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Originally Posted by Koko Ed
I don't see any choices for preparation or dedication. Those take a team a whole lot further than any of those things listed.
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Originally Posted by Darkseer54
I'd say that Preparation and Dedication earn teams every one of the things listed. Having a few students who are dedicated will inspire mentors to dedicate their time and effort to assist them achieve their goals, and these mentors will in turn inspire more students to be dedicated. Having students and mentors who are willing to learn and work to succeed is what allows them to succeed.
EDIT: Gonna add a bit more to this as I have more time now. One thing I have noticed over the past few years is that the teams that succeed on a large level do is take the competition aspect extremely seriously. As 254 stated (don't remember where), they (and all these successful teams) strive to be in the top 1% of all FRC teams. These teams work to win, and are driven to do so.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Caleb Sykes
From what I have seen, the mentors and students on "high-quality" teams spend 20+ hours per week, in and out of build season, dedicated to robotics. The "powerhouse" teams have students and mentors who spend 40+ hours per week dedicated to robotics.
Teams that are willing to put in this much effort have almost no difficulty achieving anything/everything on that list.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Karthik
Culture, leadership, passion.
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Everyone hit the nail on the head with these responses, in my mind... The survey points to a bunch of "effects" of having a good team. The "cause" of all those resources (build space, machine shop, large budget, etc.) is having a passionate team. This should really include a dedicated group of students, some committed mentors, and hopefully also school, sponsor and/or parent support.
Now, if you see yourself as a passionate, dedicated team that is willing to roll up their sleeves and put in the serious work of 'raising the bar' on your team, then we can provide some advice there too... As two top-level pieces of advice, I'd say:
1) Be strategic. Decide what your goals are and pursue them. Maybe this is "impacting students lives, skills, and perception of STEM," maybe this is on-field success, maybe this is effecting change in your community, or maybe it's something else. Be specific with these where you can... Also, aim high, but also be realistic. If you want on-field success, maybe target 'being on Einstein' in 5-years, but first target consistently making it into Saturday afternoon or consistently playing in the Finals. If you can't make a robot that will frequently make it to the Finals at your Regionals or Districts, then it's very unlikely you'll make it onto Einstein. Once you have your goal(s), then make your roadmap (HOW you plan to make yourself successful in that area).
2) Be relentless. This will require hard-work, good decision-making, an attitude of constant improvement, and at least a little bit of "luck." Don't settle for something that "kind of works," make it highly effective.
I think the three quotes in my signature accurately summarize my advice in general on 'how to be successful.'