[kgalea]

Being a "small" team with limited mentor resources, I have witnessed MANY!

1st - at Centerline, several teams including 1189 and 217 jumped in and helped us help the rookie team we had been mentoring throughout the season. They had inadvertently built their frame too large, and these teams sent representatives to help rebuild this rookie team's robot and help them build their bumpers. They completed the inspection process in time to play their first match because of everyone's efforts.

2nd - at our second event - Bedford - ("our rookie team's" third event) team 68 loaned a couple of team members to the rookie team since all but one of the rookie team's members had left the program (they only started with three). This allowed my team to keep the members we needed for scouting and allowed our rookie team to have enough people to man the drive team. The rookie team ended up winning the judges award and highest rookie seed at Bedford.

3rd - this was our first time competing at MSC since our rookie season (2010), and on Thursday, I (a non-engineering mentor) was the only mentor/coach present during the day. Team 3539 mentors and students worked feverishly and at length to help my sophomore programmer resolve some issues that arose after the team re-calibrated our talon motor controllers. They missed their lunch break and took time away from their team to help us. My programmer learned so much thanks to their guidance. In addition, 3539 continuously checked in with our team to make sure things were still going well once we resolved our issues.

We have had numerous teams help by loaning us anything from Velcro to joysticks, and we always try to return the favor when we are capable. The sense of cooperation and everyone's willingness to help each other out/cheer each other on is one of my favorite parts of being involved in FIRST! Together Everyone Achieves More!