Elitist Teams

[Kevin Sevcik]

Originally Posted by Don Wright

I certainly don't want to pile on the OP...but I don't think this quote can be stressed enough. Let's talk to each other in person, at the event (wait some time after a match for people to calm down if you want) instead of waiting to come on here and posting it...

I promise you that a calm approach to the mentors of the team you are upset about will yield a much better experience and outcome.

We are all in this because we care... I don't think there are any bad or mean people in FIRST. I'm sure 99.75% of the time it's really a misunderstanding...

Yes, in an ideal world, the OP would have gone back to the pits, talked with the team, and everything would have been cleared up. On the other hand, if your perception is that you've already been dismissed by said teams in their pits, and pre-match in queue, why would you want to go a third round at talking to a team that apparently has no interest in talking to you?

So while you're right that this was likely a misunderstanding, I don't think the OP is at fault for not wanting to wade further into what he perceived as a bad situation. Fact of the matter is, if your team is coming off like that to someone, then your team probably needs to work a bit on its public relations. Which is going to necessarily involve feedback like this from other teams, since you can't judge the public's perception of your organization from inside your organization. So if you want other teams to see you as inclusive and willing to work with them, then you should see criticism like this as an opportunity for improvement.