past few years), but I do just want to say this: 3337, your last four years have not been a dry spell. You've never been an unknown team, and your labor has never gone unnoticed. It's about time you reap the rewards.

As for where to go from here? As others have already said, keep the energy up. Keep the ball rolling and it paves the way to bigger sponsorships, new mentors, and even more of your trademarked enthusiasm. Just don't let the opportunity burn out. Good luck!

Re: When The Magic Works
 

We have been very successful in competition ever since my first year (2010) but we always find new areas of weakness to work on by the end of each season. We build good robots but that is a minor part of a FIRST team and for that matter competing with more well rounded teams.

In 2010 we learned we needed better controls and some scouting.

In 2011 we learned REALLY needed better scouting, pit maintenance and strategy. The highlight was getting the Engineering Excellence Award at worlds but knowing had we scouted better and done better pit maintenance we might have made it to Einstein.

in 2012 we learned that a large intake and fast intake to shot capability was VERY desirable and 2 long BOT's and a wide BOT make an UGLY but effective balance!!! We learned to use vision thanks to some great CD posts by Greg McKaskle. We also started to expand our community service work.

In 2013 we had a wide pick up floor sweeper that looked like a combine which oddly enough John Deere makes a model 2054 combine which we proudly displayed pictures of in our pit. We were first seed at MSC and made finals and fell victim to poor pre-match robot inspection when one of our 2 shooter motors was unplugged between finals matches.

in 2014 we did well and made to MSC and Worlds but in my opinion could have done better if we had paid more attention to game strategy and how we could fit into an alliance as an in bounder. Too much arrogance perhaps, but we did more offseason and summer training on things like gyros and encoders that we had not previously used.

This year we for the first time used mechanum wheels, a gyro and encoders on our completion robot. Thank you CD and teams that post very helpful info and code for these. A sophomore student came up with the idea of the 28 point solo auto and also with much of the mechanical ways to make it work. I though it was nuts in the beginning but as she laid it out mechanically it won over the team as a challenge.

So at the end of the day I would say success breeds success. Once you have had you want more but you have to reach ever farther out of your comfort zone to get it. (I think they call that learning but us old guys hate to do that) We as a team also know we are a little one dimensional as we don't have business and promotion type mentors and a small team. We are trying to work on that but in a small rural area it is hard to find them.

Congratulations to all you Chairman's Award winners. that is the REAL award in FIRST and we currently are not competitors there but lookout! Someday we will give you competition there as well!!