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I tell them it's kinda like a bunch of other non-contact competitive sports while waxing philosophy... golf, long jump, gymnastics, pole-vaulting, ring toss, javelin throw... You are trying to perform from a rehearsed routine and trying to achieve perfection... You are competing with yourself - it's like life, etc. etc.

I've said this same in other threads. This year is a tough sell for my sponsors and parents. The students get it, they build the robot, they have a competition to get ready for. They are ready to celebrate Robotics and Science and Engineering and GP with all of the other teams. It will be fun. But I also have to be able to sell it to their parents - so that they don't yank the students and put them into something else. I have to be able to sell it to my sponsors - most of these guys/gals get sports easy - I can sell them Frisbee, Basketball, Soccer, Nascar.

GDC has a tough job to do and they get beat up for it - it's a thankless job that is sometimes under-appreciated. And yes, it's my job to sell my team and to get "mo money" so that the team can continue to build robots, build leaders. I feel like I'm apologizing or just plain making excuses this year.

Look, it's a hard hill to climb to get people to understand FIRST - every single year. Some years, it's easier. I can just yell "Basketball" and eyes will light up rightaway.

It just feels like a bigger hill to climb this year.