[JGecko146]

I’m not saying you have to hang on Dean’s every word. I’ve heard Dean’s FIRST speeches since 1996 and still enjoy them but I understand this may not be the case for everyone. However by the time you reach high school you should know how to sit still for a few minutes and listen to someone speak. It’s a matter of respect. Whether you find Dean fascinating or boring, he’s the founder of FIRST and he deserves our respect. If your football coach or dance instructor or boss were speaking to your group and you were playing a game chances are they would find that completely unacceptable, so why should FIRST be any different.

If the kids were in fact friends of team members and not on the team themselves, then they still need to realize that once you put on a team shirt you will be seen by others as being on the team. Good, bad or indifferent unless you are clearly under the age range, let’s say six years old, people will guess you’re on the team.

I’m not trying to bash these kids, I’m just making the point that this does happen. I wish it was the first time I’d seen something like this, but it’s not. Maybe I look at the world of FIRST differently because I’ve seen it change my life and the lives of countless other people around me. To each his or her own. All I’m saying is that gracious professionalism is not something you turn on and off based on your interest level in what is going on around you.