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.