How do you keep your FIRST team a TEAM?

[Koko Ed]

The best way to insure participation on the team is to get the kids to buy into the idea of taking ownership of the team. FIRST is an investment and the kids should realize that this is all for them and should be encouraged to embrace it fully. Obviously not all of them are going to buy into it but bribing and bullying will only go so far. If they make the team their own they will truly care about how it is doing, how it is percieved and how it can grow. Otherwise there is a vaery real chance the team could perish.
The best way to avoid the malcontents is to have an interview process and "weed them out". If they don't want to be there then why should they be there? Make it clear this is a full time deal and if they can't make the commitment then they cannot be part of the team. period.