Quote:
Originally Posted by kramarczyk
I concur.
The robot is still the vehicle that this program uses to foster inspiration. Continually saying it is not about the robot starts to sound like 'the robot is not important', which I don't believe to be true. As was also pointed out earlier, the CA candidates are succeeding both on the field and in the presentation room. All of the District CA candidates qualified not only for the State Championship, but also for the World Championship. I'm just not seeing any disservice being done to the CA teams. All of this discussion makes me wonder why people are trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist. I thought that was exactly the kind of behavior that kept us from getting the important stuff done.
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Wisdom.
There shouldn't be division between robot and Chairman's in the manner being discussed. All the facets of the FIRST competitions enhance and contribute to the competition. They also help students and mentors develop parts of themselves that were laying dormant, awaiting an opportunity to be discovered and realized. This is made of win. (Don't believe me? Volunteer at an FLL event and watch those students shine as they prepare for the judging aspect of the competition. Look at their preparation and their enthusiasm and be prepared to be inspired, yourself.)
If FIRST is going to depend on the teams and their leadership to help build the roads that FRC is going to travel, then the leadership of the teams has to find ways to be supportive of the whole picture and each other, building networks. The big picture that many teams strive towards - supporting the robot competition, the Chairman's Award and the other awards, along with pulling off an event of high caliber and integrity - showcasing excellence.
Talent and skill comes in every shape and form and non-engineering mentors, working alongside and with, the engineering and technical mentors, can provide terrific opportunities. We can be role models in this, working together and respecting each other. In CD we have spent a great deal of time discussing the value of the technical side of things and it easily shows itself on the field. The non-technical side of things shows itself on the field (by how teams conduct themselves) and in other areas of the competition. They each are facets/parts of the same competition and should be respected as such. If teams just want to build the robot and compete with the robot, that's fine. In my opinion, they are missing golden opportunities to celebrate and more fully understand what it means to be an FRC team, but it is just fine.
I agree with Mark, I don't really think there is a problem.
There shouldn't be.