[kevincrispie]

Perhaps one of the most important attributes a team or team members can have is hustle. I distinctly remember the Silicon Valley Regional in 2013 and being impressed by the hustle and determination of the students on 973. Even though there weren't many of them, each student went the extra mile to make sure that 973 was a highly competitive team. It was quite inspirational. They certainly live up to the slogan that is printed on their shirts, "Outwork us".

Successful teams that I've encountered have creative, focused, and hardworking students. They have the ability to overcome obstacles. Many currently successful teams weren't always successful, and worked very hard to get to where they are today. I know that's true of my team and other multiple regional winning teams, and it's a continuous effort to keep improving and figure out ways to run our team.

All these traits are achievable in any FIRST team, regardless of their size or resources. I don't just look at great teams's robots when I go to competitions, I look at the kids working and I try to figure out what makes a team go.