The 6 Week Build Season and 'Mentor Burnout'

[Pendulum^-1]

Our team is not one of those that anyone would ever consider "elite." But we strive to improve. The "Firebird," for us, is fitting, as we constantly strive to improve our team from the ashes of the previous season. It started when the team went 0-7 at Chesapeake as rookies in 2006. Indeed, you would be stretching things a bit to call our 2006-2011 robots anything other than the "Brave Little Toasters."

But in 2012, we actually managed to score at everything. Not well, but we could shoot and actually score. But with a few strategic robot changes, enabled by the 30 pound allowance, between Chesapeake in week 2 and DC in Week 5, we could hit 10 points with layups in teleop and balance very well, indeed. The students felt that they were active participants in the matches. We still did not do well in the standings. That was not too important, from students' viewpoint. They were quite psyched up, that they had moved on from the Brave Little Toaster category. Maybe even to the Small Toasters That Maybe Could category. And we did off season events last autumn. We were an alliance captain at Battle of Baltimore, and, as alliance captains at IROC, actually won the event. In 2013, after a disasterous showing at Palmetto, with us not scoring at all, we put on a shooter and a lifter, that, at the DC regional, could give us 12 points in auto and hang for 10. (Provided that we had our network cable plugged in properly, of course. Doh.) At the end of DC, with us having a robot that could reliably score some, the students were asking to go to Baltimore in two weeks. Sure, we were now in our eighth year of not being even seriously considered for an elimination pick, but the students were seriously inspired to work even more in this off season to improve the team.

Our ability to improve out of the Brave Little Toaster category in both of the last two years has been directly attributable to the 30 lb allowance. The (self-perceived) move out of the Brave Little Toaster category has had a HUGE impact on the inspiration impacting our team members. They have more confidence, they want to do more off season activities, including training. We have no delusions that we can build Super Shiny Hot Rods or even Cool Golf Carts. Yet.

If we had the ability to work on the robot some, after the end of Build Season, it would have a positive impact on our team and a reduction in Mentor load. If we were authorized to work on the robot, outside of the bag, in our shop, for about 12 hours a week, with a ~30 lb limit for improvable components/assemblies, the following would change for us:
1) We would no longer attempt to build robot two. We tried to build robot two in 2010 and 2012, and it was a huge waste of resources and time, as we did not get it finished in time for us to do any good.
2) We would reduce the need to build prototyping stands. We built prototyping stands for our 2012 shooter and 2013 shooter and lifter. All three stands were a waste of time, in my book, that did little to directly inspire the students. These stands were only necessary due to the bag restrictions. Yes, engineers do this sort of thing all the time, when access to the real thing is limited. But FIRST should be in the business of reducing mentor work load to get more inspiration into the students. I hate busy work. For me or anyone else.
3) Our students could practice driving and playing the game at home. Invaluable. Test, break, repair, practice.
4) As we would have a more complete robot on Thursday morning, we would have a better chance to do practice rounds before the field closed at 4 PM.

The students on my team have been more inspired the past 15 months than the previous 6 years combined. It has had little to do with the capabilities of other teams, even the elite teams. In my opinion, the inspiration of our students has everything to do with how well our own team achieves the game objectives. As simple as they may be, it is our robot's ability to do score some that inspires our students.