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Re: Gracious Professionalism
Posted by Paul Donovan.
Coach on team #296, Northern Knights, from Loyola High School and Arial Systems and Nortel Networks.
Posted on 1/12/2000 6:56 PM MST
In Reply to: Re: Gracious Professionalism posted by Lora Knepper on 1/12/2000 5:34 PM MST:
'If you truly feel this way about the game, perhaps you should step back and think about the changes in the students. Regardless of the game, it is the kids who benefit from this experience. The alliance system you hate so much, has allowed me to make friends I would have never met otherwise. You are truly missing the point of the competiton, sir, and I beg you to look in the eyes of the students on your team as they build and design in these weeks ahead. And then watch them at a competiton, watch how they cheer for their creation, the machine that they built. Is the game really that important?'
Lora, thank you for your comments, I think you have wonderful insight. This is only my second year with FIRST, and it is that ideal that keeps me involved. I coach the Senior Football team at our High School, and while I love the game, it's not the reason I coach. It's 'looking into the faces' of the players that keeps me coaching. I don't know a lot about engineering but I do know something about teams and competitions. The common goal, working toward something and overcoming hardship, discipline in the face of adversity, understanding and living within rules, personal sacrifice for the sake of others, these are the things that make a team strong, these are the things that inspire, these are the things that make FIRST a great experience - and I'm sorry for those teams that miss out on those experiences in favor of a few minutes of thrill.
Cheers, Lora and good luck in the competition!
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