[Amanda Aldridge]

My freshman year in HS I wasn't on the team for a couple of reasons A) I had soooo many other things going on, and B) at that time, word about the team was mainly spread by former/returning team members from each HS (4 HS team) and there was only one from my school, so I didn't really know that much about it.

Anyway, my mom worked in the office at the BOE that supervised Hammond's FIRST team and she dragged me out of bed one Saturday morning (much to my dismay, might I add!) to drive up to Evanston to see the Midwest regional. The team totally treated me like I belonged, even though I didn't, and I was hooked. That year I ended up going to IRI with the team, and, literally on the spur of the moment, I also traveled that summer to the Baxter Ozark Mountain Brawl (great off-season comp, btw....wish it still existed) with the team. My family was responsible for my hotel stay and, I believe, a bus fee, but the team always treated me like I belonged, and that was one of the major things that drew me to FIRST.

The next year I joined the team and I've been involved in FIRST in some way or another ever since. So, if you don't have another team around that you can invite people from, it's also a great consideration to invite other people from your high school(s) who may not know what FIRST is all about, with the goal of maybe recruiting for next year's team.