what do you guys do ?

[Wayne C.]

Each of the past few seasons we've had over 100 kids sign up for Team 25- mostly because they think it is a free trip to Florida.

However the numbers rapidly thin when they are told that they have to fund raise for their trip and participate in functions. Each student has a personal account which banks their profits for their own trip so the lazy ones end up bankrupt when the bills come due.

Quite frankly, as the teacher who is accountable for the students, I don't want to babysit kids who have nothing to do with the functioning of the team and come out to simply fool around. It is a nuisance and unsafe.

Each person on the team is given an OPPORTUNITY to participate and prove their worth to the team. Sometimes the tasks are simple, like opening an e-mail account, registering with SME or showing up for a meeting. If these simple things prove too hard it tells me that that person is unreliable and probably will not be helpful to the team in the long run. Ultimately, as the team advisor, I confer with the other adult leaders and we define a roster.

Members of the team should be proud contributors to the group, just like on a sports team. If a person wants to be just a spectator they can show up for the competition and cheer their home team on.

Greg T. is a bit idealistic in his posting above. If I was working my butt off to raise funds and build a machine so the team can participate I would be very resentful of someone who didn't do their part. If time is a major issue then maybe being on a FIRST team is not for that person.

Every team can use a cheering section......