How do you find time for sports and robots?

[LaurenH]

Even though this was three years ago, my senior year schedule was like this...

School: 7:25am to 12pm
Internship: 12:15pm to 2:45pm
Track Practice: 3:00pm to 5pm
FIRST
*Mechanical: 5:15pm to 8/10pm
*Software: 8/10pm to 11pm/1am

FIRST and SPORTS are possible!!!!

Learn to do your homework during class breaks, over lunch, and on the bus/car rides if you're not driving. The minutes add up fast. I don't always recommend this, but if your teacher teaches too slowly or goes off on long tangents about their weekend, you can finish some calculus problems or a paragraph or two for your paper between taking class notes.

If your team works heavily with Engineers, they usually don't get off of work until 5pm always, so they didn't mind me coming a little late to meetings. Having the different sub-teams meet at different times helps a lot too (ie: Mechanical and electrical early evening, Software and driver practice later the evening, animation and other teams on the weekends.)

[Carol K.]

Originally Posted by JTRULOCK

I find it hard to work my 2 jobs and go to volleyball practice and also make time for robotics but i just find that sleeping and homework are overrated and not really needed....i get really tired during the week so i just sleep on sunday. also our robotics team meets for a little over 6 hours each night after school (3-9) I normally go to practice first as it only goes until like 5. then robotics...on sat its easy cuz all i have is robotics....so thats my suggestion Just dont sleep or dont do homework or both!

That is exactly what I was thinking. If robotics goes on later in the evening than your athletic commitments, then it makes much more sense to go to practice before going to robotics. It is definitely worth sacrificing 2 hours of a 6 hour meeting if it means staying off the bench for the entire season. As for me, i work sunday, so I don't get a single day off. but in the end it pays, skipping more school and more games for the competitions. Sleeping and homework really are overrated.

[Vin211]

I believe I have already posted for this thread but I'll have another go at it. At the time I was in high school, I was on the robotics team full time and played hockey and tennis on part of the time. Believe me, it is not easy balance. I was going to school, working part time, and participating in some sports just to keep me sane.

Today, I am in college and I try to contribute to FIRST as much as I can. I carry the usual course load of about 15 to 18 credits. I also am on the Central Connecticut State University Pro Paintball Team. That's alot of fun.

From what I have learned, I believe everyone should have at least some other hobbies or sports besides FIRST to participate in. You know, something to do during the off season.

I know some wish that FIRST went year round LOL. Well yeah, in some cases it does. But you know what I mean....right? lol

[Erin Rapacki]

When I was in high school I played a sport for 11 out of the 12 sporting seasons offered (3 seasons per school year). I played soccer and did indoor & outdoor track. The season I missed was Senior year indoor track because I did decide to focus on robotics more. The previous year, junior year, I went to school, track practice, hour for dinner/nap, robotics, did homework until 2am, and repeat. I'm a person who likes my sleep so I had to make a sacrifice for robotics (indoor track) but I went running on my own every afternoon anyway.

Sports & physical activity are important to me and I'll never sacrifice them completely for school or robotics. I run 5-miles every day, I'm going backpacking in the White Mountains for two nights this weekend, and I hang glide regularly. Robotics is fun, but don't sacrifice you're health for it. I believe that staying fit & healthy is a No#1 priority and in the long run... the better shape you're in the more productive you are anyway.

[Pat Roche]

During high school I was basketball player and I was lead/assistant lead etc. for three years. I was able to put about 300(my sophmore year)-500(junior and senior years) hours (I also had open slots in the day where I could work too) in during build season even with basketball games and practices during the week and teh weekend. It just takes alot of time management and dedication.
-Pat

[Kris Mackinnon]

Im in a lot of different stuff other then robotics. I have drum lessons, band, 4-H,art lessons, and girls golf. I had to leave an hour to a half hour earler during build season so I could make lessons. 4-h uckie for me it was only once a month. Band intfered a lot so if band or ROTC had somthing going on almost our whole team missed somedays. But our mentors been knd an let us leave earlier during build season. We also had a study time through. So most of us mange to finsh our homework on team. But yeah it was really stressful for a lot of us to keep these things and do robotics at the same time.