Why are you teamless?

[Madison]

I just spent a bit of time looking through CD's membership list available here on the site and it struck me that a great number of people -- many still active on the forums -- are teamless. The first 15 pages, sorted by team number, are full of proud members of team 0000 and there are people among them who are very well regarded and well known.

So, folks, what gives? What are the reasons you' re teamless this season?

I'm curious how many people are teamless by choice and how many by circumstance and why so many of FIRST's best people are now, presumably, without a group to mentor and inspire.

I am teamless by circumstance. I have bad luck with teams, I guess, and often move from one the next after a few years. Teams in Seattle, WA are few and far between, though there seem to be few high schools without one. I have been able to find only a handful of high schools in Seattle, fewer still that I can access via transit.

So...your turn.

[Kel D]

I moved out to Arizona this past summer so that's unfortunately why I can't mentor my old team, and when I got to U of A I tried to contact people who apparently were getting meetings organized to mentor a team around Tucson, but they have not gotten back to me which is really disappointing because I really want to stay involved in FIRST. But I will keep trying, it's definitely worth it. But yeah, that is my sad tale.

Graduated from high school in 03, went back and mentored my old team last year, and now Im focusing on school and work...so no time and again im a bit burnt out from a mentoring/participating standpoint....

Oh trust me, ill still be there volunteering, but its time to focus on school

[Katie Reynolds]

I moved from Appleton, WI to Pewaukee, WI right after kickoff last year. I talked to a few local teams (namely 269 and 1259, both who were very gracious and accepting of my situation) but since I wasn't a student at their respective schools, it was hard to join a team so late in the season.

Currently, I'm teamless because I'm getting ready to go to school in Houghton, MI next semester. While MTU does sponsor a team, I'm taking the semester to focus on my schoolwork. I'll be helping out next year, though!

Originally Posted by D.J. Fluck

Graduated from high school in 03, went back and mentored my old team last year, and now Im focusing on school and work...so no time and again im a bit burnt out from a mentoring/participating standpoint....

Oh trust me, ill still be there volunteering, but its time to focus on school

Ok, so I lied....im back for more....

When I came over here to Purdue I found out about a rookie team they started and I came aboard

[UnderMyUmberlla]

there's no first team near me

[Melissa Nute]

Pure choice.

I wanted to do more than just a FIRST team my freshman year of college...so far I'm involved heavily in a community service group on campus and currently pledging for a sorority on top of having a job.

I'm planning on volunteering at BAE, UTC and the championship though.

I recently discovered there are a couple new teams in the area, so next year I may go over to help them out when I get some time.

[melitami]

Other than when I was living at home on my first co-op and needed something to do to stay sane, I haven't had time to mentor a team since I came to college. But I've volunteered at least the Philly Regional and some years the VCU regional as well, plus I've been a judge at FLL tournaments, and I founded the Drexel FIRST Robotics club (thus pairing other Drexel students up with teams to mentor). So I'm teamless in that I more do stuff for FIRST in general than one team. Though I am still on my old teams email list....

[The Dude]

maybe some people don't know how to change it, its unlikely but maybe.

[Aaron Lussier]

Well I graduated in 2003, mentored 151 in 2004. I had sort of a falling out with my old team. As hard as I tried to keep them on the right track in 2004, it didnt work. So I took a build season off to figure out what I want to do with my life, however i will be voulnteering at BAE, hopefully nats, and definetly IRI.

[David Kelly]

Good topic, M

There are a few reasons that I chose to not have a team in my profile. I am still active with Cyber Blue 234 and serve as head adviser for the web design team. I still attend demos every once in a while and I travel with the team when I can. Last year, I decided that I wanted to take a bigger role in FIRST and help our many teams and students. Some of these other roles and groups that I have chose to be part of are in the position to take some heat and controversy from many sides. I didn't think that it would be fair for Cyber Blue 234 to get associated with some decisions or positions I may chose to take. With Indiana FIRST starting to stand on its own two feet, that is going to be taking up more of my time, efforts, and target for lots of attention; both good and bad.


Sum everything up, I believe and would like to make a bigger impact in FIRST with groups that have a much larger audience than just 1 team. I still love Cyber Blue 234 and I hope that I will always be able to give some time and mentor-ship for students there now because of the opportunity I was given.

I am trying to send a positive message and attitude in FIRST, and hope that others will chose to do the same as well.

[Cory]

I am teamless by choice. Like DJ, I chose to focus on school this year since I've come quite close to almost completely screwing myself over by spending way too much time on robotics in past years.

[Jessica Boucher]

Great topic!

Although there's always a special place in my heart for 237, I am way too far away from them to serve as a mentor (hence why I consider myself an "Alumni").

For my first three years at Babson, I was car-less. Although there are a lot of teams in the area, I am far enough outside of Boston that walking anywhere (especially in the cold & snowy build season) is terrible.

Although the situation may change once I get a job, right now I am working with FIRST through a non-team based role, thus the lack of numbering.

[Ashley Weed]

While I try to travel to competitions as much as I can to support Greg in his new reffing adventures. Being full-time on a team seemed to be too difficult especially through my first year away at school. As I hope to start balancing a lighter course load, I would like to take my new skills from my education and work with the team again soon.

[rbgorbet]

Well, I've never had the pleasure of having a team.

I've been a regional judge, judge advisor, then championship judge, and now Chair of the Waterloo Regional Planning Committee, but have never been associated with any particular team (as probably befits a judge!)

I admire team mentors so much for the effort and hours they put in, and I'm just not sure I could give that much between my job and my family. But I figure that helping to start a new regional and recruiting rookie teams is contribution enough for now!

Rob.