STEMpunk, you were awesome at Wisconsin! Can't wait to see how you grow in the future! Good luck at Championships
As for my favorite Regional Moment (I am not sure if you just meant this year, or in history? I will assume history, and if it is an incorrect assumption I can delete my post
)... It is a really close tie between two.
The first was my Freshmen year on the team (2008). Having one returning mentor, and one returning member on the team made us feel like "The Rookie Team that Wasn't". Looking back now, we really had no clue what we were doing. Oddly though, it was probably my favorite year as coach on the drive team because we really enjoyed the moment for what it was. Every match was so much fun, regardless of whether we were winning or not. Even though our robot was very simple, we were proud of what we had done and soaked in every moment of the competition. As the years have gone on our team has improved, and pressure has increased on our team to win awards and secure a ticket to Championships. I feel that it becomes easy to forget those first moments we were exposed to the pure awe that is a FIRST event and that we need to remember that simple spark.
I also could not consider a favorite moment without recalling the momentous gift my team and the Wisconsin Regional judges gave to me by nominating me for the Dean's List. As they began to announce the award, I sat comfortably in my chair at the arena completely unsuspecting, wondering what incredible actions they would describe for the two winners. At that point in my FIRST career I had accepted that our team did not get awards, and we should just be happy for what amazing accomplishments other teams make and continue aspiring to them. When they called my name, everything went blank. I could not hear anything and everything around me was incredibly surreal. Someone had to help me and point me where to go. I somehow managed to glide down to the stage (I will never know how!). Never having gone on the field to accept an award before with our team, it was truly a magical experience. I walked onto that field in front of too many people to count in a silly Burger King crown (from the team social the night before) with the largest grin my face could handle. I looked like a complete idiot, but I couldn't have been happier. I wish I had a better memory of the whole event, because it was probably one of the most momentous in my life, but everything was such a blur it is difficult to recall. All I can say is that it was such a precious gift my team gave to me, I can never thank them enough. I hope teams continue to nominate students for the Dean's List, because you never know what can happen.