[Barry Bonzack]

This is something that I have been thinking about recently as I continue my efforts to start a team at my school.

Rookie team:
Advantages:
Get to be a founder of the team, knowing what you do will stay with your school and your team for many years to come, possibly affecting many students' futures that follow.
Decide on key factors that mold the team such as name, colors, mascots, etc.
Level playing field with all students no matter what grade they are in... freshman, seniors, makes no difference.
Fewer students that knows the team even exists, meaning more hand on time for you.
Chance at going to the Championship with the Rookie All-Star award
Get to spread the values of FIRST and Gracious Professionalism to more high school students.
Disadvantages:

The unknown... Not knowing what works and what doesn't. One mistake like having a direct drive with the drill motors, and your robot is sitting in the corner all regional.
Not knowing how judging process works, and possibly come up unprepared.
Not having connections to other teams to help you out until later in the year.
Not knowing Chief Delphi exists until someone tells you about it at the regional
Community and even the school unaware of your existence, hard for recruiting and sponsorship
Sometimes drawn out conversations trying to choose simple things like team colors and name. Things like not knowing what your team number is, and waiting for registration, and other things veteran teams have already done can result in less time for offseason learning. Keeping in mind, there also was no summer workshops for a team that doesn't exist.
Even the mentors and teachers are rookies and aren't always sure what works and what doesn't.

Vet team:
Advantages:
Most likely already known in your community, helps for more sponsors.
Already have an idea of who will be on your team next year
More extra parts, and pit materials, and supplies from years past
Old robots that can be used for demonstrations for sponsorship and recruiting more students.
More opportunities to learn battle tested methods
Learn for engineers that have been in it for many years that knows all about FIRST, and tricks of the trade
Multiple regionals.

disadvantages:
The people that stick it out for many years will rise to the top (good thing) but if someone like me were to join a team with 300 kids during his junior or senior year, there’s a chance of being lost in the mix instead of a leadership position like I have now. With 300 kids, and only 4 people allowed to be drivers/human player/coach, no chance of being on the floor driving what you've built.
The best of the best win the awards to make it to championship event (again, good thing), but if you aren't a powerhouse vet, there's a chance you won't get the chairman’s or win the regional.

Help me out with more vet disadvantages; I'm sure there are more than I know.


My final decision is the Good always outweighs the bad, and I can not wait to get my team started here, and am very much hoping everything falls into place correctly. The battle with starting a team is not knowing who will be on your team, not knowing who will be your teacher sponsor, and of course some money issues. When joining a team, it is easy to take for granted that these things are already set in place. Some things like knowing you'll get to go to multiple regionals, and one doesn't have to worry about if they will have a teacher in time for registration dues or not -everyone thank your teacher sponsors next time you see them, they are good people.
Many times I wonder what it would be like to be on a powerhouse team. Like JVN said, how awesome it would be to learn from engineers like Andy Baker. I would love to be on 233 and actually build the robot in NASA facilities, what would that be like? Who would you get to meet while doing that? Heck, it would be nice just to have another student on the team that gets as excited about robotics as I do. But these are all just growing pains, and I am in hopes of what I start becoming something great, maybe not a powerhouse, but a good team nonetheless

My long long $0.02, Thanks.
Barry B.