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Unread 01-04-2009, 20:38
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Billfred Billfred is offline
...and you can't! teach! that!
FRC #5402 (Iron Kings); no team (AndyMark)
Team Role: Mentor
 
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Rookie Year: 2004
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Re: Keeping Student Interest During the Off-Sseason

You're lucky--there are well over a half-dozen off-season events within range of New Jersey. Same robots, same rules (generally--some events will drop certain irritating game rules, and most are reasonably forgiving on some robot rules), and plenty of opportunity to give your team more experience. They tend to run around $200-300 to register, and generally only take up a Saturday. A couple run before school lets out in May and early June, while several more run in the fall. Look around CD, and you'll find plenty of information on past ones.

You've already got a robot for them, but that doesn't mean you don't have things you could set your team members on. Have them throw around ways to optimize parts on the robot. Is there a more optimal way to lay our your electronics to minimize wire lengths (and thus cut weight and resistance)? Are there other ways of putting power to your wheels that may be more robust or efficient? Can you become one of those teams that can get a dump in autonomous? This is the time to explore such things. Even if we don't have to worry about rover wheels and regolith next season, a lot of the lessons will carry over.
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William "Billfred" Leverette - Gamecock/Jessica Boucher victim/Marketing & Sales Specialist at AndyMark

2004-2006: FRC 1293 (D5 Robotics) - Student, Mentor, Coach
2007-2009: FRC 1618 (Capital Robotics) - Mentor, Coach
2009-2013: FRC 2815 (Los Pollos Locos) - Mentor, Coach - Palmetto '09, Peachtree '11, Palmetto '11, Palmetto '12
2010: FRC 1398 (Keenan Robo-Raiders) - Mentor - Palmetto '10
2014-2016: FRC 4901 (Garnet Squadron) - Co-Founder and Head Bot Coach - Orlando '14, SCRIW '16
2017-: FRC 5402 (Iron Kings) - Mentor

93 events (more than will fit in a ChiefDelphi signature), 13 seasons, over 60,000 miles, and still on a mission from Bob.

Rule #1: Do not die. Rule #2: Be respectful. Rule #3: Be safe. Rule #4: Follow the handbook.
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