Losing focus on the purpose of FIRST.. someone bring me back

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Posted by colleen.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]


Coach on team #246, a FIRST-aholic, from John D. O'Byrant High School/Boston Latin Academy and NSTAR/Boston University/Wentworth Institute of Technology/MassPEP.

Posted on 4/28/2000 10:57 PM MST


In Reply to: Losing focus on the purpose of FIRST.. someone bring me back posted by colleen on 4/28/2000 10:23 AM MST:



OK- a little more justification to what i said..

seeing the responses and ones i've gotten in email.. i'd like to say this..

i do have fun.. through all the hardships, i do.. this has honestly been 5 years of hardships for me.. no need to air any more dirty laundry here.. just understand there's more than meets the eye in what i do.. you've all seen me happy as crazy, driving the robot on stage.. that's what most of you see.. not that i would expect anymore.. but just know that all that fun happened through hardship.. lots of hardship.. in any case.. not the point.. i wasn't lucky enough to have the opportunity to start a team, and grateful as well that it was done the year before.. in any case, i did my best to have fun and bring that attitude to our kids.. and i think it shown through considering the praise they got at Jersey for their spirit and determination despite the fact that we never rose out of last seed.. but scores don't fairly portray ability often, and even more importantly, it can in no way represent determination.. we were out on the field every practice and every match.. we accomplished great things that i was proud of.. as proud of a last place finish as i was for the gold medal the year before.. i had fun..

but it doesn't change the attitude of some.. some that made me feel as if there was something wrong with your best efforts resulting in 40th place.. i see nothing wrong with that.. i was proud, and that was slapped in my face..

as for the transition.. and not being back home.. i'll be the first to admit that it's different, it's hard.. but i came to this team looking for that.. looking for a challenge.. and i would never never ever think or look or ask for a team to fill the shoes of 126.. the gold lightening bolt on my neck doesn't bear the name 'Gael Force' because i was looking to replace them.. nothing, or no one, could do them justice in my heart.. i will always remain true to my hometown team.. but i am on a new one now, and simply feed of my experiences from their and make a new place for 246..

and know there are tons of good things going on, that people don't see because they don't win awards... i see all the good things up-coming.. but then i also see other teams trying reach those same goals faster, or out-do the others... that's where i see the point being missed.. imagine if another team had tried to do a one-up on delphi with these forums.. we'd be split.. half talking there, half here.. when there's no reason our voices shouldn't be joined all together.. that's all i'm saying.. we can't work against each other..

and i know there are new people, new ideas, new approaches every year.. it's what i thrive off of.. it keeps me awake and alive.. trust me, this year i throw out every old idea i knew to work with others..

alls i know is that 'You must be the change you want to see in the world' (Ghandhi maybe).. i'm trying to be that change.. i have these past 5 years and will continue in the future... but some are too big for anyone of us, or any one team, to tackle on their own.. that's why we have to work together.. not all teams have the same funding, same skill, same experience.. so we have to feed off each other, just like we do in this forum..

basically, i see many of us focused on the same thing, but battling against each other in some respects.. and i want that to change... some of the times i've tried to change it, it's just fail miserably..

but i have not failed, and i am not ready to stop.. and i will keep working until FIRST is a worldwide source of inspiration for generations... my life will never be without FIRST.. i just want to help it move in the right direction..

so maybe that wasn't 'little' but you all know me better than that.. now i'm off to attack the government 'bout this craze FIRST..