Do FIRST kids behave better?

[smurfgirl]

Think about the freshmen on robotics teams at the beginning of the season; walking into any team, you can probably tell who the new members are, just because they act like most other freshmen. Let's face it, most 14-year-olds aren't particularly mature. However, during the course of a season in FIRST, I think the process of learning certain values is expedited, and brings maturity faster. (You just can't horse around near people using power tools, you're expected to be graciously professional... some things just have to be learned.) In general, this leads to kids who have spent time in FIRST being, on average, "better behaved" than kids outside the program. I think most teams will bear witness to it, and have stories about particular team members for whom the program made worlds of difference. However, there are always exceptions, and some people never seem to grow up, while others come into FIRST already exceptionally well-behaved.