[JustAThought]

The point I am trying to make is that kids should not be turned away from FIRST. I have had multiple people I know go through the same thing, and it has now finally got me to the point of wondering,"Why?"

Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.

Above is the mission statement that is posted on the FIRST website. If you notice, self-confidence is involved in it. I don't know about you, but being turned down from a team is not that great at building self-confidence.