[MCarron]

First off let me just say that team #11 MORT is one of the most respected teams in FRC history. I know team #343 looks to teams such as yours along with teams like 25, 71, 103, 111, 118, 217, etc as our role models. We see you guys field a competitive robot along with a very solid and dynamic team every year. That in and of itself is a HUGE accomplishement. There have been many teams that have come and gone over the years and yet you guys serve as a cornerstone for our sport.

I know we have had our share of good on field performance and recognition, maybe more than we deserve sometimes, but we have also felt the same level of dissapointment as you have. Not being picked when you think you have a great machine is as much about the pride of the machine as it is seeing the dissapointment of the students.

What I have always preached to our team is that FIRST is a family. We all work together to achieve a higher goal. Our small contribution is just a single cog in the machine. We have so many friends in FIRST that there is always somebody who you can go root for. Teams that we have mentored, friendly teams that we have met, people we have been to "battle" with, they all allow us to live vicariously through them for that particular event should we not be fortunate enough to play.

Not being picked is an unfortuante microcosm of life. It's a good experience for these young people to deal with. Being gracious when things don't go as planned is the most valuable lesson in life. How you deal with that dictates how successful you will be in the future. Successful people use setbacks as fuel to drive them to the next level. As a mentor use this opportunity to teach them what to do next.

Just my $.02 worth, hope it wasn't too wordy. Keep the faith my friend you and your team are awesome!

Mike Carron
Team 343 Leadership