[ChrisH]

One thing that we have done over the years is at the end of every season we have what we once called "Pluses and Deltas". A time for the team to reflect on the year past and evaluate what worked and what needs to change.

Last year for the first time we did this as separate groups. Students in one group (led by our youngest mentor, who was driving the previous year) and mentors in another. We mentors felt we got better feedback when the students knew their responses would not be identified by individual. This process will result in some significant changes this season. Both groups highlighted many of the same issues.

Another thing we have tried to emphasize is that the key to a good robot is good requirements, and that if you build a robot that meets all requirements you win, in a sense, before you even take the field, because you have met all your goals. The playing field is where you figure out if your goals were the right ones or were set high enough.