[Specialagentjim]

Originally Posted by Sean Schuff

My first event was the 2000 Midwest Regional.

I had spent the entire season merely observing our team in action - throughout the build and into the competition season. I was a VERY green teacher mentor (the only one on the team) and just wanted to see what this whole FIRST thing was all about. Being a rookie on the team, I didn't want to mess anything up either!

Along comes the Midwest Regional and I am thrown directly from the realm of "see what FIRST is" to the "experience what FIRST is." What an overwhelming experience! I remember some awesome robots like CD and their swerve drive. I could not fathom a robot moving so quickly and effortlessly to the other side of the field, pick up 6 balls and deposit them in the trough! WOW! I also remember the Technokats and Wildstang - the best teams seem to stand out in your mind. So elegant and functional!

My most memorable competition experience from that first year was the championship finals at Epcot. Team 25 had an amazing robot that had the ability to steal balls from their opponents trough and put it in theirs. I realized then that game strategy is EVERYTHING! Some incredible, down-to-the-wire matches!

The rest is history and here I am today - still hooked!

Sean

I had almost the same experience, but at the 2000 Florida Regional, then held at Kennedy Space Center. That regional was incredible, fields in the rocket garden and team party in the Saturn V building.

When I saw that cherry picker robot in the last 30 seconds bring out its secret claw and start stealing balls from the other trough, I knew I was hooked.