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Posted by Mike McIntyre.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]


Coach on team #1, Juggernaut, from Oakland Technical Center Northeast and 3 Dimensional Services.

Posted on 4/2/2000 1:17 AM MST



A few years ago I had the honor of being part of the Chairman's Award-winning Chief Delphi Team. The trip to the stage during the closing ceremonies was a real goose-bump maker; receiving a medal before 10,000 cheering fellow FIRST participants was one of the most memorable moments of my life. Last year, I watched stunned as the winners of the robotics tournament were shuffled off to a side stage to be presented their awards before a crowd of a couple dozen. This year I am a coach on one of those National Championship teams: Team #1, 3-Dimensional Services and the Oakland Technical Center Northeast (the Juggernauts). I've talked to them about that moment and they all had the same basic reaction: they were happy to have won but were hurt, stunned, and disappointed by the unceremonious handling of their accomplishment. What should have been one of the happiest moments in their lives was left a little bitter by the fact that they were practically overlooked in the evening ceremonies...and then the tournament was not even carried by ESPN, as in past years! I know that FIRST is more than just a robotics tournament, but don't we need to keep the 'R' in FIRST? I hope that FIRST and Disney don't plan to side-stage this year's winners. I, for one, would be glad to see 5 fewer minutes of fog and lasers if it would allow the champions to be properly recognized!