[PayneTrain]

I'm not dropping a plug or anything, but if your team has $500 in the bank account and hotel expenses for two nights, you should go to the Indiana Robotics Invitational this summer. Not only is it three hours away, but it has built a culture of a "who's who" in FIRST. You'll get regional champions, past and current CMP division and Einstein winners, and there is no pressure at all: it's not the real deal, but a really great team experience.

I'm certain teams like 33, 111, 234, etc., will be happy to explain to you their team structure and show you how they designed their robot.

The time between now and July is your opportunity to grow your team's operations and hone more technical skills. Improve your robot in any way you see fit before IRI. Construct a pit that can convey your team's message, build a better control board, build a better robot cart, and get your kids to buy into becoming the next 1114 or 365.

You will have to WORK for your team to become self-sustainable. I know this to be true: your team either has to be smart enough to run itself, or has to be too stubborn to quit (like us). When you work towards goals you can form between now, IRI, and 2012 kickoff, try to snatch up any victory you can get, and parade around your schools, your town, and your district.

To win year in and year out, you have to not just embrace the change in culture yourselves, but become the change your community to embrace. The more people that know you exist leads to more members, which leads to more success, which leads to more outreach, and allows the perpetual cycle of awesome to continue. Don't let the haters bring you down, and don't badmouth the powerhouses; work to prove your supporters right.

We expect great things from you, as with all other FIRST teams.