This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

Since it is the 20th anniversary season of FIRST I have a question for the teams that were around since 1992 (that means 20, 45, 126, 148, 151, 190 and 191 and what the heck let's even throw in 111 and see if they still have someone around from that 1992 team too). How many mentors do you on your team that were around since that first year?
We have two.
Carl Lewis who has been with the team since the beginning. He is our CAD guru and is also known a The Hat Guy.

Ron Dukes. Current team leader and for some reason mistaken Koko Ed Pit Decoy (I'm never in the pits so I don't know why people fall for that). After 1996 Ron took 4 years off from the team but came back in 2000 to lead the team since.

Who are the long term mentors who have stuck with the program through thick and thin through all the years? Let's give them some rep.

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

I may be mistaken, but I believe has 1 mentor that's been involved for all 20 years.

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

What is their name?

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

There's some more reformed original teams that could have original mentors..
Here's a full list: 97, 111, 125, 181, 213, 224, 238, 501, 1687, 3588. Last few are unlikely, but you never know!


(Information used was teams from the same-named high school, in the same city, as the original team. As such, some may be missing if a school changed names [or cities!])

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

If you are going to go there then you forgot 250 who is an offshoot of 20.

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

No legacy mentors on 1687. 190 started out at Doherty Memorial High School, and then transitioned to the Mass Academy. 1687 started completely fresh at Doherty for the 2005 season.

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

I interviewed with a manager from Boeing who was on Boeing & Lindberg HS (one of the original 28) way back in the day. He brought up my FIRST experience, and I asked him about his. He was no longer a mentor, but it was kind of amusing when I asked him which team he worked with and he said, "Well, you were probably about 5 when I last worked with them." :cool:

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

I know 108 is not a legacy team, but since it was formed in the mid/late-90s, two of the mentors had stayed for quite some time. Mike Sansone, who was a student when the team originally formed became a mentor at Motorola, but in 2007/2008 time, he ended up being transferred to Illinois and I think he might have joined 111. The other mentor was Z, Zahir (don't remember his last name), who was with the team until just two years ago and now mentors another team down here. So technically, 108 a) isn't a legacy team or b) has an mentors left, but just thought I would throw that in there. It was awesome having both of them on the team over the years. :)

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

131 has been around since the beginning, but we missed one of the first years (1994?) when we didn't have a sponsor. Anyway, Dave Kelso from 131 is an original mentor, and is still leading our team.

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

I think what we are going to find is that these mentors truly are Super Nerds: passionate, visionary, capable of going the distance, talented, generous, and tenacious.

Thank you for this thread, Ed. Long live the legacy.

Jane

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

Ed, thanks for the pictures, I will have to find these guys at Championship and say thank you for their commitment. I wonder if we could have something done for these guys at the event to celebrate 20 years of involvement in FIRST.

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

Ed, thanks for starting this thread. I have been lucky enough that in my FIRST career I have been on 2 original teams and have seen the impact of mentors that have been so dedicated for so long.

I personally know Ron and Carl and can honestly say they have made a huge difference in my life and have made me strive to be the mentor/teacher that I am today. From 2000-2002 when I was in high school, I worked very closely with both of them, and they taught me skills I still use to this day. I feel so lucky to have had them (and many other X-Cats) be such inspiring mentors to me over the years. Seeing them at competition every year is one of the highlights of my season.

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

Paul Kane started Team 20 back in 1992 and retired last year. However, he has returned to help out with the team this year here and there and especially over the past two weeks. He said he wasn't coming back this year, but heck, he just can't stay away. He won't admit it but we know it's because he loves us:D

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

John Hodapp of 148 has been involved since 1992.

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

While 40 is not an original team Dan Larochelle has been involved in FIRST since '92.

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

Is Dan the field coach for 40?

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

One thing I hope FIRST does in St. Louis on one of the days is a gigantic mentor parade. While rolling out celebrities and captains of industry are nice n all it's the mentors who have made FIRST the powerhouse that it has become this day and least FIRST could do is give them their moment in the sun (or what passes for sun in a domed stadium) to let them know that they stuck with the program in spite of everything they had to go through to make it all work.

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

While no current mentors on 190 were involved in 1992, we do have a professor at WPI, Prof. Stephen Jasperson, who was on the team in 1992. He was my advisor for the first semester of my freshman year, and it was awesome to hear his stories from that year. I believe he was involved for the next few years as well.

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

Both are always around the pits particularly Ron who is always bossing around...uh I mean, mentoring the students about driving.
Just don't call him Koko Ed or do what Tytus did one year and smack him in the butt with his clipboard. Now I only wish 25 would have shot him in my place back in 2005 but they never found me anyways. I still owe Greg payback for putting that contract out on me.

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

Couldn't agree more Ed.

Mr. Tom O'Connell has been a mentor for Team 126, Gael Force, for 20 years.

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

Dan is the field coach, engineer, lead mentor, truck driver, inspiration, heart and soul and "tackling dummy" for Checkmate.

And a nice guy. (Don't tell him I said that)

Re: This is a Question for the Legacy Teams
 

I remember Dan getting tackled by the tarp at Battlecry once.
He's a pretty agile guy. He just tumbled straight back up to his feet and was surprisingly fine.