What is your favorite part of the FIRST experience?
 

This is a question asked of me while I was talking with another team about the possibility of me mentoring for them in the coming season. Here's my answer:

"I've forged connections with many other teams, and I've been inspired by some amazing people along the way. Interacting with virtually every team Gear it Forward played with over the last four years, I never came across someone who didn't love FIRST, didn't love FRC, or didn't love their team. To some, especially those not directly involved with FIRST, our concept of coopertition looks like some bizarre Orwellian doublethink, but I've seen how powerful it can be when applied properly. Having twice helped inner-city Chicago teams basically put together their entire robot at competition, I've seen that their passion to learn is much the same as mine, and much the same as the passion I've seen among the greatest teams in the world. My favorite thing about FIRST is that, across every level of play, every location, and every competition, everyone loves what they're doing, and they are all willing to work together to do awesome things."

It struck me that there is many ways this question could be answered. So, CD, what's your favorite part about FIRST?

Re: What is your favorite part of the FIRST experience?
 

My favorite part is seeing the hard work our entire team puts in, from January through competition, realized on the field. I think that's the moment that really inspires me: when we work on something for weeks, and then it works on the field.

Re: What is your favorite part of the FIRST experience?
 

My favorite part is the early morning of the first event, when the pits are all clean and full of promise, the field is spotless, and everybody competing has the belief that this will be The Year.

Re: What is your favorite part of the FIRST experience?
 

It has to be the energy & culture. No matter where you go at a FIRST event, regardless of the tier, the energy and excitement is there. It's people competing for the glory with guts and gusto, but being professionals about it. The excitement to be at a competition, the stress of whether your bot will work or not, the sounds of triumph as you successfully set out to do everything you planned to for that event, the determination to do better if you didn't yet.

When I saw my first FIRST event, Mount Olive (this year), the raw energy of the room was enough to be inspiring. The sheer number of people all here, for the same challenge, was unbelievable. Nobody was angry,nobody was upset. To lose meant either you made a mistake, or someone had a better robot that you could appreciate. Without that type of "We'll help you out" mentality, it would be almost inhospitable.

The raw culture of FRC is what makes the program so attractive. The idea that a 4-year program can instill the values of coopertition and gracious professionalism, along with a wide variety of useful real-world skills, is inspiring. I honestly wish I'd gotten involved sooner, and don't plan on stopping any time soon, even if I wanted to :P

Re: What is your favorite part of the FIRST experience?
 

Hands down the people

When you are involved with a program for so many years, the robots you build start to blur together and you forget how well you actually ranked at each individual competition, but you never forget the people that make your experience special. Everyone in FIRST is passionate about the program, and the students, mentors, parents, volunteers, and alumni are what keep me coming back. Some of my best friends in life are people that I competed with in high school and other alumni who I have met since high school while volunteer at events. My students remind me every day why I love engineering, and my old mentors are always there when I need advice. FIRST Robotics really is one big giant family, and the people are what make the program so special.

Re: What is your favorite part of the FIRST experience?
 

I dont think you get it... This year is MY year! :yikes:

Re: What is your favorite part of the FIRST experience?
 

My favorite experience is just going around the pits and just kind of taking it all in. Seeing old and familiar faces on the teams and even talking to the friends I made from various teams. The social aspect of competition is truly remarkable and very exciting to me. Especially at worlds where I can talk to teams from across the world. Being in only Indiana events ( except worlds) for my entire experience as a student I've made very good friends from a lot of the teams that participate in IndianaFIRST, and seeing them again at events is exciting cause we haven't talked in a year but FIRST is what makes us friends and this common thing that all of us in the community like is what brings all of us together. That is my favorite experience.:)

Re: What is your favorite part of the FIRST experience?
 

I love to see how hard my team and I work. It's so nice to see people who might not normally spend 4-7 hours on something finally put in some serious effort. With it, we get so much done and it's incredible.

That being said, I need some better leadership skills. ::rtm::

Re: What is your favorite part of the FIRST experience?
 

My favorite part of the experience is the strategy behind the game. It's always fun to analyze the game and think of how you're going to attack the challenge. I also enjoy going around the pits, talking to teams, and seeing their robots. Collecting buttons and other memos is cool, too. (I know that 525 made an elimination alliance button for every event they went to this year, including our alliance on Carson. They just asked for the team colors of all the teams on the alliance, and ten minutes later we all had buttons. I still have no idea how they made them so fast. :ahh:)

Interacting with other teams is probably my favorite part, though. This year, for the first time in team history, we invited all of the teams from Colorado that had qualified for champs to our HQ for a practice session. (Only six teams qualified, meaning we all could fit.) It was a lot of fun for all the teams that came, and I really hope we do it again next year. At champs, I got to see some awesome robots in person and talk to some really nice people on some really good teams. People (and robots) are awesome!

Re: What is your favorite part of the FIRST experience?
 

My favorite part of every event is during the awards ceremony. Specifically, during the Chairman's presentation. Specifically, when the MC is reading the 4 line "poem" that the judges create. Specifically, when the MC reads the third line and the team that won knows that they won. The team always, always tries to contain themselves and never can. The look of pure joy, relief, happiness, and pride contained on the faces of the students that put so much work and effort into their Chairman's presentation is priceless. That moment is my favorite part of every event. By that point, I've spent at least 50 hours in the venue over the past 4 days and I'm completely exhausted, but that moment wipes everything away and reminds me why I continue to participate in the program.

Re: What is your favorite part of the FIRST experience?
 

For me seeing how every team attacks the game differently from a strategical and robot standpoint of view is my favorite part. Watching all those reveal videos pop up near the end of build season is one of the most thrilling parts for me every year as I surf around CD watching reveal videos from all sorts of teams and being wowed.

Scouting and Strategy as a whole has to be one of my favorite parts of my FIRST experience. Ever since I was a kid I've been a huge sports nut watching professional tennis, NFL, etc. and I joined as a freshman thinking joining a FRC team would only be cool technical experience for me. Not only did it give me that but it satisfied my passion of sports and strategy as well knowing there was a competitive aspect to it.

The buttons 525 makes are sweet! 2052 got to work with them 3 times in our team history and I have all 3 elim alliance buttons they made- they're pretty cool and I have them in my collection of FRC buttons and freebies.

Re: What is your favorite part of the FIRST experience?
 

I love the Day one all-nighter strategy sleepovers after the challenge is revealed :D where we read the manual and then rack our brains for any and every possible strategy and nuance!

Re: What is your favorite part of the FIRST experience?
 

There's a lot I love about FIRST, but my favorite would have to be the overall atmosphere at competitions. Competitions are hectic, and crazy, and exhausting, and by the end you're crying and you're laughing and you realize that you love everyone on your team and everyone there, and you don't want to be anywhere else.