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Re: How do you keep your FIRST team a TEAM?
Might I add Lego League? Getting the young kids involved is a BIG DEAL. I can vouch for it as a witness. I was on a lego league team and for 2 years I had heard about "big robotics". I couldn't wait to be a part of it. Now... I'm our student team leader and robot operator. In fact our entire drive team this year was on the very first FLL team we had at our middle school. Being in FLL got me (and others) VERY excited about FIRST and everything it stood for. I encourage you to mentor a lego league team in your area. If there isn't one, start one! Seeing the kids get excited the same way I did four years ago is a great thing. You'll get a lot of hard working students out of that... and they WANT to learn.
As for keeping your team together NOW... that is a different story. A lot of times I think kids will either quit or come in late because they feel like they're working for nothing. When you've never experienced a competition before it's really hard to know what to expect. When you go to the competitions, you realize what all your hard work and dedication was for. The competitions are a real reward. That's one thing I emphasized this year for all the newbies, that they WILL NOT be dissappointed. For team spirit and such, i suggest pep talks. It's almost like a pep rally before the competition. Team spirit at the meetings doesn't hurt either. Get pumped! Get excited! FIRST is the thrill of a lifetime! (and don't be afraid to be cheesy... cheesy is cool in robotics)
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Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.
Leadership is an opportunity to serve. It is not a trumpet call to self-importance.
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
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