Post Season Mentor Meetings

[Kevin Ray]

We, as well hold "after action" meetings after each competition and one at the end of the season.
The topic which surfaces each and every year and always seems to be a work in progress is the manner/criteria by which students are selected to attend away competitions including the worlds. We've been blessed to have made it to the worlds 10 years in a row and each and every year it is horrible to have to let some students know that they won't be able to attend. By directive of the superintendent of schools we are limited to 20 students attending the worlds. We have a rubric which is modified annually and all students know in advance how it is formulated but there nebulous or subjective aspects which cannot be objectified and those become the sticking points.
In all, these meetings are where our team makes its greatest growth. Although most people just want to take a break and relax after the arduous season, now is the time to sit down and do the hard work. We have made tangible changes from the design of the pit and projected purchases for the lab, to strategic and policy changes as to how the team will be run and organized. In 2010 we happened to share a hotel with Team 341 Miss Daisy. They had just won National Chairman's award and spent 30 minutes in the lobby telling us how they organized their team. Two days later we were home implementing many of those ideas and have been modifying them since. They were very gracious and helpful in sharing anything and everything with us, especially this idea of reason reviews.
I cannot emphasize enough the value of sitting down with the entire team (maybe not all at once) to evaluate the positives and negatives of the season.