Teams

[Mastervex]

I was wondering if I am on one team my schools of course. Can I switch teams if I feel there is a unfair and favortisim?? I have been wondering my coach favors another kid because his parents have more money and he's always rude???

[EricH]

There are no restrictions placed by FIRST on what team you are on. They leave it up to the teams to determine their own restrictions as to membership.

Though I do suggest trying to work it out within your own team, using other adults involved with the team to act as neutral third parties/mediators/arbitrators as needed.

[April_robo]

Usually who can join what team is restricted by the team and sometimes the school. But yes FIRST does not say you can't be on a team outside your school. If you need any additional help with this feel free to PM me.

[Mastervex]

Though I do like some of the people some great others like crap do to the fact they have more money

[Alan Anderson]

Regardless of the reason, the decision of whether you can join a team is up to the team you want to join.

[bduddy]

Before going to the drastic step of trying to find a new team, have you brought your concerns up with the coach? With your school's administration?

[who716]

there is no restriction we have two members and a mentor on our team that doesn't attend our school but are members even though there school fields a robotics team.

they disagreed with the politics and asked if they could join and we said of course.

i find that all teams have some sort of favoritism in some way or another that is part of human nature but some do a pretty good job of suppressing it.

im not ashamed to say that i sense/see favoritism on my own team, and we are considered a fair well balanced team from the outside and by others.

[GeeTwo]

I believe I understand that your school has (or at least has access to) two or more teams. At this late date, I would not attempt to switch teams this season; I am not sure if FIRST policies permit this (you'd have to check at STIMS). As far as FIRST is concerned, switching teams between years is a pretty normal thing to do, as (for example) people move or graduate from junior high to high school.

In any case, whether your school and the teams would allow you to move from one team to another is also a matter of local school and team policy. If you feel that the senior leadership (head coach/lead mentor) is part of the problem on your team, my recommendation for the first person to ask about this would be the head coach or lead mentor of the team you would be interested in joining. Even if they tell you no, they should be able to keep your query confidential. If your problem is at the "middle management" level, especially if you believe that the senior leadership is not supporting/enabling/condoning the behavior, go to your current head coach or lead mentor, as appropriate -- outside of normal team practice/build sessions. If you are already aware of other students who feel the same way, you may wish to bring your appeal together; it's a lot easier to turn a blind eye to the problem affecting one student than a problem affecting five.

Finally, understand that being a "whistle blower" is always a risk, and unless the two teams are totally independent of each other, there's probably no honest way you can request this transfer without blowing the whistle on somebody. You should be bold and courageous in taking this risk, but don't kid yourself that it is there. Of course, if your current experience is so bad that you wouldn't want to participate next year with your current team in any event, the most obvious form of "payback" is null.