The 6 Week Build Season and 'Mentor Burnout'

[Don Wright]

Originally Posted by Taylor

No no no a thousand times no.

Anybody who says 6 days a week for a 6 week build season translates to 4 days a week for a 9 week build season is lying. Not simply because of Parkinson's Law, but because of 'elite' teams' constant need for that extra edge, and 'lesser' teams' need to try to keep up.

Here's my reality: For six weeks - 36 nights - my wife has to feed, bathe, and put our two sons to bed by herself. For 36 nights, I don't get to read bedtime stories and tuck in my two boys. I am not willing to make that 54 nights.

Then don't... Who is telling you that you have to? Self impose your own deadlines. That's the beauty of it...it's in your control.

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by Don Wright

Then don't... Who is telling you that you have to? Self impose your own deadlines. That's the beauty of it...it's in your control.

I guess we're doing Ri3D next year then.

Seriously. Tell your students and mentors and administrators and sponsors that, purely by your own choice, your team is only going to actively work 36 days out of the possible 54, and let me know what 469's response is. If they have any interest in returning to Einstein, I think I know the answer.

[Don Wright]

Originally Posted by Taylor

I guess we're doing Ri3D next year then.

I'm sorry...but I don't get your point (or joke)...

BTW... "3. What works for you may not work for me, and vice versa."

[OZ_341]

I pulled this quote of mine from a 2009 thread on this topic.
This is just an observation I had from Kick-off 2000, but the quote is classic Woodie Flowers:
Back in the olden days (2000) the only kick-off was in New Hampshire, they used to let people line up at a microphone and ask questions after the game was revealed.
After Dean and Woodie had fielded several questions, an annoyed mentor stepped to the microphone and said something like....."Why don't you give us more time? Why don't you give us 10 weeks instead of 6 weeks?"
Woodie stepped to the microphone and said with a smile....."Because we like you"!
Dean and Woodie understood even back then that extending build season would only make things worse and simply extend our agony.