My first FIRST competition was this year...
Wow, it's only been a year. Technically, my first competition was an local off-season called Duel on the Delaware, but that one didn't go very well. There were very few senior members to show us the ropes, so us freshmen just kind of sat around and didn't understand what all the weird pyramids were for. So I will tell you about my second competition, and first true FIRST experience. It was Ramp Riot, another off-season competition. This time, I understood what was going on with the games. Not only that, but there were more members up in the stands that... forcefully... convinced us that cheering was a good thing. At least, they convinced me and some of my friends. Where before there was boredom and lack of understanding, suddenly I saw why competitions would be fun. Not to sound corny or anything, but it brought a side out of me that I used to never show people in public. I danced, cheered, screamed, and had a blast. I could barely talk afterwards, and I was very sore from all the dancing, but I had made some great friends and helped win us the Spirit Award. Ever since, the fire has been lit, and I've loved FIRST and all it stands for.