[kevincrispie]

Just as the championship this year was a learning experience for the students and teams, it also served as a potential learning experience for FIRST.

FIRST is not perfect. Don't get me wrong, I was very disappointed about what happened on Einstein this year, but the fact remains that FIRST is far from being the complete organization that many want it to be. In order to better the situation, FIRST, if they have not already, should embrace the notion of continuous improvement already exemplified by teams in its organization.

We all can learn form our mistakes, and FIRST is no different. Perhaps the reason why so many people are angered by the field issues is that we all have seen them play out all season, and on FIRST's biggest stage, Einstein, where the best and most inspiring teams in the world face off, the issues were significantly magnified. This, to me, is the signature issue. If FIRST wants STEM to be exciting and inspiring, they need to find a way to make more robots run, shoot, and score. There is little more uninspiring than toiling on a robot for 6 action filled weeks, working hard to earn a spot a championship, doing well, only to see your robot motionless on the field.

What's done is done. We cannot change the past. What we can do, however, is look to our future. The teams affected by communications issues should know that they are solid, if not amazing teams. Any team that had communication issues that may have affected their performance should come out fighting next year, and give the rest of the teams all they can handle in their quest for Einstein.

We all can learn. Even FIRST. Here's to the continuous improvement of the entire FIRST community--the students, mentors, sponsors, and yes, even the whole national organization itself.

-Kevin