Exemplary FIRSTers
 

I am starting this thread to give everyone an opportunity to descibe ONE team they feel exemplifies FIRST, and why they think that. If you know of a team that acts and interacts as a model for FIRST temas to follow please leave their team number with a description of how they display their FIRST behavior.

470-Every year this team comes out with a fighting spirit. They are always willing to help. They are spirited win or lose. They cheer on EVERYONE. They are active in our shared community. They are our "rival" school in every other sporting event, however in FIRST they display nothing but a smiling face and a winning attitude. Thank you for being FIRST Ypsilanti.

Re: Exemplary FIRSTers
 

121 - Rhode Warriors
These guys are amazing. They work hard, and they play hard. They are some of the fiercest competitors, but always willing to help out another team. They talk trash, joke around, and are always ready for a good time. They're HS kids are enthusiastic, involved, and highly motivated. Everytime I play with, or against these guys, it's a great time.

Plywood + hardwork.

Rock on 121.

Re: Exemplary FIRSTers
 

Team 45- The technoKats

These guys have Andy Baker, need we say more. Of course we do, they have a whole team that seems dedicated to the FIRST way. While I believe i've only seen them at nationals, I've seen their presence online a lot. I've already mentioned that I was highly appreciative of their white pages, especially the gearbox and omniwheels, you can never be to thankful for the kind of stuff that helps you win :) They also offer lots of insights in threads and without a doubt, create excellent robots. Not to mention, didn't they make a practice robot they lent to people in competitions when other bots didnt work? Kudos to them.

Re: Exemplary FIRSTers
 

You don't start talking about exemplary FIRST teams til you mention the Technokats. How these guys have never won a Chairman's award is beyond me.

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Along with agreeing with John, I would also have to say team 88, TJ². They are some of the best competitors I have ever run into while at the same time being extremely gracious and spirited. I have met so many people who have come through the TJ ranks and they are just wonderful people...and its no wonder because those people that are inspiring them are every bit as great...(i.e. Moe and Liz)

Thank you to TJ² for always keeping things fun!

BTW...A close second, would be every team that attended the NYC Regional this past weekend. If anyone ever wants to know what FIRST is about, take a trip down there for that competition...it was inspiring....absolutely inspiring.

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Although I have never met them in person, I too would say the Tecknokats team 45. I hold them personally responsible for keeping me up late at night designing shifting transmissions in Inventor. :D Perhaps next year we will actually make one.

Also, what the Technokats did last year in letting that team compete with their (the technokats') ball drive robot was really awesome. Way to go guys!

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It is so obvious, I can't believe no one has mentioned them yet...

CHIEF DELPHI!!!!!!!

Team 47 has been a model of what a FIRST team is all about for nine years. This team has done incredible things for FIRST, their community, and their team members. They are amazing, and have been quite an inspiration to me and many others.

47 was the first "superstar" team in FIRST. They travelled all over the country to go to regionals, and won them. They developed amazing technologies like swereve drive before anyone else. They brought their huge and spirited team everywhere. They caught flak for being so good, and made many other teams jealous of their strength and ability as a team. This team grew so well that in their sophomore season, 1997, FIRST made a special award just for them. They got the "snowball award" for developing like a snowball rolling downhill, picking up size and speed as they went. They have shared so much with the FIRST community, and deserve to be recognized for it. They even gave us this amazing forum which is in my opinion the heart of the FIRST community.

THANK YOU CHIEF DELPHI!!

You are a standout among the elite of FIRST teams, you show us all what we should be doing. Keep up the good work!

Rob

Re: Exemplary FIRSTers
 

I gotta go with 447 on this one. I met these guys in 2003 and was blown away at how much they like to help in any way they can. Tough competitors on the field, gracious buddies in the pits. The kids are enthusiastic, the mentors are fun guys... and they keep finding ways to raise the bar, every year.

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I have more of an event that I thought was a great example. When we were teamed up with 93 at the midwest regional, we hit the 10 point ball off in autonomus, and knocked all the balls into their basket. http://www.soap.circuitrunners.com/2.../il/il_044.wmv (great video of course) After that, I heard someone chanting 525 in the background, but didn't really notice it because I was operating the arm. So after the match I turn around and realize that the entire team 93 is back there lined up around the exit chanting 525. That was an expierence I'll never forget.

Re: Exemplary FIRSTers
 

So many great teams to choose from.

I highlight the Thunder Chickens. From the bright yellow chickens running around the arena cheering and dancing, to the chicken give-aways, to the great robots and forum posts and team leaders - they are a complete package. Strong competitors but always helping others catch up to them.

You make FIRST a fun and exciting place.

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Team 254 the cheesey poofs, always a tough competitor, yet the nicest pit neighbors, opponents, and alliance partners. Simply the best team I have ever interacted with in my FIRST experience.


Chris C.
229

Re: Exemplary FIRSTers
 

I believe that all FIRST teams exemplifies FIRST in some form or another.

But I think Team 190 really deserves some recognition

They host one of the biggest and well-recognized off-season competitions in FIRST; Battlecry.

They also go to almost every off-season competitions and demonstrations they can possibly find.

Keep up the good work.

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Without a doubt team 60 is the most examplary team I've ever known. They give all they can and They get nothing but crap. People gang up on team 60 because they are too good, but what people forget are the little things they do.

The AZ kickoff 2004 had 14 teams but only 13 kits so team 60 offered to get theirs 2 weeks late. Team 60 has brought a mobile machine shop to both of their regionals 2003 and both 2004 and they spend their own time to make other teams parts. They designed a money making strategy and offered it to any team who would take it. They refuse to decline an alliance even if they could pick their own and even if it means them losing. They will send any team any of their blueprints from any year at the drop of a hat. They even raise money to give other FIRST teams as grants.

All of that and people still pick on them. Well, my hat is off to team 60.

Re: Exemplary FIRSTers
 

I would like to give thanks to the BeachBots. Every year they come out with an amazing robot, and an even better team. It's no wonder they have recieved the Chairman's Award at both the LA and Phx regional -- in two consecutive years.

I really take my hat off to Team 330. I look up to them, and hope that some day my team will be as amazing as they are.

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A large part of FIRST is the "superstar" teams that travel all over the country. Many of these teams exemplify the FIRST spirit and are really great people, however, I don't think we spend enough time recognizing the teams that don't necessarily have the resources to do those types of things. There are a lot of smaller independent (by which I mean without a huge sponsor or a lot of mentors) teams that are really incredible and don't necessarily have the resources to win chairman's awards every year. Just to pick one example, I'd say 716 really exemplifies FIRST

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Yeah, 60 let us in their pit in AZ after they left for the evening so we could check out their robot. And this really nice guy from Laron spent over an hour talking with me at the team social about how they make all the parts and offered to send me full plans of any year's robot.

And of course, not to forget Chief Delphi. As said before, it really is one of those things that is so obvious it goes unnoticed. I learned a majority of what I know from this great place.

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So many teams, so little forum space. If I had to choose one, it would have to be 1002. They provided a scouting service, ranking service, internet acess, and other services at the VCU regional. It's amazing. They are the team I think are exemplary FIRSTers.

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Team 60 is a favorite team of mine, yet I didn't know some of what you mention.

When at our kickoff a few mentors mentioned asking Team 60 for blueprints of their 2001 arm, some mentors scoffed that they'd do it. Mark and I were confident they would. Of course they did. They've helped our team take a giant leap forward.

I remember first meeting team 60 when Glenn traveled from Phoenix to So Cal to give a driver workshop.

What you didn't mention was a couple of times I know of when even ANOTHER alliance team has won, and doesn't have money to go to nationals, team 60 chipped in money to help a couple of teams in that boat go on to nationals over the past couple of years.

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Unnoticed?!?!?

Maybe unmentioned because we take them for granted that our ADDICTION will always be fed, that they SERVE so well (Brandon), that they inspire team members and mentors alike and are INCREMENTAL

The process of increasing in number, size, quantity, or extent.

in spreading FIRST

and an undiscovered source of information and inspiration by many international? and national team members just trying to keep their heads above water for a six week build season,

but once discovered, becomes incremental within that team helping to inspire and grow that individual team.

Bravo Delphi!

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I think the best team i have seen would have to be MIM - 343. I won one of their easy question of the day shirts in 2002, and got talking to their mentors one day. and its amazing at the quality of their robot, and the professionalism that they hold. I was a little taken back, and suprised that they had not one ounce of negative karma in their commitment to first. thank you agian 343 in all that you do.






not to mention that their accent was kinda cool too ;)

Re: Exemplary FIRSTers
 

Unmentioned. That's the word I was looking for. Well, I mention it to every judge I talk to at the regionals. I hope other people do the same because this is a really great place.

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I have to go with team 47. I am sure that without this website, FIRST would not be what it is today.

Re: Exemplary FIRSTers
 

so many to choose from...
Team 25: awesome robots, awesome people
They've started/helped to start so many NJ area teams, it's hard to count
champion of the RINOS (Rookies in Need of Support) project
Fierce competitors and good friends at the same time
Shared designs
Have promoted FIRST
given presentations
even solicited their own sponsor for money for other/new teams
AND they have Wayne Cokeley: A man with more passion and kindness than anyone I know.
Well deserving of the Engineering Inspiration Award they received in MD.
Keep going 25...

Re: Exemplary FIRSTers
 

While at the LA Regional, a few of us (I think it was just myself, Angela, and Ashley) were trying to come up with teams that we'd never imagine someone who had been part of that team complaining about. Our list wasn't complete but from what I remember of it, the teams included were:
191
192
330
340
This was by no means a comprehensive list but it was just what we happened to think of while we were there. I definitely think all of those teams are good teams.

Matt

Re: Exemplary FIRSTers
 

108

The provide the live feed for UCF regionals and chicago they also do nationals, with out them there wouldnt be broadcast of many regionals

When ever are team needed help with our robot they had people there willing to help and likewise when they needed help we were there to jump right in

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After thinking about it all day the teams I walked away the most impressed with from the weekend in Cleveland weren't the HOT team or GRR robotics or Sparx (we know what to expect from them) but smaller teams like the one memeber 1308 St. Ignatus team or team 1450 Global Media Arts that didn't even have a team together til January 17th but still managed to build a functional robot with virtually no funding.
These teams will probably never win a reginal or national championship but every time they compete, they have won and for every match they do win it's like a national championship. These are the teams that FIRST is truly about. These are the ones FIRST like to run to press and scream from the rooftops to the world that really make a difference because they are true proof that persaverance and effort are the true key to sucess,irrergaurdless of how much money or equipment or experince a team has.

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I agree, hands down, 470 just rocks. Not only did they share their tools, time and people, we shared pits.





Wish they were going to nats.

Everyone bring you fuzzies.

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I agree with Gabriel... Maybe alot of teams that have huge sponsors like UTC or Delphi can travel all around and give so much back to the FIRST community,but some teams dont have enough resources to do this, or maybe not enough members. My pick would deffinitly have to be 716 WhosCTechs. We are great freinds with them. They are always willing to help out and are great to work with on the field and off. Go 716!

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The power of the fuzzy compels you.

Yes, I would also like to recognize 470 for their exemplary acts. I hope our team can work with you guys a little more closely this year at the Heritage Festival and other summer activities.

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I would like to recognize Chatsworth Team 22. The west coast would not be the same without them, nor would FIRST. From hosting the Chatsworth Invitational to mentoring rookie teams to winning the National Chairman's Award. This team truly exemplifies the meaning of FIRST.

--Krystine

Re: Exemplary FIRSTers
 

I'd have to go with team 71, team Hammond. Their robot is always astounding, but their helpfulness shocked me the most. This year at the Midwest Regional, we (team 234) needed a few parts, and 71 (along with 45, another excellent team) was always there to give them to us. On one occasion when 71 didn't have the part, one of their engineers offered to drive back to Hammond, Indiana and get that part from their shop, then bring it back.
Thanks 71!

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Not to sound mean, i always love the praise, but lets just speak for yourself for a second i mean you wanna talk about great first teams you talk about 103 there isnt a bad thing i can think of saying about The Cybersonics team, they always come to competitions ready to fight, and will also lend a hand, they started the FIRST Interactive Rural Support, and spread the name of FIRST everywhere its always a pleasure talking, comepteting with/against the people from 103, they truly exemplify FIRST spirit as well as show us all what it means to be a Chairmens award winner

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One of the best teams I have seen is 388. They have not only won the VCU regional two years in a row. They are very gracious and helpful. One example is that they used our gearbox design and could not get a part because it was back-ordered. We had extras and sent them what they needed without questions. However, at VCU they came out and thanked us by giving us a horizontal bandsaw! :yikes: It really suprised a lot of people on our team and we can not thank team 388 enough.

Re: Exemplary FIRSTers
 

Amanda, thank you for your kind words about the Beach Bot team (330)!

Let me take you back to the Arizona Regional this year ....your team 60 provided the entire regional with a machine shop, at which we had several uses!! Your team members never fail to come and give our team encouragement and help.

When the finals were in progress and the Beach Bot was not working,and our technical mentors could not be located immediately....my first thought was to seek out your team leaders Glenn and Toni, because I KNEW they would do anything they could to help our team(any team). When I arrived to the pit, who was there already??? Glenn.

So who are the Exemplary FIRSTers?

My vote is TEAM 60!!

You guys are awesome!! Congrats on your place in Denver!!

Betty Freitag
Team Mom
Beach Bot Team 330

2004 Regional finalists(thanks to 1197 and 22 - LA Regional
2004 Regional winners (thanks to 1212 and 585)- Arizona
2004 Arizona Chairman's Award Winners
2003 LA Regional Chairman's Award Winners
2003 Arizona Regional Finalists& GM Industrial Award Winners
2003 Newton Quarterfinalists

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I've got to go with Big Mike and give my vote to 103 because there an all around great team and I have nothing bad to say about them.

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My vote has to go to team 343 Metal-in-Motion. Probably the nicest group of people you have ever met and they are also fierce competitors....Frankly they are a model for my team.....The bring students onto the team that are disabled, students that do not come from the most fortunate of backgrounds, and they integrate all these people working together.

Oh, btw they started the Palmetto Regional, helped start many FIRST teams, and have done countless things also with the Lego League team to boot....

As of yet I don't know how they have been passed over for a national chairman's award (that's not to say that every team that has won it wasn't 100% deserving in their own right)...

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Team 88 was an amazing team, not only to work with in an alliance, but to see in the stands cheering on their team and everybody else's. After our alliance lost in the semi-finals, all of 88 lined up, chanting the numbers of the alliance as we wheeled our robots back to the pits, anything but disheartened. They brought a bright and colorful atmosphere to SPBLI. They showed the gracious proffessionalism sought out by FIRST. I know I speak for myself and 870 when I say that we can't wait to see them at Nat's.

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I'm gonna have to give my vote to Team 461 - Westside Boiler Invasion. I can't say anything bad about this team. The people are wonderful - they make me feel like I have a second home (or is that third or fourth now??? :ahh: ). For the past two years, if we (1064) have ever needed anything, Purdue has been there for us (and if they didn't have it, they FOUND it). Their robots are always strong, their animations are funny, their website is award-winning, and they're a past regional Chairman's winner. 461 also gives FIRSTers a place to go after they've graduated where they can give back what they have learned as a mentor.

And oh yeah..."LETS ALL GO NUTS! ROBOTS! ROBOTS!" - it just wouldn't FIRST without that chant (or my new sweatshirt that says that :D )

-Kev

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I think that beyond the classic responses, I value many other teams.

The first has got to be 294. Those guys provide a field at their school, programming help, and even have lent our team parts. They are also relaxed and really kick back. Their students are always polite and seem to embrace the ideals of FIRST regardless oftheir ranking, etc.