New rookie team

[EDesbiens]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

If I'm understanding this correctly, you want to start a new team, as a student, even though you have access to a team already, because it would be "fun?" Can you please clarify why you want to start a team? What is the demand for a new team in your area?

People on here who tend to say "go for it!" and "wow great idea!" typically have not started their own teams before or have never ran one (successful one at least). That's a blanket statement I'm willing to make, sure.

Please know that starting and running a team is an extremely challenging thing to do as an adult, so I'm concerned you want to start a team for no real reason. Starting a mediocre or terrible team is easier, but ask yourself if that's really what you want. I only know of less than a handful of high school students who brought a new and successful FRC team to life on their own.

So, I have to ask; why?

First of all, I had a conflict with one of the main mentors of my last team for the past three seasons... This helped me to quit the team... I didn't want to join another existing team because it seemed like an act of treason toward my friends... So, instead, I decided to give myself a challenge : create my own team. But I wanted to do different from other teams. So I'm the only student on the team, I'm not affiliated to any school and I do everything I can to promote FIRST.

That's why...

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by EDesbiens

First of all, I had a conflict with one of the main mentors of my last team for the past three seasons... This helped me to quit the team... I didn't want to join another existing team because it seemed like an act of treason toward my friends... So, instead, I decided to give myself a challenge : create my own team. But I wanted to do different from other teams. So I'm the only student on the team, I'm not affiliated to any school and I do everything I can to promote FIRST.

That's why...

I'm going to be as polite as I can... As someone who was involved in running a rookie team (unsuccessfully)... that's a really BAD reason.

Sort out your problems. In the real world you can't just pull a Bender and start your own casino with hookers and blackjack and beer. Instead of running away like a chump, figure out what the conflicts were and how you can resolve them because that's what you're going to have to do in life.

And joining another team isn't an act of treason, I've joined plenty of other teams (moving around the country does that) and I've played with and against my former teammates, no hard feelings. If you can't resolve your issues, join another team.

[EDesbiens]

I understand your point but my main goal is to have a challenge... I want to learn things, to get experience. The team is created, it's on TIMS... I started looking for sponsors and I'm already working to prepare the build period. My goal is not to have the best robot ever, I only want to prove myself and everyone that if you want something, you only need to put efforts.

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by EDesbiens

I understand your point but my main goal is to have a challenge... I want to learn things, to get experience. The team is created, it's on TIMS... I started looking for sponsors and I'm already working to prepare the build period. My goal is not to have the best robot ever, I only want to prove myself and everyone that if you want something, you only need to put efforts.

...You can also challenge yourself by joining an existing team and helping them become stronger, win a regional, or more.

There are plenty of ways to challenge yourself and striving for excellence without wasting a good chunk of money, and your sanity.

[EDesbiens]

I'm already insane... Nothing to lose there And I will stay with this new team... I'm quite stubborn I want to create my way, to do different from others...

[Ari423]

I'm going to be 100% honest here: I think this is a bad idea. I understand you had problems with your previous team and want to challenge yourself, and you probably got really mad one day and thought "Ya know what, I'm gonna make my own team." That sounds like a good idea when you're mad, but actually it will be a nightmare for you. Running away and starting your own team without first setting up sponsorships, getting mentors and team members, and finding a place to work will not only be challenging, but is a very short-sighted view of what it takes to run any team, not even a successful team.

I would caution you that, no matter how stubborn you are and no matter how much effort you put into running the team, you will have a very hard time making a robot, let alone being at all competitive. You are probably better off taking whatever sponsors, team members, mentors, etc. you found for your new team and bringing them to help your old team or any other team you want to join. If you are already registered on TIMS it might be too late to back out, but I hope not for your sake. There are other, more rewarding and accomplishable ways to challenge yourself besides starting a new team.

You have every right to reject my suggestions, and if you do (which is likely judging by your previous responses) I wish you good luck with your new team.

[EDesbiens]

Originally Posted by Ari423

I'm going to be 100% honest here: I think this is a bad idea. I understand you had problems with your previous team and want to challenge yourself, and you probably got really mad one day and thought "Ya know what, I'm gonna make my own team." That sounds like a good idea when you're mad, but actually it will be a nightmare for you. Running away and starting your own team without first setting up sponsorships, getting mentors and team members, and finding a place to work will not only be challenging, but is a very short-sighted view of what it takes to run any team, not even a successful team.

I would caution you that, no matter how stubborn you are and no matter how much effort you put into running the team, you will have a very hard time making a robot, let alone being at all competitive. You are probably better off taking whatever sponsors, team members, mentors, etc. you found for your new team and bringing them to help your old team or any other team you want to join. If you are already registered on TIMS it might be too late to back out, but I hope not for your sake. There are other, more rewarding and accomplishable ways to challenge yourself besides starting a new team.

You have every right to reject my suggestions, and if you do (which is likely judging by your previous responses) I wish you good luck with your new team.

First of all, you guys put too much emphasis on the problem I had with the other team... Maybe I did not say it correctly but it's not that much of a big deal... I understand your point and many people told me that... But you know, I want to try it. Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I just don't know yet but I'll try until I succeed or fail. And if I fail, I wont mind. Because trying and failing makes you a better person then fleeing after the first couple obstacles.

[EDesbiens]

Originally Posted by Ari423

I wish you good luck with your new team.

I forgot to thank you I hope we meet in competition!

[Akash Rastogi]

Originally Posted by EDesbiens

First of all, you guys put too much emphasis on the problem I had with the other team... Maybe I did not say it correctly but it's not that much of a big deal... I understand your point and many people told me that... But you know, I want to try it. Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I just don't know yet but I'll try until I succeed or fail. And if I fail, I wont mind. Because trying and failing makes you a better person then fleeing after the first couple obstacles.

So you're saying you can work things out without starting a new team?

For one last time, I'll echo what Andrew and Ari have stated. This is usually a bad idea. You should work with your old team, or another area team, to become better and accomplish much more. Sometimes being a one man team and being stubborn about wanting to do something challenging isn't the smartest thing.

Poor execution of a new team doesn't affect just you. It affects sponsors, students, mentors, and parents.

[EDesbiens]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

Poor execution of a new team doesn't affect just you. It affects sponsors, students, mentors, and parents.

That is true. I've seen many examples of this... But the people I'm working with know the risks and they like it... And, even if the robot of this team fails miserably, our job will be done... We are currently working with a school (and one more in a few months) to show them the experience of FIRST so they can start their own team next year. We want to help the community, not to be the very best, like no one ever was (see what I did there? )...

[MaGiC_PiKaChU]

As I already told you, my team would be happy to see you with us
If you want a challenge, there is one of our mentors who is starting a program with the CEGEP to help teams in the region next year! Maybe you could spare some of your time on this instead?

[North Sailor]

Would it be terrible to say there is no "I" in "TEAM"?

I think you have a really good idea here for giving yourself an engineering challenge and working towards promoting STEM and FIRST, however, you have acknowledged on numerous posts that you are the only student on the team. It sounds like this is a great idea for a local STEM non-profit organization, but not for an official FIRST team. You can't do it all on your own, and while it sounds like you have found some support with sponsorship and community interest, it is important that you are clear on your business plan and what you intend to accomplish. As much as we all love FIRST, it is possible that the competition format of the program is just not the correct venue for what you had in mind.

[evanperryg]

Originally Posted by EDesbiens

I'm already insane... Nothing to lose there And I will stay with this new team... I'm quite stubborn I want to create my way, to do different from others...

If you want to start your own team, there's nothing stopping you besides the negative comments you'll get here. Don't let someone's bad attitude keep you from reaching your goals.

But, seriously, it's going to be really hard to manage a team as a student. Your #1 priority should be to find mentors and sponsors. If you want to be competitive by January, you'll need all the help you can get. Throughout this fall, you'll need to find students to join your team, which will be hard if you're in the same school as an already-established FRC team. If this is the case, start your team in another local school so that you have a large group of interested students, who aren't already on another team.

Connect with teams in your area, find elite teams your team can visit before the season, to show students and new mentors how a successful FRC team works. We recently lended our practice robot to a pre-rookie team, so they could compete at an offseason event. I'm not sure if there's video of it, but they competed at R2OC as team 9999 (although the robot was labeled 8338 ) and did really well. Find opportunities like that. They are a great way to get your new students acclimated to the competition environment.

You'll need money and a shop, too. If there are any major businesses within 100 miles of you, schedule a meeting with their executives. Bring a really (REALLY) good sales pitch, you're gonna need it. Find grants, find sponsorships, find someone willing to let you use their workspace. Get all the money and resources you can get because it'll likely make up for a little bit of the people-resources you're going to lack in your first year. Now, I'm not saying money can make up for all of the human resources you'll be missing as a rookie, but money can help a little.

Also, you need to develop a stronger identity. I like the FRC-i idea, it has potential. However, it's very vague. It doesn't say anything about where your team is from or what you guys do. Therefore, you need to have strong core values and a very strong team identity to back it up. You say you want your team to do FRC differently, you want the team to challenge the normal process for an FRC team. Think- how are you going to do this? What normal aspect of FRC are you going to challenge? Especially in your first season, don't go and try out an entirely new drivetrain style, or something like that. Designing your mechanisms differently, or programming the robot in a different way will likely leave you with a completely nonfunctional robot, especially if you haven't had an off-season to refine the new idea. Hold off on that kind of thing until the team is better established.

What you're doing sounds awesome. It's daring and adventurous. Keep me updated, and I'd be happy to help in any way I can.

[EDesbiens]

I don't know... Maybe I'm doing an error, maybe not... I have many ideas in mind to make this work both during the build season and in competition. And you are right, there is no I in team... There is one in équipe though, the french translation

I think that it's not because I'm the only student working on the robot that there can't be anyone else supporting... You see, a student from Ontario manifested his interest toward my projects and wants to help me brainstorming and building a strategy... I can't understand why you guys don't want me to give it a try... FIRST is about new things, it's about challenge, it's about helping others and learning...

[Kevin Leonard]

I agree with all the comments above discouraging you from starting a new team as a student (and you're the only student?)

In addition, it sounds like this team is going to be a one-season team? Just 2016, then you graduate and the team no longer exists?

If you're that set on having your own team- start a VEX or FTC team at least. It's still a challenge to build a successful VEX or FTC robot on your own.

What mentor support do you have? Are you the only student, or will there be more? What skills do you have? What sponsors do you have?

Originally Posted by EDesbiens

I can't understand why you guys don't want me to give it a try... FIRST is about new things, it's about challenge, it's about helping others and learning...

I'm concerned that your failure could mean more than just failure for yourself. It could disenchant sponsors in your community, and create just another failed FRC team that failed to make an impact on it's community.