Question of the Week!!! (8/16/04)

[JVN]

Originally Posted by Astronouth7303

Probably a rookie because an expierienced team would tell me to hush up and take a back seat.

This segues into my answer nicely:
I'd love to spend some time on a really well established team, with some strong engineers and mentors.

I want to learn.

It'd be great to hop onto a team like the Technokats or Team Hammond and just... watch. I'd be content doing nothing but making parts.
Think how much you could learn watching Andy and Mark work on their newest tranny design...

I've got a lot of mentoring role models in my life, but it'd be great to spend some "up close" time with some of them.


Once I've learned "enough" then I'd consider striking off on my own and found my own team.

$.02

JV
(who would love to take a backseat)

[Aignam]

A rookie team. There's just something about pioneering your way, laying down the threads with which the team will flourish, rather than having a current system spoon fed to you.

I'd like to be on a team with little money, little experience, few resources, but some determined, hard-working students and a devoted teacher. Any out there in Jersey?

[Arefin Bari]

Veteran teams might have a lot of people who are experienced but each year they have a lot of newbies on the team who are not experienced. veterans on the team trains the rookies to have the capability of running the team once the veterans are graduated...

with rookie teams there are some people in the team who has atleast a little bit of experience. and everyone in the team learns from there...

i really dont have preferences of being on a veteran team or a rookie team since both will give me a great experience of team work. both will have a great experience for me...

[Joshua May]

Most of my reasons have been stated already, but I'd prefer a rookie team. That way I think I'd be able to have more of an impact on the team and the direction of the team (no offense to any big teams out there) This way both myself and my team get to learn better from all of our mistakes, not those of our predecessors, sometimes you just have to learn on your own. Also, this allows us to set our own standards and precedent, not just living up to the standards of previous years from our team.

Originally Posted by Aignam

I'd like to be on a team with little money, little experience, few resources, but some determined, hard-working students and a devoted teacher. Any out there in Jersey?

I don't know about Jersey, but you just described my team perfectly.

[Jessica Boucher]

I feel that this question is slightly limited in the definition of veteran team. There is a huge difference between powerhouse vets and the rest of the veterans. I feel that every team has the potential to be a powerhouse, hence why these teams can be labeled "fixer uppers"....with the right team mindset, energy to acquire enough resources, and a little luck, any team can become stronger.

Don't underestimate the fixer-upper...that experience can be just as gratifying as sitting in with a powerhouse.

[Jay H 237]

I will lean toward a veteran team. Being a veteran means the "framework" for a team should already be in place so you can concentrate more on designing and constructing a robot instead of a team. I will also venture to say that veterans generally have more and/or better resources available to them. Wether that is shop facilities, funds, volunteers, sponsors or just plain knowledge.

[KathieK]

Originally Posted by Jay H 237

Being a veteran means the "framework" for a team should already be in place so you can concentrate more on designing and constructing a robot instead of a team. .

I would agree that a veteran team may have many things in place already, but if not constantly re-inventing itself, even the veteran team will soon fall apart.

I would argue that one advantage that the veteran team has in place is that it has enough prior knowledge that it can concentrate more on being a team rather than solely focus on constructing the robot, and more students can then become involved in the FIRST program.

[JoeXIII'007]

I'd rather be on a rookie team. Usually its their first years that are their glory days and they fair quite well. I was involved with a rookie LEGO league team before my real robotics days that ALMOST made it to states and got a quality research award. As for a rookie team that I wish I was on, 1241 would be that choice. They almost took home GLR, and they would have if some team didn't plop a big ball in their net (no offense) .

[Max Lobovsky]

Originally Posted by Aignam

A rookie team. There's just something about pioneering your way, laying down the threads with which the team will flourish, rather than having a current system spoon fed to you.

I'd like to be on a team with little money, little experience, few resources, but some determined, hard-working students and a devoted teacher. Any out there in Jersey?

That's pretty much my team. Except the little money thing may change by the time 2005 season starts. We are working on it. Feel free to come on over.

Personally, I loved my rookie year in FIRST, and I think its mainly because we were rookies and we really had to figure out things as we went along. I understand what JVN was saying, but I think I learn better by just jumping in.

[Astronouth7303]

Originally Posted by Aignam

I'd like to be on a team with little money, little experience, few resources, but some determined, hard-working students and a devoted teacher. Any out there in Jersey?

Sounds just like us (except we're in MI, not NJ). Most of the team is/was class of '04, the teacher that alowed us to use his shop is retiring, and we still need to make up a defecit from our rookie year.

[kpugh]

Originally Posted by JVN

This segues into my answer nicely:
I'd love to spend some time on a really well established team, with some strong engineers and mentors.

I want to learn.

It'd be great to hop onto a team like the Technokats or Team Hammond and just... watch. I'd be content doing nothing but making parts.
Think how much you could learn watching Andy and Mark work on their newest tranny design...

I've got a lot of mentoring role models in my life, but it'd be great to spend some "up close" time with some of them.


Once I've learned "enough" then I'd consider striking off on my own and found my own team.

$.02

JV
(who would love to take a backseat)

Exactly!
I have never had the opportunity to work with a veteran team and really learn the ins and outs of setting up a team. I was on team 229 for 2 years. It was the teams 2nd and 3rd years of existence and still figuring out what does/does not work for the team.

From there I started team 891 here in Syracuse. It has been really difficult because nobody on the team really has any experience. Plus we have no mechanical engineers, only electrical
So not only are we trying to figure out how to organize the team, recruit, fundraise, etc. we also have no idea what works/doesn't work robot wise.

Fortunately the Liverpool team has been helpful to us, plus I have a friend from Aces High that is starting a team in Rochester so I plan on pumping her for ideas! And lurking around on CD really helps too

I would jump at the chance to observe one of these well established veteran teams to learn how to organize the team, what to do to train students in the fall, and all the little things that end up biting us at the end of the six weeks. Then I would go off and use that knowledge to start a new team.

Kristin

[Jeff Waegelin]

Originally Posted by JVN

This segues into my answer nicely:
I'd love to spend some time on a really well established team, with some strong engineers and mentors.

I want to learn.

It'd be great to hop onto a team like the Technokats or Team Hammond and just... watch. I'd be content doing nothing but making parts.
Think how much you could learn watching Andy and Mark work on their newest tranny design...

I've got a lot of mentoring role models in my life, but it'd be great to spend some "up close" time with some of them.


Once I've learned "enough" then I'd consider striking off on my own and found my own team.

$.02

JV
(who would love to take a backseat)

I would agree with John. I'd love to join an established veteran team, just to learn. I'm not all that comfortable taking a lead role, and I'd love to be able to work with some of the best minds and greatest people in FIRST. While I would probably enjoy starting my own team, the experience of being with a veteran team would be priceless.