My first FIRST competition was the very first FLL event held in Plymouth, Mass. way back in the fall of 1998. Experience: well, there were only about 15 teams of about four students each (this was the year before its inaugural year when they were testing the whole FLL concept), but the place was packed with parents, family, and whatnot (keep in mind this was when I was in the eigth grade and we needed parents to drive). It was quite loud. The game that year was a small mazeish like field were there were three routes, and you could take the short route with the hazard of falling off, the medium route with the hazard of being caught agaist some 1/4" bamboo sticks around the edge of a circular turn, or the long route, where the only hazard was leaving the field if you weren't straight (and it was longer). My team did okay, but didn't make the playoffs. Oh, and I carried the Rhode Island flag during the opening ceremonies
. It was all fun: the game, the pit area, watching other robots, even the postgame conversation on the 2 hour ride home. And I had just turned 13 at the time, so it ranked up there on my list of good times.