Another Culture Change

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by SenorZ

Every sport, even FIRST, has "jocks" that are sore losers and ungratious winners.

As a rookie team mentor in the Los Angeles regional I did notice some of the powerhouse teams (recent champs) have a mix of kind and cocky kids. The mentors all were really nice and professional, and in the pits everyone was very helpful. But, once on the field, even members of our own alliance were a bit pushy, jockying for positions, and in one instance telling my kids what OUR strategy would be. Supposed to be a team effort.

I agree with Koko, sometimes the experience is what leads the alliance. I was involved for 3 years on a successful team and I have been going to competitions since 2003 so I'm not foreign to how matches go and effective strategies since I have watched so much. This year mentoring a rookie team and being the drive coach was good lesson in humility as in many matches I couldn't just say what everyone else should do, it wasn't my place. Now that doesn't mean that rookies should just listen and that is it. By mid friday our team had been in the top 5 all day so we did have more say in the alliance strategy. Where you excell and stand out to these powerhouses is that you do what they ask and then some! I told our drivers in a match when we were with 2 of the best robots on the field that they were to stay out of their way even if it meant we couldn't score because getting in their way as a low row robot was only hurting our alliance.

Being told is never something anyone wants, but it is something we will always face in life both on and off the field.

[Mr. D]

Originally Posted by JVN

Hello Everyone,
I've been thinking about this for a long time. I heard some horrible, interesting stories from the Pittsburgh regional this past weekend which helped solidify my thoughts.

I managed to put these thoughts into words here:
http://blog.iamjvn.com/2011/03/anoth...re-change.html

I hope you'll take a minute to read, reflect, and hopefully join me in helping to shift OUR culture.

-John

As Mentor for Team 1708 and a Pittsburgh native let me apologize to Team 1114 and all FIRST teams who may have been affected by this behavior. Our team was in the pit right next to 1114 and I pray we were not part of the offenders, if so I do apologize and ask that someone please notify me of this behavior, it will stop.

When 1708 entered The Peterson Events Center in 2005 after entering FRC with two and a half weeks left in the build season and carrying our tools in grocery bags we were in awe of what we saw. That soon ended when an adult from an established FIRST community outside of Pittsburgh and sporting multicolored hair came by our table and commented to a friend "what is that piece of crap doing here", welcome to FIRST team 1708. Luckily for us Team 365 and John Larock were also at the event and taught us about "Gracious Professionalism". and what FIRST really is.

1114 you have an awesome 'bot, organization and drive team, so good we all want to beat you, but not this way. Go Teams.

[synth3tk]

As much as I'd love to read all 18 pages, I can't bring myself to do it right now.

That being said, I should hope that in the future, if a team is receiving a significant amount of heckling, enough that the staff/judges would be prompted to apologize to the team, that someone would get a quick announcement made in between the matches, or during the next day's opening ceremonies.

Names, team numbers, details, and social security numbers don't need to be mentioned, but the staff should have every right to address this issue publicly, whether it's through the MC, the announcer, or whomever else is permitted to have the floor for a few minutes.