FRC Team #1

[Tim Baird]

Originally Posted by Richard

The FIRST database may be incomplete. It shows no activity for FRC 20 from 1999 through 2003, and no activity for FRC 190 before 1995, although both of those teams are listed as 1992 rookies.

It probably shows no activity because of a technicality. 190 used to be WPI and Doherty HS, but then switched to WPI and Mass Academy when WPI formed the Mass Academy as their own high school. They have been in it every year, but, by FIRST's definition of an "original team", they lose it because of the high school switch.

[Tim Baird]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

I don't imagine too many original members (mentors and students who are now mentors) are still with us, but I bet there are a few. Who are you?

Gael Force is proud to have Tom O'Connell as an original and still current mentor on our team. He started out as a mentor from the school (physics teacher) and still continues to come in and help even after retirement.

[Jimmy Nichols]

Originally Posted by Mike Martus

Starting back in 1998 teams were allowed to keep their numbers. Prior to 1997 teams got new numbers each year.

So in 1997 Team 47 was team 46. In 1996 we were team 32.

I like 47 better!

We, 1038, used to be 144 and when our sponsor, mentors moved schools due to no support from school board and district we were not allowed to take our number with us.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Tim Baird

It probably shows no activity because of a technicality. 190 used to be WPI and Doherty HS, but then switched to WPI and Mass Academy when WPI formed the Mass Academy as their own high school. They have been in it every year, but, by FIRST's definition of an "original team", they lose it because of the high school switch.

I thought 190 is grandfathered into Championships along with the other original teams/Chairman's winners?

[Steve Kaneb]

Originally Posted by Cory

I thought 190 is grandfathered into Championships along with the other original teams/Chairman's winners?

Well, we are still counted as a legacy team. In addition to the legacy designation, 190 also has "earned" its way into the championship every year, which was easier when you could get in from "points" earned from design awards.

[Billfred]

Courtesy of the FIRST site, six teams are considered 1992 teams: 20, 45, 126, 148, 190, 191. I think it's only recently that 148 proved its lineage back to Maize Craze (I don't remember them on the list in years past), but that's what FIRST has decreed.

[JamesBrown]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

I don't imagine too many original members (mentors and students who are now mentors) are still with us, but I bet there are a few. Who are you?

Larry Ruff with 1493 has been a mentor since 1992, he originally worked with team 20 but switched to 1493 when the team was started on campus. In the AML, the Lab/Manufacturing Facility the Larry over sees we have many of the old robots and the rules and competition booklets(with team lists) dating back to 1992.

[JesseK]

Originally Posted by Rick TYler

And now we have the "new number every year" thing for FTC. FIRST might think that FTC is just a training or transitional program on the way to FRC, but I'm pretty sure that a lot of us are going to stick with FTC and don't really care if we ever have to weld up a frame again. Let's have permanent FTC numbers starting now!

Our leader is a fan of that. FTC is much easier...err cheaper... to integrate into the majority of school cirriculums/budgets. Garfield High School (Woodbridge, VA) doesn't have the resources for a grand FRC team but on a low budget they've put out 2 fantastic FTC teams in the last 2 years with some very well-engineered robots & teams completely done by the students with only 1-2 teachers as mentors. Unfortunately, they don't have a recurring identity even though (imo) they really deserve one.

2047 came out like gangbusters last year (2007) and attended four Regionals and the Championship, then disappeared from this year's roster.

This sounds like an unfortunate example of how some teams can overextend themselves. This is why business plans are a must for FIRST teams and there is even an award for FRC teams specifically for their business plans. I've seen the huge importance of them on our own team and I'm sure teams that have been around for double-digit years can attest to it as well. If, as a student, you do 1-2 regionals a year and maybe 1 championship, you've done roughly 6-8 events solving a great variety of problems over the 4 years.

Veterans: Have you always attended 2 or more regionals (championship excluded), say, in the last 10 years?

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by JesseK

This [a team that went to 4 events, then folded] sounds like an unfortunate example of how some teams can overextend themselves. This is why business plans are a must for FIRST teams and there is even an award for FRC teams specifically for their business plans. I've seen the huge importance of them on our own team and I'm sure teams that have been around for double-digit years can attest to it as well. If, as a student, you do 1-2 regionals a year and maybe 1 championship, you've done roughly 6-8 events solving a great variety of problems over the 4 years.

Another possibility is that all the gung-ho students graduated, and there wasn't enough of an interest base built among underclassmen to continue the team. It isn't always finances that causes a team to fold.

Veterans: Have you always attended 2 or more regionals (championship excluded), say, in the last 10 years?

This post http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...eet+ regional
calculates that 75% of teams go to only one regional.

[Mark McLeod]

From looking through last year's posts on CD, apparently, students from Whitney also belong to Team 2136 who are active this year in addition to last year. About half of Team 2047 was from Whitney, with the remainder from 4 other schools. It may be a matter of economic, political, or mentor expediency.

[Nevets Amstier]

EDIT TO MY PREVIOUS POST
(team 177 was actually 59, not 56..my bad)


also, according to a mentor of mine, teams had no numbers before 1997

[pafwl]

my team was started in 1997 and it was numbered originally 185 it changed the following year because we changed our name i think to its current number 272 the scary part is i was a student back them i love the whole full circle thing when it comes to FIRST

[shock190]

Originally Posted by Borromakkot

Well, we are still counted as a legacy team. In addition to the legacy designation, 190 also has "earned" its way into the championship every year, which was easier when you could get in from "points" earned from design awards.

Another big reason we're still counted is that we had a transition year. 1993/2 was WPI/Doherty, 1994 was WPI/Doherty & Mass Academy, 1995 was WPI/Mass Academy. The gradual shift made the team continuous.

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by Mike M.

As far as I know teams were know by their high school and/or sponsor in 1992. I'm pretty sure I'm right but someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Mike M.

Along with the bracket that Mark referenced, here is the team list from '92.

For you history buffs, you can dig into the TechnoKats History page for more research.

Originally Posted by waialua359

To be part of FIRST since 1992 is amazing. One season of FIRST can burn a person/team out, but to do it for 17 years now, oh my!

I know of one mentor who has been in this since 1992: Paul Kane of team 20. Paul won the Woodie Flowers Finalist Award at the UTC Regional in 2006. Paul is also one of the teachers who worked to develop Project Lead the Way over 10 years ago.

Andy B.

[RoboMom]

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ht=family+tree