[ebarker]

Try this on for size.

Our team is currently building robot. The mission and parameters are entirely of our own choosing. This exercise give students an opportunity to learn, solve, create. This robot doesn't have anything to do directly with the competition robot.

Engineering, like practicing piano, the more you practice, the better you get.

Go ahead and spend all year developing manipulator arms, or whatever. When the season starts you will be in much better shape to design and build one from scratch. Just make sure you are starting from scratch.