Keeping Interest - Beyond the Robot

[Chris Fultz]

Years ago, our focus was entirely the robot. Cyber Blue was very much an engineeering team with an engineering focus. And not to stereotype, but many engineers and soon-to-be engineers do not see the value in may of the other aspects of FIRST, so the "season" becomes January - April. (please note and do not blast me - this does not imply all, simply a common trait.)

Beginning about 5 years ago, we started recruiting students who were interested in the other aspects of a team and worked to develop those capabilities. We called them the POP team, for "Publicity, Outreach and Publicity". This group has worked to get us more involved with community activities, school events and demos. Many from this group become our "judge team" at competitions and help put together the materials we give to judges that come by. This team helped us bring in students who would probably never had joined a FIRST team to help build a robot.

The members of this "sub-team" have now blended into the mix of the team. Everyone participates in our design brainstorming activity as well as our community events.

We met this week to talk about our summer activities to keep the team "in place" for the next 7 months. We are going to teach machine skills, finish a second robot, plan demos at a Childrens Hospital, learn VEX, create a completely new business plan, and lead the IRI with team 45. These activities will involve everyone on the team who is available.

So, to end this - I think the key is to recruit some members (and a mentor if you can) who want to be involved in these types of activities and get them involved. Then, their activities and influence will spread to the rest of the team.

[Nica F.]

First of all, thank you all for your replies because I have gotten a better idea of how teams in FIRST are able to organize themselves in a way that everyone understands that there is more that can be done than just making your robot look pretty.

Through your posts, I have also realized that it takes time and patience to be able to build this type of skill up. That it starts with a foundation, and gets stronger as the years go by.

And now, a couple replies I would like to add;

Originally Posted by Chris Fultz

I think the key is to recruit some members (and a mentor if you can) who want to be involved in these types of activities and get them involved. Then, their activities and influence will spread to the rest of the team.

We team 4, are a fully student run team. We have lost our head mentor a couple years ago, and had a wrestling coach as a mentor last year. This year, we found ourselves in a mentorless position once again, but luckily were able to have a history teacher volunteer. For two years and counting we will have to again reteach what FIRST is about (which isn't a bad thing, but is hard to readjust every year). Our mentors contribute as much as they can, but with no prior experience there is not much that we can be assisted with. we have formed a team veteran-rookie "high gear-low gear" system; where the veteran members teach and help new recruits everything we know (since we have had previous education with the machines, and are able to run all the machines in the shop)

Many of us were on team 22 years ago, a Championship Chairman's award team and we have been used to and accustomed to doing all of the community outreach, mentoring, events, etc. It's something that's attached and inspired our minds and have attempted to bring to our school on a newer FRC team.

Thats where this thread has come in.
I simply wanted to get a better understanding how you've set your boundaries and platform for your team and its members for years to come.
Its such a great feat to be able to balance the robot and everything else, and to actually "get" what FIRST is about.

I've fully enjoyed and looked over every response, and it would be great to have more teams reply as well.

[CJV648]

I think this is a very worthy topic. As a booster I like the robotics part of the team, but try to take the broader view that the team is a FIRST team first and the robot is only a means to our ends (though for about 3 months a year it seems like it's all about the robot.)

My favorite non robot activity in the past has been the team's entries in cardboard boat regattas. This summer the team is also planning to work on a Habitat for Humanity house.

I think any event that sets an attainable goal where members are involved in planning and building something that uses engineering principles fits well with FIRST. Ideally, if its fun like the regattas, it helps build the team.

[ManicMechanic]

Sorry for late entry to this thread. For us robotics is a year-round endeavor. We don't necessarily go beyond the robots, but we definitely go beyond the tournament. We’re involved with FVC, so some of our opportunities will be a bit different than those of FRC teams. However, I believe that FRC teams can benefit from is purchasing some Vex parts and using them to practice and prototype. Our calendar of last year looked like:

July- August
Fundraise for, drool over, select, and purchase Vex kits (50% off!)
Student: Discover a Vex hobbyist only 1-hour away. Visit and pester him for good ideas.
Mentor: Troll for interest in an FVC Championship. Attend planning meetings. Pester contacts to start/join a Vex team.

Sept.-Nov.
Begin meetings. Train students. Watch them come and go. Train more students.
Mentor FLL teams. Coordinate and volunteer for FLL tournament.
Begin work on FVC Challenge.
Plan events for local start-up FVC teams. (never came to fruition )

Dec.-Feb
Attend a scrimmage
Serious work on the robot.
E-mail teams met at FVC scrimmage with questions & suggestions.
Troll various Vex forums to gather information in preparation for competition.

March-April
Attend local Championship event. Advance to Atlanta.
Fundraise. Tweak robot.
Atlanta!

May-June
Assist another FVC team with their event for recruiting rookies to Vex.
Troll the internet for new ideas and designs.
Meet as a team in members’ homes to build from ideas on internet.
Invite another team to meet in our home to build from ideas on internet.
Assist at Vex demo at County fair.

Basically, if there is one very enthusiastic person (could this be you?!) who is willing to find various opportunities, the other members will often join in when invited. The further you're willing to travel (we often go 2 or more hours away), the more opportunities you'll find. The more contact you have with other teams and people in the community, the easier it is to see how being in FIRST is more than just the robot, even though the robot is what brings you together in the first place.

[Not2B]

To put it as simple as possible....

Don't make FIRST about the robot.

or for my software inclined friends...

F != Robot
I != Robot
R != Robot
S != Robot
T != Robot

This can be easy.... or difficult... to do.

[ManicMechanic]

Originally Posted by Not2B

To put it as simple as possible....

Don't make FIRST about the robot.

...
This can be easy.... or difficult... to do.

Easy to say, difficult to do! You can tell the team to act with gracious professionalism, but it's up for grabs as to whether they'll actually do it.

One thing that helps is for members to really get to know and enjoy some non-team members they meet at FIRST events; FIRST has some people of great character, and some great characters! We've found it easier to get to know people at less competitive events (non-tournament) like scrimmages and training/build sessions. But each type of event has its potential for character building -- competing at tournaments for learning how to graciously win and lose, running events for leadership and public service, assisting at events for supporting others and working behind the scenes.

And sometimes doing the right thing out of rote leads to greater things. We have the team shake hands with opponents, win or lose, as a team "duty". But I was thrilled to see them leave a note to one of the teams and wish them well as they advanced to the finals (when our team had been eliminated).