[davidthefat]

Originally Posted by KrazyCarl92

David, I know what it feels like to be the earliest one to arrive, last one to leave, and the most dedicated on the team. It's tough sometimes, but ultimately it's rewarding. Take a deep breath and a step back for a second. It's day 7...38 more to go. Things could still turn around, but walking out on your team probably doesn't help matters. They may feel like YOU have given up on THEM. Make sure your teammates and mentors don't feel that way, that isn't fair to them as the most dedicated member of your team. And while you love FIRST, keep in mind that there is more to FIRST than building an award winning kick-$@#$@#$@# robot. There's the relationships that you build with your mentors and teammates, and other teams mentors and students. There's also the learning that is involved with every step of the way. My team didn't have a very successful year last year in my senior year. Do I wish things had gone better from a performance standpoint? Definitely. But I also learned more from the 2011 FRC season than any other experience in my life. If your team relies on you, it's because they respect you. If you have earned their respect, don't let it go by storming out on them. Good luck!

Never actually considered leaving. I mean even after last year's season, I have been lobbying to allocate about $1-2k for "research and development" so that rookies can actually get experience and veterans can push our limits as a team. However, I have been told that "it is not okay to go to the cockpit of a plane and take control because you don't like where it is going" from my mentor. He said that I can leave and join one of the local teams. But this was way before kick off. He knows that I'll never leave.