Becoming Competitive

[Hot_Copper_Frog]

There has been a lot of really great advice in this thread so far regarding team structure, the importance of the way you execute design, and goal setting. So I'm going to touch on something a little different!

You mentioned that you and your fellow ambitious second year student came from an FLL team - that is great! One of the ways that competitive teams get -and stay- competitive is through establishing and supporting a strong progression of FIRST programs in their community. You can do this by identifying which middle schools "feed into" your high school(s) and establishing at least one FLL team at each one. If you focus on quality mentorship and keep students engaged through the program while they're young, you will end up with a freshman class every year that has already spend 2+ years in FIRST.

By getting students involved when they're younger, they are already primed and ready to get to work by the time they hit 9th grade. They already understand the core values of FIRST, and are eager to build the "big bots". You also introduce parents to FIRST in a much less intimidating manner through FLL, so they are already hooked on the program and want to be involved at the FRC level as they move up with their kids. This creates a bigger mentor/chaperone/support pool which is essential to running a strong team.

I'm not sure if this is true of Minnesota, but Michigan has moved to a system where FLL is an elementary level program, and FTC is a middle school program. This creates a really seamless "pipeline" for students to flow through as they grow and become more capable. Now that I'm seeing students come to FRC having been through both FLL and FTC, they are so capable and confident as freshman I can hardly believe it. I am so impressed with what starting FIRST young can do to help an FRC team.

This isn't an immediate fix to your issues, but if you want the team to grow and remain competitive for many years to come, I would suggest starting to put plans like this into motion. If you are already mentoring teams, make sure that you continue to provide ample support and try to expand the program.