[Tetraman]

I've got some time on my hands...so I wrote a book:

So 174 was never really a team, just a rag-tag group of friends that all knew each other. Some students would get into serious fights and some of us did very un-FIRST things most of the time. We really didn't live up to the whole 'GP' thing. It was my senior year, and most of the rest of the team was having this year be the last year. The game was Tripple Play and we really worked hard to make a powerful robot. But all of us wern't really together, we didn't have that much spirit - we just wanted a good year.

We went to the first FLR and we did a really good job getting picked by 8th seeded 141 in the elims and fighting one of the hardest fights of our FIRST lives. I was the Human Player, and to keep within the theme of Tripple Play took on a Tri-corner hat to wear.

After a very sucessful showing at FLR, we were all pumped for Buckeye and we couldn't wait to get to that field. The bus ride there was filled with an electricity and we all felt it. Before anyone even sat down that Thusday - RIGHT out of the 6 hour bus ride - everyone was cheering when the robot was just about ready to take the field. I got down to my Human Player position and with a flag I made I got the entire team to shout like a director of a chior. It didn't matter if we won or lost, each time my friends would get on their feet and shout a the top of their lungs.

There was one moment where the DJ started to play YMCA, and the MC called out for someone to get the judges to stand up and dance. Well...I called them all to this duty. As I danced along side one of the judges, he turned to me and said "Are you a Senior?" I answered yes. He said, "You really want this don't you?" I shook my head and pointed at my team that was up in the stands dancing, "They really need this." The look that judge gave me was probably the first time someone ever looked at me like I was were I meant to be.

We got into Elims as a Seeded team for the first time, though we didn't make it past quarters (A good memory though, as we were beaten by a rookie team #1511).

I was feeling really sick after all the excitement, and went to the First Aid room to rest away from all the action while the rest of elims were going on. I had a really amazing conversation with the nurse that was attending the first aid room about how much FIRST means to me and all that. One of 174's mentors took me back to the bleachers just before awards, and I sat though each one. To be honest, I completely forgot about the Team Spirit award and just as the MC started talking my heart just jumpped.

I don't know how to explain the feeling. It was like everything that was ever wrong just became right. Everything that all of us ever did to each other to make us seem less and less like a team - gone. The fights - gone. The anger and gossip - gone. The MC read off "The winner of the Team Spirit award.... Team 1 -- 7 -- 4. The Arctic Warriors" And wow, I can't even tell you. I kinda didn't want to believe it, but thats what it was. I had my arms up to the sky with tears in my eyes just like all the other team mates beside me. I was so late getting down to the stage and I slapped each Judges hand really hard giving a quick but so grateful thank you.

I walked over to where someone was taking pictures and another mentor gave me one of the trophys and I held it up high with a shout to my team who huddled around.

As we walked back up to the stands some guy looked at me all crying and seriously shaking, he goes "Yo man, you look like you just won the Chairmans award!" I kinda laughed and said "Yea, we won the most important award in FIRST." Obviously the guy didn't get it. I mean we only won the Team Spirit award..."But thats the thing. We are finally called a team."

We won the Buckeye the next year when I mentored them, 174's first regional win....doesn't even come close to winning a simple Team Spirit award.