[Robocat1]

For our first 2-3 years Team 379, the Robocats, just kinda sat there, trying to figure it all out.
After some success, and a little (very little) cheering, we reached a Pittsburgh Regional where our robot just wasn't going to run!
I told our team: "We can either sit here and pout for two days, or we can get up, dance, cheer, and have fun." They took it from there (and won the Sportsmanship Award, although that wasn't the goal, it was a truly unexpected surprise).

And that's what we've done ever since. It just happened. Now we encourage it because it was a good thing because everyone had a great time!

Yes, our mentors do encourage cheering for others and yes, we do teach "dances" at summer camp. Its not all about robots. I now see students who used to just sit quietly during the entire 3-day competition dancing between matches and shaking the pom-poms and towels for matches. Some students who I thought I could never get excited about anything are now the first to stand, cheer or dance! Who would have thought that!? They've been exposed not only to engineering and technology (and don't forget language arts), but to spirit and fun!

And when they're so exhausted from the day's activities that they want to be "checked in" for lights out in their hotel room before the scheduled lights out time, I know they've had a good, fun, memorable day! I couldn't ask for anything more.

We usually do try to sit at the back, but this doesn't always happen. Its then that I find myself telling the team to sit down, and I feel bad doing so. But then again, they're learning courtesy. Its a very gray line, and hard to decide which side to be on, but this thread helps to see it from others' points of view - thanks!