[IronicDeadBird]

I'm just going to be jumping all over the place so sorry if you get lost in dyslexic translation.

One lesson that I feel is applicable outside of STEAM (STEAM) and FRC is that in the real world, when you need a wagon you don't need to invent a wheel because it has already been done. Humanity has built upon itself and made advances because it utilizes what we have learned.
Also generalizing mistakes like that is risky bidnizz. After seeing students struggle to raise money if a proposed idea for a robot is a flat waste of money I'm not going to back the idea.
You can absolutely buy a robot which looks like it can compete, but that won't be seen until competition. Even then just because you have a competition ready robot doesn't mean you will actually win. I am not going to discourage teams from using COTS parts, but if you do go into competition with a Kit Rhino with grabber and you plan on winning then you better find a way to stand out in case you aren't a captain of an alliance. Some teams will fail to realize this and while they will come to competition people will find that will they might have a robot that gets the job done, its utilization on the floor is its only really "valued" depending upon exactly how many other identical robots are out there.
From my short time in FRC and on Chief Delphi I have come to the conclusion that the "Spirit of First" is whatever reasons someone has for joining it. Some people like seeing the glow of joy in a students eye, some people like the environment, some people like giving back to the community. FIRST robotics is amazing because of all the random things you can learn and take away from it. I just feel this is just another instance of something that happens often in the real world that also crops up in FRC. I wouldn't fight it I would just take the time to show students that this is sometimes the way of the world, and while I don't always agree with the world I still have to live with it.

I won't lie it is a mixed bag completely, but it tracking what sells out has made my life easier in the scout department.