GP? I think not.

[Andy Baker]

Originally Posted by Woody1458

You can have your play time, after us. You've had your education let us have ours. Jim I'm sorry to be so frank but pretty much everything you described in the way you team is run is what I work so hard to keep from happening to my team.

Originally Posted by DanTod97

I dont think he was attacking the entire way the team is run, just the specific things Jim described, which specifically had to do with the way mentors treat the build-time

Originally Posted by Woody1458

Mr Anderson I have had respect for your posts in the past, and I do believe you a great man. However the idea that your local school has a FIRST team so that you and your adult buddies can build robots and show them to students is absolutely ridiculous. There are plenty of engineering competitions out there designed towards adult involvement. Innovate or Die, ROBOGAMES http://robogames.net/ to name a few. Go join one of them and allow us to participate in one of the few HS targeted competitions available. Do you honestly think wining these competitions has anything to do with anything? If FIRST could give us a pill that taught us engineering and inspired us in science I'm sure they would save their money and just do that. If there are any students reading this thread who have a team that works like this talk to your mentors! There is a better, more fun way! You don't have to sit back and do nothing. I can tell you its more exciting to see your design fail then to see your mentor's work. There is a better way.

Now just stop. Alan is indeed a great man, and one of my heroes. I suggest you do 3 things at this point:

1. Realize who you are talking to. You are already insulted 1523 (a Regional CA team from this year), and now a 17-year FIRST team who has done a thing here and there for FIRST.
2. Go back and read this thread: Pay special attention to posts #7 and #10, and then read from there. My reply on that thread will probably be overshadowed by Alan's reply here, as he is more of a tactful and articulate than I am.
3. Re-read this thread, and start listening to what others are trying to say to you.

I'll tell you this... if you think that FIRST mentors should shut up, step back, or go away, you are in the minority.

Heed well your words.

Andy Baker