[legogeek24]

Along with everything else that has been said, I'd like to add a few more points. Something that's in the back of my mind as an alliance captain is what team do I know is willing to work with me? As in, there are always teams out there who are pretty intent on doing their own thing. What makes an alliance exceptional is teamwork and the ability to work together and adapt, and I always want a partner that I know will stick to the strategy and be a good team player.

This goes along with making friends; I make it a point to network as much as possible throughout the course of the competition. The practice field is valuable too; 3456 practiced double balancing with several potentially high-ranked teams early in the competition and even practiced tripling.

Finally, accentuate what makes you unique. Tell teams why they want you over another equal or slightly better team. For us, we made sure to document that 1) we were one of only 3 teams in the competition to triple balance, 2) our driver has 3 prior years of experience, with 2 ending in driving at Championships, 3) we have a unique drive train that is extremely effective at balancing, and 4) we can clear balls from under the bridge effectively. Even though we scored very few balls the entire competition, we were picked three times during eliminations for our balancing! I think the main reason for this was our distinctiveness and networking. I'd recommend coming up with a list of unique traits that will make you stand out. The third pick robots, especially this year, can become extremely critical to success in eliminations.