MI is the best?

[Johncvt]

I agree that we need to focus on how well we are fulfilling the mission of FIRST rather than how many teams are making it to Einstein. I have coached and mentored FLL,FTC, And FRC. The most fulfilling thing each year is to hear the kids explain to the judges how their robots work and how they solved problems. There are always those points in the season where you wonder if the students are listening and to hear them talk enthusiastically yo the judges is what keeps me coming back every year.

Of course, winning is fun but doing your best is also fulfilling. This year, we got to play with some of the great Michigan teams like 33, 217, and 469 in our districts, then went to Windsor and play with 2056 and other great Canadian teams that we don't often get a chance to play with. Then, we go to worlds and play with 330, 1114, 359, 133, 230 and many others in Carver division. We lost in the third match of the finals to the Beachbots alliance but held our heads high knowing we did our best we could for the alliance.

All in all, I call that a pretty good year for everyone on our team. This year's game allowed so many teams to be able to play and contribute, no matter what their background or pedigree was. The district system allowed every Michigan team to play a lot of matches and see the fruit of their labor so. The only bad thing is we don't normally get to see the other great teams from outside the state except for summer events.