[ouellet348]

I'm horrified that any FIRST team would have behavior like that, and I express my apologies to 1114 that they had to bear that.

Winning may create jealousy but this is not the way to act. FIRST isn't about who wins and loses, it isn't even about the robots.

I spent three days at the WPI regional helping two inner city teams be able to pass inspection. These teams were made up of mostly poor students from bad areas. And yet they cheered just as loud as the world champion team in attendance. These teams were lucky to get their robots on the field, and neither managed to have a working arm or deployment. But I saw that same inspiration in their eyes. Talking with another volunteer I heard them say that they consider them among the best teams there, and I was confused. They went on to say that the teams come from some of the worst schools in the state, and that they receive almost no funding, but that their students are in the top ten percent for the state's test scores. They consistently have students all go on to college, some even to MIT. One student told me about his national scale winning science fair project as we worked on the robot. That is what FIRST is about to me. The inspiration that brings even those in the worst conditions onto a level where they can change the world.

The competition and the robots are tools towards a goal, means toward an end. The goal is to inspire. 1114 should inspire the teams towards greatness and towards that level of competition and excellence. The goal of FIRST isn't to have teams dominate with fantastic machines, it is a preference for sure, but the real goal is to show students what they are capable of, what we all are capable of, and to drive them towards a better future with a gracious heart.

To all teams, remember that FIRST is about how we act, who we are, and what we will become, and what you will go on to do. To act that way is not a reflection of what anyone should aspire to.