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Posted by Joe Ross.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]


Coach on team #330, Beach Bot 2000, from Hope Chapel Academy and NASA/JPL & J&F Machine.

Posted on 4/15/2000 12:03 AM MST


In Reply to: The Transition posted by Kate on 4/14/2000 12:52 PM MST:



Unlike, the rest of your stories, even though I transitioned from high scool to college, I never changed teams. I could have gone to college just about anywhere I had wanted but I chose to go to our local community college where I knew I could get a quality 2 years of education before transfering.

This meant that I was able to stay on as a coach to my old team, 330. The hardest part, like Nate said, was not jumping in and doing everything. I had played pivotal roles on the rules, scouting, strategy teams, as well as being in charge of electrical and controls. I had to learn to keep my hands out and encourage the students to get in and do it theirselves.

There were times that I still got do many of the things that I used to do, like at the West Coast regional, when the control program didn't work and everyone had thrown up their hands, I jumped in a got it working. But, for the most part I tried to limit my involvement when the students could do the same job.

My hardest part came when I realized that I wouldn't be able to go to Florida. Because the Ames regional was just the week before Florida I knew that I couldn't miss 6 days of class in just 2 weeks. I watched the matches on the Internet and cheered just as loudly as my teamates 3000 miles away, but it wasn't the same not being able to interact with the rest of the great teams.

I guess the real reason I wrote this was to remind all the seniors graduating this year that they don't need to forget their old team. And based on the stories I am reading here, it may be easier to stay involved at home (unless you are brave enough to start your own team).

Joe Ross
Team 330
El Camino Community College