[tr6scott]

TORC 2137 thanks all of the Livonia teams for a great weekend. The season has been especially tough one for us. We graduated 9 seniors last year, and only had 5 students carry over from last year. We lost some of the best mentors in Michigan from the team too. Despite all that, we doubled the team size from 14 to 28. We had huge success fundraising, with support from the school and Kettering with a new robotics lab at school. The team was instrumental in developing BOM on equipment and layouts for the lab. We were honored to receive the NASA grant for established teams that had lost sponsorship. We are ecstatic that though the school, our students can earn college credits while attended class in our lab.

This funding and sponsorship support, along with the team size increases allowed us actually work on other aspects of FIRST, besides building a robot. Last year was the first time TORC submitted animation video. This year was the first time we built a pit, and did Chairman's. We probably would have not done Chairman's if it was not for the judges urging us to do it last year, and the NASA grant required it, and for both, we are very thankful. We have never had the resources; manpower or money to complete the Chairman's requirements *and* build a bot in previous years, this year we did. This was the first year that the team actually completed all machining, and welding on the bot, in our school.

I especially like to thank Bedford for letting us play on their field, and work on the robot bridge balancing last weekend during their unlock. It was a *awesome* experience, like the kids say. I'll personally thank Debbie for sharing some of her insights with me on being a better mentor and helping me though some of the growing pains of this year. BX is the best.

RUSH, always sets the bar so high, and in every way. Although we have not interacted much as teams, you are always the (blue &) gold standard that we are all judged. It was an honor to be selected, and a learning experience on strategy, I will not forget.

3322 - What can you say, you were deadly at Kettering, and have not lost a step since.

So, So many great teams, and designs, I'm not a scout, so don't be a hater, if I miss some, I'm a programming mentor...

Lightning, always a great team.
Speed always high spirit.
Red Tails, way to go with a simple working design. Great engineering.
862 very effective from the fender...