Re: Inspirational teams
 

There were 3 teams that got me hooked on FRC: 148, 16 and 1717.

When I was in middle school, I heard about the Dallas Regional because my dad worked at the JCPenney headquarters in Plano;My first FRC experience was watching 148 win Logomotion. After that excitement, I came back in 2012 to watch 16 and 148 partner up to win Dallas in Rebound Rumble. I was so inspiried that I checked out The New Cool from my local library and read the story of 1717's rise to the top in 2009 (may they rest in peace).

These three teams made me really want to be on an FRC team, but there were no FRC teams at the high school where I would attend in the Fall of 2012. Then my dad and 600 other people were laid off from the JCPenney HQ and we moved to Houston, and I was granted the opportunity to be on Team 624.

As a member of an FRC team, and now Alumni, additional teams that inspired me were 254, 971 and 987. These 3 teams produce more than amazing robots each year. 254 and 971 were the reason I got into motion profiling because of their conference at world's in 2015. I also admire the culture of 987, a team that I always wanted our team to be when it came to the "More than Robots" part of FRC.

As an aside, winning the Dallas Regional in 2015 was very surreal for me after watching Dallas in 2011 and 2012. That was one of the highlights of my career as a student, and was very full-circle.

Re: Inspirational teams
 

I'll throw some rookies on here. 5822, 5847, 5934, and 6237. Outstanding group of new teams in the Midwest! Each of these teams show that you can still start a team, and be competitive. Looking forward to what we see out of them all in the future.

Re: Inspirational teams
 

No doubt for myself there are a number of teams that have been our inspiration over the last 4 seasons.

The first of all is 1816. The help that they provided during our first season was incredible. Just look at what MN is now today - the reason for this is directly due to Green Machine and their hardwork to get this state organized and their involvement (spearheading) 4 strong regionals in the state. Their kids are some of the most professional that I have worked with. They are also responsible for starting the pre-season training sessions in MN. So much of what we do in Becker is because of this group from Edina.

2175 - without a doubt we felt like they were our big brother during our first competition season. They saw in our team what we had not yet - thank you. They took us under our wing and helped us create a great defensive machine that first season. They remain one of the strongest teams in Minnesota, yet they are from a very small school.

967 - another great team that helped us out in so many ways that first and second season. The trio of 2175, 967, and 4607 almost (depending on an errant piece of field) made it to the finals for the second straight year in 2014. I still talk to a number of the parents from those teams.

2052 - Oh man, KnightKrawler. This is the team we in Becker always look to come the competition season. We strive to match their gamesmanship and strategy every year. I never sleep well the night before the Week Zero CenturionKrawler event at Centennial - I just want to know what they have up their sleeves.

3026 - This team has caught fire in the last few years, and they will be a strong competitor for years to come. They put the eventual winners of the North Star Regional on the ropes this year in the Semifinals - losing the 3rd match by 1 point. From what I saw over numerous competitions, their robot was the greatest engineering feat in MN hands down.


I hear the music playing - so I must get off the stage... there are so many more that I would like to thank!

Re: Inspirational teams
 

Maybe I have a bit of bias here, but I believe across FRC you will find little argument that Team 16, The Bomb Squad, has been an outstanding inspiration for hundreds of teams.

My bias comes from the fact that both of my sons (Matthew and Clayton) were members of Team 16 throughout their high school years. But history and facts about Bomb Squad support my opinion.

Team 16 joined FIRST in 1996 and made Hall of Fame status in 2000, which means most of their current student members weren't even born before they reached the crowning achievement in FIRST. They first made Einstein finals in 2008 (with Clayton driving), then became Champions with Raider Robotix (FRC 25) and S.P.A.M. (FRC 180) in 2012. Along the way, they've earned 20+ blue banners and dozens of regional chairman's and design awards.

Their lead mentor, John Novak (WFA 2009), is recognized by veteran and emerging teams as an important resource and advocate for teams striving for excellence. Two other mentors (Brandon and Andy) are WFFA winners. Meredith Novak has built FIRST in Arkansas to its most respectable stature by convincing state legislators to invest in their students' future by committing to deliver access to this program across the state. The rest of their mentors, some of whom I've known for 15+ years, focus on getting their students to learn that success comes from effort and persistence. Bomb Squad members learn life lessons that far exceed the value of those blue banners and trophies.

In spite of coming from "the middle of nowhere," Bomb Squad has put incredible robots on the field for 20+ years and have left a legacy of success which continues to inspire teams across the world. If ever you have been their alliance partner, especially in eliminations, you've felt their enthusiasm and drive to be the best you can be. They've left a positive impact on our team and, if you've been in FIRST for a while, probably yours too!

Baxter...Bomb Squad!

Re: Inspirational teams
 

There are countless teams that have inspired me over the past 3 years, but I will always remember these 3 robots as the reason I got so involved:

2122 in 2013: I attended Calgames just a few weeks after joining, and 2122 just blew me away. I didn't know what swerve was at the time, but I told myself that someday I'd figure out how a robot could move like that. That began a journey not only into swerve and drivetrains, but CAD and design in general.

254 in 2014: This is undeniably the robot that'd have the most influence on how I'd see strategy and design. Looking back, it's kind of weird to think that it took a webcast for me to really notice them. But something definitely hit me that day while watching. It's 2 years too late, but to whoever said that day that "they're so good it's sad to watch"--it's wasn't sad. It was amazing. I wish you could have seen that.

2056 in 2014: Another Waterloo influence, although arguably the lasting impact on me wouldn't be the robot design as much as the introduction to statistical analysis and event predictions. Reading the Waterloo thread was the first time I'd heard of OPR, BBQ, or 2056's streak, and looking more into each of those would be the beginning of my own attempts at predictions and analysis. Either way, watching them play then was amazing.


I could go on, and definitely their inspiration goes deeper than watching them at those two events, but I suppose there's something about that initial inspiration and captivation that makes these special.

Re: Inspirational teams
 

Personally I would say that 1519 Mechanical Mayhem has inspired me. They're consistency on the field had pushed me to think outside the box on design and how to play the game. They've also been inspiring off the field as well from helping out teams who are in need to winning Chairman's two years in a row. A go to team for sure.

Re: Inspirational teams
 

1983 Skunkworks has been my primary inspiration. I have a personal connection (my sister's family--my brother in law won a District WFA) and I was introduced to FRC through them. As a mentor, I've modeled our business operations and scouting approach from their organization, and similarly have adopted the same outlook toward helping other teams. Having seen their Chairman's presentation, I'm sure they will be the first Hall of Fame team from the PNW.

Re: Inspirational teams
 

I agree with you Ed. Our team has always been inspired by 365. They have done so much for FIRST over the years.

Re: Inspirational teams
 

Special shout-out to 3132 Thunder Down Under. Their work on and off the field is phenomenal, bringing FRC to many new geographies and at the same time, building inspiring robots.

Re: Inspirational teams
 

Thanks Warren, our team has worked really hard to help our community and we are constantly working on improving our community involvement.
Thanks, Michael English