I must agree with Ken L.

Though many variations of this statement have been said, I will say it anyway.

FIRST teaches us about life, and how to better it for ourselves and others.

Why does NASA donate so much to FIRST teams? Because in bettering the lives of the participants, many of the participants will eventually better the world.

FIRST is much more than a competition. It is a program to make ourselves better, and in the process, make the world a better place.

In defense of soezgg, there is a similar thread to this in robot showcase in which similar views were expressed and then recanted. This overwhelming reaction to negative posts has sent a clear message on what will and will not be accepted in the FIRST community, and I congratulate you all.

Re: it is our responsbility to teach the new kids about GP
 

Nicely said, Ken.
I don't believe there has been that much of a change in spirit, it is pretty much this way every year. New members (not necessarily rookie teams) are overloaded with this new concept of gracious professionalism. They hear about it on this forum and others and certainly from the FIRST docs and staff, but can anyone really know this concept from just reading about it? It doesn't hit home until it is experienced. Those who know what I am talking about have seen it firsthand. That time when you explained your robot design or strategy to a competing team member who didn't expect it. That incredulous, almost double take look, when you explained that you are required to give them that info. That look that said "what planet are you from?" until they realized you were serious. I see it at every event I attend, and not from students but adults as well.
Keep up the good work, it is making a difference out there.

Re: it is our responsbility to teach the new kids about GP
 

To me FIRST is a microcosm of real life. There are difficult people everywhere. Each person learns about Gracious Professionalism or not at their own pace. I certainly learned from others' examples in my life outside of FIRST, and now inside of FIRST. Life can swing back and forth, and so can the Gracious Professionalism displayed on the forums. I am in control of myself. I can practice Gracious Professionalism myself, no matter what others around me do or say.

My daughter, captain of our team, keeps remarking that our team hasn't had ANY fights this year. A HUGE improvement over last year. The improvements were a process, not an arrival at a sudden destination of Gracious Professionalism. We can continue that process on these forums, even thru the appearance of backward steps.

I in particular have experienced this year the FIRST camaraderie and Gracious Professionalism I'd heard about from teams other than our own. I'm experiencing a better experience in FIRST than our family experienced last year. *shrug* I'm not experiencing the negativity that others are experiencing and expressing on this thread. I'm very grateful for the difference FIRST makes in our family's life.

I think trying to strike a balance is trying to reach utopia.
I don't think Dean and Woody wants to "keep out the bad". They want to spread the experience - including the experience of learning about Gracious Professionalism.

I've experienced that kind of thing outside of FIRST, and those experiences helped me learn how to stand up for myself, sometimes how to stand up for others, when to let go and not do something, when to speak up, how to speak up for myself with more graciousness...FIRST is an arena to learn about Gracious Professionalism and how to apply Gracious Professionalism in all of life.

My hypothesis
 

I think ever since you have to qualify to go to Nats that's when alot of teams developed this new form of gracious professionalism. "Yah we will be there to pick you up...after the match." Dean wanted F.I.R.S.T. to become a sport a consequence is that you have this attitude coming in. Personally I don't mind it as much because through my experiences in sports its how I play. So FIRST to me is like a sport be kind and polite off the field and leave everything on the field. Many times however, the kind and polite part isn't followed through. It happens I'm victim of it myself. Its just human nature for it to happen. When you work on something for six weeks its hard to accept defeat and you look for excuses. You lash out on people on forums it happens: I can go on I'm a psychology major lol;). To conclude I think the new form of gracious professionalism is fine and its healthy for the competition.

Re: it is our responsbility to teach the new kids about GP
 

brevity is the key to effective communication

j/k :p

A little more than 2 cents.
 

This question is for all of you who have seen a change in the spirit of FIRST.

Do you think this started because of the qualifying rule that was imposed last year or do you feel it is just something that comes with the passage of time and the fact that FIRST is growing at an enormous rate??
I have to admit that when I joined 3 years ago it was nice to know that even though a team lost at an event and had extremely bad luck that they got to go to the big event anyways, but with the inception of the qualifying rule.. well let's just say that changed a little.
One of the things that I liked about FIRST was the fact that even though you did really bad at a regional, you could still make it to the nationals where the slate was cleared.
It made the event unique, I don't think there are much events do that in the world, sporting or otherwise.

I realize that the qualification rule is a financial and space saving necessity but do you think it took a little away from FIRST??? Just a thought.

As for gracious professionalism, I do think that it is lost a little on newbies (and others sometimes) but that's what our job as experienced FIRSTers is, to try and pass down this important value.

Gracious Professionalism
 

Hi All,

I have been on these boards since their inception way back in the rookie years of team number 47. In my time i have seen 9 games come and go. I have seen FIRST grow from a competition involving one regional tornement, and one national tornement, to the massive operation you see today. I have seen the game get tougher, more complicated, and more interesting every year. I have also seen what many others have seen in the fact that the ideals of people in FIRST are changing. We live in a competitive world. FIRST is changing to adjust to the world in order to promote science and technology by making the games more TV friendly as well as more exciting. Back in the early years, the ideas were small, the community was non-exsistant. Over the years, because of forums like this one which we express and share our ideas, FIRST has evolved from the simple engineering competition that it was, to encompass not only a competition aspect, but also a personal aspect. I have made dozens of friends through FIRST as well as many others. FIRST is growing, the students, engineers, and community members are growing. Its all about growth...its all about change. The idea of gracious professionalism has never changed, though the use of the idea has become blurred from time to time. FIRST can only preach gracious professionalism so much, the rest of it becomes the responsibility of those who have been around long enough to set the example. As FIRST changes, as it has changed over the years, as it will continue to change, it is up to us to continue to promote gracious professionalism. When we speak on these boards, and when we are at competition we must remember what Woodie says..."act as if our grandmother was watching us." For FIRST to grow, and gracious professionalism to be upheld, we can't rely on FIRST to change the way they approach things to promote it, we must promote it ourselves.

Remember this when you are at the competitions, or speaking on this board...it'll make life much more fun for everyone involved...and it will make life easier on the good people at FIRST who are struggling enough to bring us a fun exciting game, and promote science and technology.

Good Luck to Everyone
Andy Grady

Size Does Matter
 

I thank everyone for posting their opinions regarding this message.

Perhaps it is in fact the high volume of new teams that seem to make the board all the more "busy" and consequently more people need to hear the message of gracious professionalism.

I'll bet that this conversation will recur year to year, as the message must be communicated in one way or another.

Thanks all, It' good to hear that the spirit is still alive and well, now we just need to make sure that we are persistent enough to make every new generation understand this message.

I would have to agree with some of the comments here.

I think that the gp is infectious. If we can all think back to our freshman year, I bet many of us were more into the competition portion of it. If you were to come back in a year and talk to some of these people, I bet you would see an apparent shift toward gp. The intent of the program is to instill these values, and that is what is being done. I think that once a person has gone to a competition and seen that if you need a new motor or solenoid, that another team will give you one, this will change them. That is where the infection starts. Come back in 2 years, and they might be complaining of a lack of gp in new rookie teams. I guess what I am trying to say is that it just takes time, and if we give it time, we will see results.

OK, I am tired and it is late...Time for me to go to bed.

Bill B.

I would have to say many of you should take note of what Todd said earlier in this thread. It is healthy for the competition. FIRST has many facets, none of which should be discounted. The spirit of community and learning you all speak of is not mutually exclusive with competition. You'll find despite the competitive nature and trash talk that there isn't a single team out there who isn't willing to help another in a pinch. Many of us have scrambled to help get opponents ready for the next match without even the slightest second thought. Hell, we even get along with 121 when one of us needs help or we're assigned together. The fact that we've traded less than kind words makes little difference to either side; any negativity gets stowed in two seconds flat. That's what many of you fail to realize: competition strengthens the spirit of FIRST by testing gracious professionalism, by making us go against each other one round and then work together 20 minutes later. It teaches us how to compete with people we may not get along with and against those that we do. I'm not defending half the posts that have been made, but I do feel, however, the competitive aspect of FIRST has been getting a nice thrashing it definately doesn't deserve lately. FIRST is a competition; play to win when appropriate but never forget what you already won in those first six weeks.

Re:
 

Well, I feel I have to add my two cents. I, though a veteran of FIRST and team leader, have a major focus on winning. I have a major focus on the competition, because that is where everyone who worked so hard on their robot gets to see the culmination(sp?) of their efforts. I worry about the awards, because there are a few people I've talked to that wouldn't be nice to other teams, wouldn't be helpful to other teams, if they didn't get an award out of it. Now, even though I focus on my "beloved" competition, that doesn't mean that I don't understand the spirit of FIRST. Quite on the contrary. If any of the rookie teams wanted a little help, a little advice, I would be more than happy to help. I'm not going to pretend to be this good and perfect person, and pretend that I "look past the competition" because I don't. I have a competitive attitude towards life in general, and the competition is where I feel most at home at. Now, don't get me wrong, if asked I would probably spend more time helping out in other teams pits than my own, but that is because the more competitive other teams are the more fun the competition is, and if I can help out someone else, if I can make a small difference in improving the attitude of someone else, I feel better too. Now, we all have championed FIRST in many different ways and places, but how many of us believe it? I do, to a degree, but lately when I talk to a reporter for the local newspaper, my championing of FIRST sounds pretty canned. Because it really is. FIRST is great the way it is, we don't NEED to talk about how great it is. Talking does nothing except maybe help out your concience a bit. Saying FIRST is great doesn't mean it is, just like sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken. FIRST is great whether or not people say out loud it is, because just being a part of it is tribute enough.

Yes FIRST is a great experience, but I believe we DO need to talk about it and tell everyone we know how great it is. It's like a camp I went to as a kid. Everyone was always saying it was the best camp in the country so everyone believed it!

I guess the overall philosophy of our team is the same as we say in our fundraising letter, "The object of the team is not to design, build and compete a robot, it is to design, build and compete students." If after four years we have opened a student's eyes to the infinite possibilities they have in their life, it is worth all the effort. GP is a means to the end.