[Stu Bloom]

Sean, Cody, I am glad to see you two getting together on this.

I strongly agree with Sean's logic, and the points he makes in his posts on this subject, and I would like to add just a couple of additional comments.

I have always thought/said that FIRST is NOT about teaching/learning, but about inspiring. And whatever specific methods a team chooses to accomplish this goal are of secondary importance. That being said, I don't think there is any way a student OR mentor could participate on an FRC team and not learn a great deal. While not included in the stated goals/mission of FIRST, this is an extremely valuable side-effect of the program.

I also believe that the competitive aspect of FIRST - the opportunity to compete with your creation and win, and the desire to do so, is a huge part of what makes FIRST so special.

Besides what is printed in the rule book, there is very little in FIRST that is clearly black/white - right/wrong (and even much of the written word is often debatable) but I truly do believe that all of us mentors/teachers are involved in this endeavor for the right reasons, and as long as students are positively impacted then we are "doing good".