Competition Professionalism

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by Henry_222

I am lividly afraid that there are kids out there who go to the events and have nothing, and had nothing, to do with the robot. It is only a social event. Where is the inspiration and recognition in that.

How do you know that those kids dancing in the stands had nothing to do with the robot? Perhaps two of them assisted in the design and build of the manipulator, but are in the stands so as to not overcrowd the pit. Others may have the job of scouting the event, and are using the break to clear their minds. Maybe 3 of them have returned to the stands after their award-winning Chairmans presentation.

Granted there are always problems with getting students involved. On larger teams I suspect it is harder than on smaller ones, as some of the kids tend to get lost in the crowd. There are generally 3 groups of students

1. the core group that is always there, whenever the shop is open
2. another bunch of very dedicated kids, who also participate in other activities, and come to robotics whenever they are able
3. a group that you just aren't sure when you will see them

Of course we want to minimize the number of students in that last group. But perhaps the fun of the competitions, the cameraderie they have with other team members, the other more "social" aspects of the team, are what keep them coming. And somewhere along the line, it clicks for them, and suddenly they're in group 1. Or maybe they stay in group 3 all the while they're on the team, but it gives them a taste for what engineering and technology is all about, and they make a college decision based on that. Inspiration comes in many flavors.

And personally, I've seen far too many professional gatherings that could have been improved immensely by a line dance!