2008 National Chairman's Award: Who will be THE ONE?

[Barry Bonzack]

I would like to sing the praises of 476.

This is a team that has won an award every year they have competed since 2000, but this is the first year they have ever won the RCA even though they do an excellent submission every year.

They have been working hard over the past few years because they had a dream of having a regional in their own state of Oklahoma, Houston is quite a drive for them. They provided great assistance to me when I was trying to get a team off the ground, it took a couple of years but that team is now 2165 in Bartlesville Oklahoma. At the time, I believe it was only the 8th team to spring up in the state. This year, they made their dreams a reality. They were able to get the Oklahoma Legislature to pass $100,000 to start new FIRST teams. This made the FIRST community in Oklahoma explode! there were over 25 rookie teams this year, enough for Oklahoma to be able to have its own regional. Guess which team has been there the entire way to push this regional into a reality? 476.

What about those some 25+ rookie teams? How did they fair? well 476 hosted a satellite kickoff at Oklahoma State University. After all the teams had their kit of parts, they hosted a workshop so every team could go home with a working drivetrain on the first day of buildseason. There were no robots at the Oklahoma regional that sat in the corner the entire competition and did nothing.

Team 932 is also from Oklahoma, they won the Chairmans at the St. Louis Regional. I do not know anything from their story, but I don't want to leave them out completely. I'm sure they also have had their hand in this magic.


I am rooting hard for my friends over on 476, but I doubt that a 1st year chairmans award winner will go home with the clock. That being said, you'll be hardpressed to find a team that has done significantly more than the Wildcats of Ponca City.


I'm also rooting for 1676, simply because it would be fun to see Zara go absolutely nuts.