[sanddrag]

Here's my problem that is the underlying issue of this situation and others. While it is true the main purpose of FIRST is to improve our futures and the future of the world, the main thing that helps us do that are the robots. Without the robots, none of us would be here. They are the attracting force that brings us all together. This is a robot building competition. If it weren't, they wouldn't give awards and trophies for it.

We can put together the kit of parts robot and become perfect gracious professionalists without spending a dime. We can drive that robot at school, and save $6000 and not enter a competition, and just go to watch other teams compete, and still be proud of ourselves, and graduate our high school seniors as better citizens than they once were. We can spark a flame in a child's eye with a popsicle stick bridge building competition. I'd bet we could just read "Code Name Ginger" and become better people.

But the truth is we don't. We don't spend months fundraising to just become better people. We don't leave our families behind to become better people. We don't stay awake into the early hours of the morning to become better people. We don't sacrifice our entire lives to not care about the outcome at the regional. We don't sacrifice our personal health to become better people. We do it for the robots; we do it to win. This is a competition, not an exhibition. In a competition, the goal is to win. If you are not trying to win, you are not competing.

We can become better people without all that. But this is a competition. We play our hardest match every match. We put dollars and hours into doing everything humanly possible to win. Why? Because winning is inspirational. Working hard to pursue the goal of winning is inspirational.

We play to win and I'm not afraid to say so. We become better people in the process. This is about passion. Unfortunately, among many teams, it seems to be dwindling.