[ttldomination]

My ideal mentor...

works *with* students. The way I see it, we are all in this together. We're going to fail as a team; we're going to win as a team. So the ideal mentor is working with students to come up with the best solution. This can include everything from solving potential problems before students hit them to spending hours in the shop next to students. It increases morale, respect, and overall performance.

is competitive. I want the students to learn and have fun as much as possible but at a certain point we have to accept the fact that we're in a competition. As such, a quality mentor should have the same competitive drive as some of the most involved team members.

can see reason. I pride myself in the ability to think rationally under stress, and I expect my (fellow) mentors to do so as well. Often times, this ability can make the difference between a good repair and a bad repair or even a good match and a bad match.

does not necessarily have FIRST experience. Remember that all good mentors were, at one point, not involved with FRC. I've worked with quite a few mentors in my years who had zero FRC experience, but they were just nice people who wanted to play some robots.

treats robotics as a pseudo-job. The responsibility of a valuable mentor are so intense that it's really impossible to have "casual" involvement. As such, a good mentor is good about answering emails, maintaining reasonable attendance, and willing to go out of his way for the team.

knows how to be a part of the team. This is my final criteria because I've seen a few mentors who hold themselves in higher regards than students/members. This creates an atmosphere that can be awkward or way too formal. So, sometimes, throw around the occasional joke, laugh at the occasional pun, and go to the occasional team dinner. You'll have fun, but, more importantly, it will help to build a rapport with the other mentors/students.

- Sunny G.