UNgracious UNprofessionalism

[Jaxom]

Originally Posted by Shane 2429

okay, so here is my two cents. i have mentored FLL teams for 3 years and i have seen mentors from other teams at that level of FIRST be way too involved with the building of the robot. I have also seen teams at a regional where there are more mentors then students working on the robot or even at the regional. My team personally has had problems in the past with some over bearing mentors. I'm just saying mentor built robots do happen and should not be written off as a complete lie or myth.

I think you need to separate FLL & FRC for the purposes of this discussion. There a very specific rule differences between the two; FLL coaches are NOT supposed to be working on the robots or projects. I've been at events where teams have been disqualified for awards because the adults were seen working on the robot in the pits, with kids nowhere in sight.

This is VERY different from FRC, where mentors & coaches are supposed to take a more active role. And, depending on your interpretation & how your team works, possible hands-on role. It really comes down to individual teams, and many people's tendency to assume things. Unless you're actually working with a team for a while you really shouldn't decide that a mentor holding a pair of pliers at a regional translates to "mentor-built robot". And even if it did, it's probably irrelevant. We need to remember that FRC isn't about the robots.