Sustaining a FIRST Team

[ttldomination]

Originally Posted by VexisDarksteele

Another major issue is participation in communication. Our primary mode of contact outside of meetings is email; from the very start, new students and their parents are required to supply an email address to be contacted by. Yet when our coach sends out time-sensitive emails that request prompt responses, very few of us actually do as requested. People either don't check their email, or they make some kind of excuses, or they're simply too lazy to reply...

I feel like many people have tried to solve all problems aside from this one. Can you honestly blame your mentor? If students are failing to respond, then others need to step up. In this case, it's the mentor who is forced to step up.

This problem needs a solution, and unfortunately, there really isn't a clean one. You need to establish a precedent and have consequences for inadequate behavior. Team communication is number 1, and if students aren't replying to emails/communication notices on time, you have a problem that resonates at the foundation of your team.

Originally Posted by nathan_hui

So what is it that you need? My answer is this: a strong group of student leaders who can work as a team, backed by a group of very motivated and involved mentors, working with a motivated group of students. On top of that, there has to be a training pipeline for the students, a clear chance for students to rise through the ranks, and visible opportunities for the students to specialize in the team, no matter what it is they are doing. There has to be a sense of community between the team members, with the student leaders being the big brothers, the other students being the younger siblings, and the mentors being the elders.

In a perfect world, this is how every team would be set up. However, fate is often cruel and perfection is far what your average FRC can afford. As such, there needs to be much more cooperation between your mentors and student leaders. What does this do? This means that the leadership is a cohesive unit. Mentor experience and passion is not fragmented from students' drive and desire. Furthermore, this helps to fortify your leadership against the volatility of time. As strong students graduate and no-so-experienced students are left to take the helm, strong mentor peers can help them find their way.

It seems that many people have touched on many things you can do in order to help build a nice recruiting base, but here's on suggestion to keep your students; take them to a competition.

The first time I went to a regional, I knew that I'd be doing FRC for as long as I am able. Seven-ish years later, and I don't see my career ending anytime soon. As such, show students the joys of competition early on, and they'll have something to look forward to. Personally, my team competes in GRITS (local off-season event). This takes place about two months into the school year. The new members get a chance to tag along, enjoy some competition, and even take the robot for a spin in a match or two. Making them wait until November or even Week 1 events can be cruel and, often times, too much to ask.

- Sunny G.