Quote:
Originally Posted by jijiglobe
To give an example of the amount of work that students on this team do, our CAD team does the entire robot CAD during a CAD marathon the second weekend after kickoff. This year CAD marathon lasted 36 hours with a 2 hour break after hour 20.
|
Your teams choices of how they manage their time cannot really be blamed on FIRST. This is likely not the most healthy or productive work schedule for students.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jijiglobe
My experience as president was hugely stressful, and left me in a position where I had to stop and ask myself if it was all worth it. I have to admit that this year, during build season, I wasn't really in a good place emotionally; there were just too many things to worry about, on top of my classwork.
|
This is a problem with every high school sport - albeit not always to the degree that FIRST pushes some students.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jijiglobe
On the other hand, I'm worried about the implications of this success. Is it necessary for our leaders to push themselves this hard for our team to be successful?
|
Depends on your definition of success. If your goal is Einstein every year, then you should look at teams that do that and how they manage their workload and resources.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jijiglobe
I have met many students (from my own team, as well as others) that let their grades suffer for their team.
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by jijiglobe
Of course it's not FIRST's fault that these types of situations arise, however I think it is important that they are talked about, and that FIRST does their best to address these problems.
|
This should be the student's and the team's problem. Not FIRST's. Think of every football player who got pulled from the starting spot because his grades slipped. This is no different.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jijiglobe
Finally I would like to talk about competitions. Competitions provide an environment that implicitly encourages unhealthy behavior. Competitions start early, and end late. If you account for a healthy breakfast and dinner, this means that students often get 4-6 hours of sleep on competition nights, when they have to go work themselves to the point of exhaustion. Furthermore, at competitions, I have found it hard to allocate time to eat lunch. Lunch breaks (especially on the day of eliminations) tend to be exceedingly short, and that time is often necessary to systems-check the robot, and make repairs. Taking a lunch break, puts you at a competitive disadvantage, and don't even get me started on Einstein. If your team makes it to Einstein, you don't get a lunch break; You need to haul yourself and your pit over to Einstein field to get ready for opening ceremonies. I'm reluctant to say it, but I think FIRST should close pits during lunch, for the sake of ensuring that students eat.
|
Agree with what's been said so far with regard to sleep. I get 7 hours of sleep on competition days and I usually go out with the mentors to do non student activities after competition. Yes they are long days. That prepares you for life too, I've had to work worse hours than FIRST competition hours.
Food breaks I agree with you. This was particularly bad at MI State Champs this year. Elims started at 2 and ended at 10 with no dinner break. I agree mentors should make sure students get food - that is one of our responsibilities, but it's tough when they're all in the stands for literally 8 hours.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jijiglobe
tl;dr: FIRST places a huge burden on students that can sometimes have negative effects on grades and health. Lunch breaks encourage students to skip meals, and airplanes on Einstein are dangerous |
tl;dr
Every sport is tough - so is life.
I like lunch too.
Meh, wear safety glasses.