[JaneYoung]

I like the word, ethical, rather than moral when thinking about this. It removes some of the sense of judgment for me.

Here's just a few thoughts to throw on the pile:

1. Having the time, resources, and energy to build a practice robot is an incentive. Committing to it, and following through with that commitment, shows maturity on the part of the team. It also shows that the team understands a bigger picture - doing as much as they can with the time and resources they have to be competitive.

2. That doesn't always happen. Teams may talk and plan for years and it still doesn't happen. The problem doesn't begin with resources - the problem begins with commitment. Building a practice bot and committing to practice time with the practice bot doesn't just happen.

3. A lot of factors are involved in the practice robot:
- team priorities
- management of time, organization, and funding
- practice space and availability
- goal setting

These are just a few that are involved with the commitment to building and using a practice bot for practicing. One of the biggies that isn't talked about much is the commitment of the adults' time that is involved in order to make it a worthwhile investment in achieving the team's goals. That's no small thing. Without the adults on board to coach, keep the space available, and be willing to deliver/pick up their children from practice if needed - it's not going to happen.

It's more than the practice bot. It's what the practice bot is about and what it says about the team.

Jane