[JaneYoung]

I've always hoped to see more teams get involved in both programs. They each provide excellent opportunities. One point that I would stress is that BEST is not FIRST and FIRST is not BEST. That would need to be fully understood and respected by teams that participate in each program.

Further thought - many teams that only compete in FRC, spend time organizing and jelling as a team during the FRC build/competition season. Competing in BEST helps with that in some ways. Not all of our students participate in BEST and not all of our students participate in FIRST, but enough do to help us identify what we need to work on and tweak as we move into the FRC season. Also, over time, we have developed into a team that is year round - spending our off season from BEST and FIRST on fundraising, outreach, and working on team organization/management. What we have to watch for is burnout. For LASA Robotics, both competitions demand the best the team has to offer in several areas, not just the robot competition. Constantly working to improve and develop is challenging, exciting, and draining. So, we watch for that and try to keep everything in perspective, setting realistic goals. Dream big yet have a respect for reality - finding that balance.

Jane