[Nuttyman54]

It's not veteran status. It's not rookies status. It's infrastructure. The teams that are well organized, well directed and are set up to ensure longevity are the ones that do well.

In order to be successful, you have to learn from experience. Rookies that have experienced mentors and enthusiastic members will do well (see 1902 for a prime example).

On the flip side, veteran teams that have no continuity from year to year are going to do poorly, or have mixed results. Not having any information on past robots can be very detrimental, as the team has to re-learn all of it's previous mistakes. Team handbooks, dedicated sponsors and supportive communities are the marks of successful teams.