[archiver]

Posted by nick237 at 04/12/2001 8:35 PM EST


Engineer on team #237, sie h2o bots, from Watertown high school ct and sieman co.


In Reply to: No more adult coaches
Posted by julia walsh on 04/12/2001 8:02 AM EST:



After reading all the post below I came to this conclusion...
This year we had the same three students on stage, two drivers and the human player. We had Four coaches and we each took turns to enjoy the game on stage, so the students had more stage time than the adults.
Prior to the start of each game while waitting in the wings our team went up and down all the other teams and said that if we were alied with you this is what we can do, then we asked what they could do.
One game we were teamed up with three rookies and as it was only the second game they looked at us wide eyed. The students in our team said if you can do this then we can do that??? The result was our 2nd highest score of the week end. During our 6th game a student on another team told our driver to follow behind the first bot over the ramp and as soon as he drove off then for us to back up and reset the ramp for the 3rd robot, this was an amazing sugestion and I wondered why I had not thought of this time saving manuver my self. this game was our best in the competition.
We had an great team of students and adults and even in this amazing team we had good and " not so good ". The students earned thier place on the stage as did the adults and to take away the thrill of being a continued part of the construction proccess would reduce the motivation for many.
When many of the students during the building period are asleep in their beds because they have school the next morning, many of the adults are diligently working all night hard on the robot and then they would go directly to work for another 8 hours in the morning.
There were students who would have stood side by side and hour by hour with the adults but the school set rules and we had to send them home by 10pm.
Student learn from the adults but the adults equaly learn from the students, its this interaction that must be preserved.
To all you students who believe that adults should not be part of the magical moment think before firing us, were all kids at heart.
Thanks for listening.
nick. a 200lbs 53 year old adult student.





: XCATS -#191- have had only student coaches for the last 3 years. You have to qualify and it is usually seniors.
: With the heartbreak this year, of adults pushing the red button, I think we should think seriously about all student coaches for next year.
: Perhaps only rookie teams could have one adult coach.

: After all who's competition is this anyway??