Congratulations 1114, 217 and 148

[JVN]

I've sat down to write this post several times now, and each time words have failed me.

148 had a rough weekend. As many of you know we were plagued by problems and had a tough time figuring out what was going wrong. I think many of us believed (rightfully so) that we would not make the elimination tournament.

Luckily for us, someone decided to take a risk on little Tumbleweed.

I will never be able to thank 1114 and 217 enough. I am extremely happy with the close bond that has developed between our teams over the past 2 years. This friendship is an incredible thing. To be able to play with you guys was just unbelievable.

Those who know me, know I am not a nervous person. (I may be a huge pessimist, but not nervous.) When Luke called out "148" my hand started shaking. I've never been so scared in FIRST as I was at that moment. I was terrified we would screw something up for 1114. I was worried we would do something to let these guys down. NEVER has there been a team more deserving. I'm just glad we could do our part to help you guys get your first win.

Long before this weekend I knew 1114 and 217 were models for all FIRST teams. Over the years I've spent a lot of time with the mentors and students of both teams. None of this could prepare me for my experiences on Saturday afternoon. There were so many absolutely MAGICAL moments.

I know I will never be part of an alliance this incredible, ever again (my apologies to all future partners, but you've got BIG shoes to fill.) It would be difficult to describe to an outsider exactly what it was like. I will never forget my time on "the alliance built on friendship". It really was a "dream alliance" but maybe not for the reasons most people think.

Thank you for an incredible run!

Your Friend,
John

PS - "Can I get an Encore, do you want more?"