[ngreen]

I have to defend the rookies. Last year I personally saw more rookies who could stack than veteran teams. Veteran autonomous was generally better though, even though my team miss getting up the ramp only twice during the championship (once we got ran into by a veteran alliance member, and the other using a loaned battery with a bad cell). As rookies last year my team was able to win 4 awards at LSR (championship, rookie all-star, quality, and team spirit) and national all-star. Granted my team had several great mentor teams and very devoted mentors, even though only two of the eight were engineers. Rookies have the ability to do some of the things that even veteran can't, thinking outside the box and this competition. My team hosted a robotic LEGO daycamp for elementary students a couple Saturday ago and on of our mentor mentions tonight how it was great to work with them because they don't know about the box. I think the 225 rookie team will have something to show this year, and if not, I count on all the veterans to be their to help.