TEAM 406 NEEDS HELP!!!!!

[neoshaakti]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

You may have just fallen into your situation in the best game possible for you.

This game is designed for teams like yours. Use kit parts and just make it work. Keeping your chin up is easy to say, but hard to do. You've come to the right place and stay on it. Just remember one thing in your situation a friend told me just last night:

"Work smarter, not harder"

I know it may seem like the opposite of what you've been taught but it is a way to succeed if done correctly.

Lol 1337 post ^_^

Yea I have to agree with Stogi here. Its pretty intuitive to think that a lot of members, members and coaches make a team that will have a robot ready in 6 weeks. That may not always be the case. Working with 7 people who are focused and willing to do some research on CD using whitepapers and the other numerous FIRST technical resources. Delegate well, not all 7 of you have to be working on the same thing as well. Also, you said that there were people in the club that were not part of the 7. Keeping them involved in important, whether they are making runs to home depot, or just attempting to learn through tasks such as building the trailer or making the bumpers.
As far as mentors go, maybe a team parent is handy enough to help you out? A few parents went under the radar for a few weeks until they were lest intimidated by "building a robot" and helped us by teaching us how to use powertools and helping us secure out robot in our crate.
Anyways, I hope this helps

I know you may feel frustrated at the moment, but take a minute to acknowledge the fact that you care enough about your team to wish to change its situation. Maybe this year you won't have the killer robot that will just school everyone at your regional, but you know what, its all right. I know what your feeling, I've expended a lot of energy in frustration myself. Just hang in there, you'll feel enormously satisfied when your vision for the team starts taking form.

Take care, if you wanna talk, vent, or ask for advice (Im limited on technical advice) PM me sometime

Good Luck

[amariealbrecht]

As you may be frustrated with this year because your team is small, you will be just fine. You have 7 kids that are really excited to build a robot and thats all you need. My suggestions, after looking at this years game a little harder, would be to build a robot that is simple but effective. Yours might not do everything but in my experience alliance members are looking for robots that do one thing super well. Try to build a robot that is a simple herder. The other thing you can do, since this years game has a good amount of human interaction, is you can train really good drivers and a good thrower.
My last suggestion is to call on an older team in your area for a team friendship, they could fill in the spots for your missing mentors!

Best of Luck!!

[maltz1881]

Our Team has competed with only 5 kids in the past. It is very doable. We now have 12 kids. Sure larger teams may have an advantage in some areas however your team will know each other like the back of your hand. It is difficult to do that with 50 or 60 kids.

The kit has just about everything you need to build a nice robot. Sure you may not be able to put $2500.00 into it but most teams don't anyways. Esp. in this economy. Our kids have collected pop cans ( we have a deposit on them ) and raised over $300.00 in a few days. That was with 5 kids!

Cheer up you have something available to you that most kids in the world ever will. Think positive. Find a team near you, they will help I would bet on it!

I wish you the best of luck!

[robert.hatchett]

Our team started with 7 students, the school principal, and myself. We worked out of a basement with my toolbox. Not a lot of funding and the superstructure was painted 2x4's. Yet we completed the build season, participated well, and learned much.

It is the experience of the six week challenge that is important, not the amount of students/money/resources available, nor is it about scoring/ranking at competition.

Link up with other teams if possible, but at the very least use the experience as character building.

This is a preparation for life, not a guarantee of high placement in the competition.

Good luck and keep your head up!