I warn you, this will probably be the longest post I ever make on Chief Delphi. I’m totally going to be that guy at the Oscar’s who refuses to get off the stage. I tried to wait a couple of days to let all the emotions settle in, but I don’t know if that will ever happen. Winning this award was just too beautiful. I’d dreamt of this day for the past 9 years, ever since I became a Simbot. Who knew it’d become a reality.
----
Limits, like fears, are often just an illusion. – Michael Jordan
For years, people told us we could never win the Chairman’s Award. Our team was Canadian. Our team supported VEX. Our team was too small. Our team had no spirit. We were told there was no way the judges would ever bestow such an amazing honour upon us. Well, if there’s one thing Simbots do, it’s prove people wrong. Because it’s true, limits are often just an illusion.
When our team started, we were a robot focused organization. Everything we did revolved around what was happening on the field. Everything else was secondary, including the Chairman’s Award. I’ll never forget the night before the submission deadline in 2004. We had nothing done, nothing prepared. It would have been very easy for us to give up and focus on more “important” things. But something within us compelled us to keep going. Perhaps it was really just a nothing moment, but it felt like there was more to it; it felt like the start of something special. We finished a submission that night; it wasn’t particularly good and didn’t stand much of a chance of winning, but there was something important about the efforts involved in creating that submission. For a moment, it seemed that for 1114, it was about more than just robots.
That year in Atlanta, Team 254 entered the Hall of Fame, winning the Chairman’s award. Mentioned prominently in their speech was their development and growth of FIRST in California and beyond. It struck a chord with us. Coming home on the plane, Steve Rourke and I started discussing how valuable FIRST was as a tool to promote STEM education, but what a shame it was that only a few students in Niagara had a chance to benefit from the experience. We decided this had to change. Our team made it our mission to spread FIRST as much and far as possible. This inspiration by Team 254 created a permanent shift in our team. It may have started slowly, but it brought us to where we are today, where as much work is put into our off the field efforts as is on our robots.
Simbotics has always been known for our level of perseverance and dedication when it comes to the competition; robots that are constantly being tweaked and iterated, statistical analysis that goes a couple extra levels deep, legendary practice sessions that never seemed to end. But as we grew as a team, these characteristics became part of outreach efforts. We were constantly looking for new and innovative ways to reach more people. Each year we asked ourselves the question, “what more can we do to inspire?” and “how can we actually change culture?” This is how projects like the Textbook for Success, the Kitbot on Steroids, the Simphone App and the Degrassi episodes came about. We wanted to make people feel the “Simbot Effect”
This award wouldn’t have been possible without the support of so many teams and individuals from the FIRST community. I’m hesitant to mention anyone here, as I know I’m going to inadvertently leave some key people out, but here it goes.
The Hall of Fame teams who have been helping, inspiring and supporting us over the years: 16, 103, 254, 67, 111, 365, 341 & 359. Each one of these teams has mentored us and showed us what it takes to become a Hall of Fame team. Every year at the Championship they’ve always been there to review our presentation, give us feedback and to show us what we can do better. These teams, along with the rest of the Hall of Fame are absolutely the real, and we’re humbled beyond all belief to be joining them. It’s honour just to think about. Within these teams there have been some specific individuals who’ve given their time and input to make 1114 the best team possible, both on and off the field. These people are the true rock stars in FIRST, and I hope that everyone reading this takes the time to meet these people and learn from them. They include: The Novak family, The Beck family, Jason Morrella, Dennis Jenks, EJ Sabathia, Cory McBride, Pat Fairbank, Adam Freeman, Dave Verbrugge, Walt Hickok, Raul Olivera, Mike Soukup, Dave Scheck, Dave Flowerday, Alyssa Zielinski, John Larock, Al Ostrow, Jared Russel, Kirsten Richardson and Glenn Lee.
Of course it’s more than just the Hall of Fame teams. Locally we’ve worked with so many teams who have been incredibly supportive of us through our journey. Teams like: 188, 610, 771, 781, 1219, 1241, 1334, 1503, 1547, 2200, 2702, 2809, 2852, 3161, 3683, 3756, 4039, 4334. Our judges booklet is filled with letters from these Canadian teams and more. We’ve been to glad to assist and guide you over the years and are immensely proud to be part of FIRST Robotics Canada community with you. There was a time when FIRST teams in Canada were seen as a joke or as inferior. Those days are long over.
It would be impossible for me to thank everyone I want to thank in regards to this award, but there are some special individuals and teams who absolutely need to be thanked publicly.
The Team 188 alumni - People like Shankar Manoharan, Adam McLeod, Jeff Li and Diriye Hassan. Whenever we needed an extra set of eyes to review a submission or an opinion on anything, you guys were there. You're welcome to run with the Simbots any time, any place.
Rich Kressly – In 2006 we sensed we were close to possibly winning a Regional Chairman’s Award, but we didn’t quite know how to most effectively tell our story. I sought Rich’s guidance, and he was a true oasis for us. He took the time to answer every question we have and constantly made suggestions, guiding us in the right direction. Since then, Rich has acted as a consultant on every 1114 Chairman’s submission. His impact cannot be measured. Thank you to a pillar of the STEM education community and an amazing friend.
Team 2056 – The relationship between our teams is simply unparalleled. Some days it’s easy to forget that we actually are two separate teams. Our students are almost interchangeable. When our name was announced as winners of the Chairman’s award, both of our teams reacted and celebrated in the same way. It was a sight to behold. Thank you for everything. I hope that one day you’ll be by our side in a new location, the FIRST Hall of Fame.
Steve Rourke – When I dreamt of this day, I always assumed you’d be leading the celebration and providing your words of wisdom. It’s been incredibly hard since you passed, but we’ve done everything we can to live up to your legacy. You are the reason Simbotics is what we are today, and this award belongs to you. RIP
And finally, on personal note, I need to thank the one person who stood beside me for almost 5 years of this journey. This award belongs to you as much as it does to anyone. You were my guiding light, my inspiration, my sage and the keeper of my heart. Thank you for everything, my princess. I hope I’ve made you proud.
----
"
Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we will not catch it, because nothing is perfect. But we are going to relentlessly chase it, because in the process we will catch excellence. I am not remotely interested in just being good." - Vince Lombardi
Winning this award was more than about the 2012 season. It’s a celebration of the culmination of 10 years of efforts by our team. We’ve been chasing perfection since 2003 in the hopes of catching excellence. We are changing culture and we will continue to try and change the world. People often ask me what makes Simbotics special. I always respond with the same answer: family. Our team isn’t a group of individuals who work on robots. It’s a family, where everyone works their hardest to take care of each and look out for each other. We’ve been able to accomplish so much because we function as a unit. I consider myself to be one of the luckiest people on the planet to be part of such an amazing family. I’ve been constantly surrounded by some of the smartest, caring and hardworking people I have ever known. What’s it like to be a Simbot? “Indescribable”.
There’s so much more I could say but I think I hear the cut music playing in the background. Thank you to everyone who made this award possible, from the Judges to the FIRST Staff to all the volunteers. Thank you to everyone who has passed along their congratulations. I hope I have the opportunity to thank each and every one of you in person someday. I leave you with our Chairman’s video for you to enjoy. Our essay will be posted on our website (
www.simbotics.org) in the near future.
http://youtu.be/qFwz3FZqiuc
With much respect and humility,
- Karthik Kanagasabapathy
Lead Mentor – FIRST Team 1114
Hall of Fame Member, Class of 2012
