PreRookies, Mentoring and the future of FIRST

[IraJason]

Originally Posted by Rich Kressly

It's happening in PA too Wayne.

There's a pre-rookie team at my new school, Lower Merion HS (the team has no number yet). Team 341, host of Ramp Riot this coming Nov 5, just last week, graciously offered to retrofit an old robot so LMHS can play the game AND they've offered to include LM students in the modification process in the fall. Needless to say, the students and school administration are overjoyed and it's given FIRST a huge boost at LM.

My heartfelt thanks go out to Paul Kloberg and you Wayne (the NJ dynamic duo) for promoting this incredible idea and to Al Ostrow, Dina Campagna, and the rest of 341 for this unbelievable opportunity.

There are a few other budding new teams in PA that I know of, so if anyone else in the region would like to give a pre-rookie a lift, please let me know and I'll connect you.

I would like to say that I am part of that previously un-numbered LM team (We are now team 1712), and team 341 was extremely helpful, allowing us to modify one of their older robots to compete in Ramp Riot 2005. It definitely was great to be able to have some competition experience and knowing what goes on during the main event, especially when your entire team is new to this.

I would like to thank Mr. Ostrow and all of Team 341 for helping us out and allowing us to share in the experience as a pre-rookie team. Again, Thanks a lot!

-Ira