Quote:
Originally Posted by thefro526
I think the best way for us as a community to move forward is to make sure that we teach each team what FIRST is all about.
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Good thought. I would only add, 'and explore the possibilities, together.'
By teaching, we learn. By sharing, we grow. By exploring, we discover. Individual teams can do that and have done that since the beginning of FRC. There have been teams (MOE comes to mind), that have learned how to share early on and have had a huge impact.
We are seeing a remarkable occurrence with Team IFI working with each other. They began learning to share their resources and talent a while back. Now we are seeing the products of that sharing and exploration - and are consistently wowed.
When teams only think about the robot, they are not open to other opportunities. When teams don't understand the importance of the build and competition with the robot, then they aren't getting the full picture. The FRC program is a smart program. The only other program that I like as much if not more, is FLL - and for all the reasons that I love FRC: for the value and opportunities that abound for people to learn to work together and develop in areas of math, science, technology, outreach, self-worth, self-esteem, community recognition and support. It's endless. But... if we only think about the robot or ... we don't do everything we can to build a robust team and compete well - then we are cheating ourselves, our teams, our communities, and the opportunities become limited and sometimes disappear.
Sustainability is no small thing. Achieving a consistent level of sustainability is no small thing. A community of teams achieving consistent sustainability is no small thing. A region of teams achieving consistent sustainability is no small thing.
Jane