[Wayne TenBrink]

EJ Sabathia's ("254 Mentor Extraordinaire") appearance on FRC Game Sense Friday Finale shows why 254's appearance & ultimate success on Einstein was not an accident. If I could be so bold as to summarize some of the the discussion: They were open minded about the game and correctly identified what it would take to win. They prototyped a variety of mechanisms, not just ones that had worked in previous games. They didn't limit their efforts to simply building a robot - they focused on building alliances.They practiced on a full field with two complete alliances, not in an assist-free, defense-free vacuum. They worked with their partners in advance of their matches, rather than just talking to them. They were able to step into whatever role the alliance needed. They did the hard work on and off the field.

It is easy understand this after the fact, but figuring it out and making it happen before you see others doing it isn't so easy. The "Successful Teams in FRC History" (not just 254) are the ones that approach the game with a clear mind, have the ability to "get it right" before "right" has been defined by others, and never quit doing the hard work.