Hidden Gem Teams
 

Based on this weeks QotW, we all know the usually teams such as 1, 45, 47, 254, 111, and others, but what teams have you found to be as good as, or better, than these teams, yet they are under appreciated, or just hidden gems.

Mine in 388. They have won many awards and show the best in team spirit and are the nicest team.

Who's your's?

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

Maybe they're not so hidden anymore but 980 and 968 are definitely worth mentioning.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

Team 1097, for the same reasons JosephM posted about 388.

There are so many others though, that will never be posted about.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

thats true ;) but maybe we can spread some more word about the ones that we do know.

ill throw in 1272. they had amazingly reliable and elegant design at nationals in atlanta. we managed to win the only match we had with them at the last second by knocking the 2x ball off, but still division finalists and highest rookie seed mean something.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

I agree with your choice of 1272. We picked them for elims in Atlanta on Archimedes and we did outstanding together...we made it to finals. What a great team! When we thought we had a bad PWM, they offered to take one of theirs off their own robot and lose one of their mechanisms. Luckily, we were able to solve the problem. They truly exemplified gracious professionalsim.
571 was also very good this year...we won together at UTC. They stayed up until 12:30 at IRI helping us fix our bot...we ended up being semifinalists there.
I also would like to give credit to the rookies from Simon's Rock for their outstanding effort and accomplishments their first year.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

716

period.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

Never physically seen them or met them but I would definitely agree.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

1218, the Cha-bots.
These guys have enough for a drive crew, nothing else. Last year we mentored them for the stack attack game...this year they dominated for the most part at the Drexel Regional and because they were the choosing team are the current 2nd seed and 4th place in the world. That's a pretty good record for only two years. Well, maybe it was more of an awesome year instead of a pretty good year, but I digress. It was the monkey.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

There is one thing you can't argue with and that is success. My vote for a hidden gem team would go to Team 58 The Riot Crew. They always compete at a very competitive regional and always hold their own.
At the BAE 2003 Regional they had one of the most reliable auto modes from the get go, and they went on to seed and pick excellent teams and win the whole thing. At BAE this year they once again had one of the most fun auto modes to watch. They’re just one of those teams that I love looking at match lists and seeing that my team is paired with. Kudos.

Chris
Team 229

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

Yes, 1218 Chestnut Hill is 2 years old. They won the Philly regional as a Rookie in 2003 and were National Finalists in 2004. They did this with a handful of students, a handful of money, and a garage built robot.

Their mentors and students are also some of the nicest people you could ever meet.

Al Ostrow
Team Leader
Team 341

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

I'd like to add 710 to that list. I don't often hear about them on the forums but I watched them this year at the Championship and they were awesome. I've since found out that they have quite an impressive record. They seem like a good, unknown team that definately deserves recognition.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

Circuit Runners (Bloomington, IN) were an awesome team this year, but I don't think you can classify them or any other rookie team as a "hidden gem", because the fact that they are a 'rookie'. I made a couple bets with people (unforturnately not for cash) at IRI that 1272 would be one of the top teams, and look what happened :] .


I'm going to have to think about what I think is a "hidden gem" team. There are many that I think have always been my favorites. :cool:

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

1302 - Those who know of their first season would say they were too good for Rookie Allstar. And how about that team captain who goes to offseason competitions and drives SOLO?!

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

175, Buzz Robotics, from Enfield, CT. They fielded an incredible robot and a very spirited team at nationals this year. They also won the Chairman's Award at nationals in 2002, but most people aren't familiar with them today.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

I would like to add team 212,233, 311 and 945...

212 doesnt exist anymore but there was a time when 212 ruled florida regional. they won the florida regional in 2003 (Stack Attack). they were one of the most helpful team in florida. (i wish if i could say "they are one of the most helpful team in florida.")

Team 233 (the pink team)... i think they are awesome. they are always full of spirit. They always concentrate on one thing at the competition and they are best at it...

311 and 945 dominated at florida regional past season (2004 FIRST FRENZY)... great teams with a lot of spirit... :)

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

haha i love these types of threads. you always look for your team but never seem to find it.

*remembers robot was made of wood and pvc*

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

despite their funding/support problems this past year demolition squad (267) is a team that has a history of always doing well, but is rarely heard about on these forums....

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

422 is another biggie for me. These guys do loads of work with FIRST behind the sceans that many people don't know about.

I'd add 395 to the list, but they are well known IMHO and got profiled many times on TV shows and such.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

I should have remembered to put you guys on there in my earlier post.
Team 195 definitley deserves more recognition...you should have been picked for elims at UTC.
Plus, your team also had a great robot in 2003 that should be recognized. Remember Bash at the Beach last year? You guys rocked!!

also, never underestimate the power of PVC...our pull up arm this year was made out of PVC and we ended up winning UTC....

Main point: Never underestimate yourself team 195!!! :D

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

Agreed. They've crossed our paths and seem to be moving in the right direction.

WC :cool:

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

I feel that 1403 is a hidden gem. Even though they are a rookie team, they held there own ground this year and build a robot that work on the field when it needed to. If it broke down that team just fixed that robot in no time. I can't wait to see what that team make for a robot next year. I know they will do great.

My pick is 1403.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

Any team that has not yet been mentioned is obviously a hidden gem as nobody has said anything. Wouldnt a mentioned team be a gem since they were mentioned and therefore dicovered and no longer hidden? :confused:

i.e. you are in good standings 195 as you are flying under the radar and can truly be a hidden gem. ;)

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

hey i thought 61 had some good spirit at the florida regional!

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

team 1126 is the future of FIRST.. well maybe...

They won the Buckeye regional back to back... semi-finalist at nationals this year... and they know how to get things done...

team 967 is also another good team.. they had an overpowering design this year.. and besides... they are from IOWA! (but I live in IL) :yikes:

and dont forget to mention us (648) ;)

Budda :D

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

ya. that there 108 sigmac@t from Ft.Lauderdale team is pretty Hot. They have some realy dedicated students like Jim, Arefin and Mckelly Sp? who do all this comunity stuff and jim has an internship at motorola. and arefin cant Be seppraited from robotics even with a Depleted uranium constructed nucluar powered Crowbar Being used by superman

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

My vote is definitly going to have to go my new favorite teams... Teams that before this year I never even heard of... teams 870 and 871... Just because of what happened in the Long Island Regional... Can you say Chairman's and Woody Flower's Award???
Not to mention we made it to the semi-finals together... They didn't know who to pick at all... No one knew us at the Long Island Regional and they just kinda looked up and saw us and called out our number...

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

team 303 helped us in the finals in NJ. they sacfaficed their own standing to help us. They thought they had no chance of finals, tactcally, not our best decision, but they deserved a shot. So we (2nd seed) had 303 (dead last seed) as one of our alliance partners.

kodos to a selfless team

Marcus

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

[color=DarkOrange]108 is awesome. I do agree with Tytus. I think 108 will win chairmans at ucf. For all you Florida people I think that some teams on the rise will be 1402 and 1251. :D ]



Team 1251 The TECH TIGERS

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

I would also like to vote for 1218. I was suprised when I learned that their field team were the only people on their team, and yet they were able to make it to 1st seed in Galileo in 2004 and make it to the finals.

I'm sure that there are more hidden gem teams, it's just that they're too hidden for me to recognize yet.

I, being somewhat new to FIRST, have yet to figure out entirely who all the big and small teams are. Those who deserve it will get recognition in the future. What comes around goes around.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

my last post in this thread i forget to add one team...

Team 1083. (Team Emoticons).

past season were their 2nd year... and in two year that they have been in FIRST... they have gained so much reputation... they were the one who had the holomonic drive this past season... and this coming season will be just a surprise for FIRST drive train people when they see thier drive train... (only if they are still going to do what they were planning on doing)... :)

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

Team 1038 the Thunderhawks. A combination of FIRST's glorious past with the limitless future.
Team 378 the Circut Stompers. A consistantly cpmetive team in an area that is underrepresented with a team that has very little presence on these boards (as often is the case here. If a team doesn't have many members posting here they are ignored).
Team 49 Dow & Buena Vista HS that always seems to be up for the Chairman's award and will one day break through.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

one team to look out for next year will be 1279, cold fusion. they surprised me at frenzy final at Bridgewater high school. they rebuild there robot and what a great job they did. i mean they saved 56 in one match when 56 could not hang and with 7 seconds left they hanging tools shoots up and grabs and then they left off the grab with 3 seconds left. that it is pretty good for a rookie team. so good luck to that team and all the other rookie team this year and next year. show up the other teams that rookies at better then you think.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

Team 930 Mcubed.......

They make great machines. (often under-estimated)

Thay are also a nice student-run team from what I have seen at comp. b4

-Greg The Great

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

I'd like second that vote....it should be interesting this new drive train, and it is difficult for them to not gain recognition with leaders like george, andrew, and nathan (don't get mad if i left anyone out, but thems are who i knows). I still remember their first year where they worked literally all day to get the thing under the weight limit. After only one year they have certainly changed dramatically imho. Now let's just see if they can pull this new fangled drive train off before the rodeo....

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

190 and 716, but I think they are pretty well known.
388 was awesome at nats, and 1388 was not bad either.
71 is awesome, and
<sarcasm>
relatively unknown.
</sarcasm>
980 was also great at IRI.

Re: Hidden Gem Teams
 

i forgot! team 902, the hertitage hawks. they usually have awesome machines, but are constantly being underrated.