Team in ruins

[ttldomination]

Originally Posted by cactuarman

It was a good idea listing out my questions. After doing so I realized that my problem wasn't so big and that it is quite manageable with the right resources. A lot of these questions I have found were already answered elsewhere.
here are some questions I came up with:
-What would be the best method of teaching everything the newcomers will need to know before build season(ex: how often do you think we should meet to get a good handle of things before season starts?)
-Do you think java would be a good language to use, especially when teaching people who most likely have no experience with programming or should I go with Labview.
-How would I go about finding mentors?


I think team 842 helping us would be a great idea. I'm sure that would be very helpful to our team.

Thanks for the help so far.

- I've found that the best way to teach new comers is to have them work alongside with veterans, but that's where your team lacks. I would recommend that you guys strip down bots and talk about the function. There are several resources online (WPI, CD, TBA) which will give you resources to teach your new members all sorts of skills.

I would recommend at least once a week.

- This is really in the eye of the beholder. For me, personally, I find Java to be better in the scope of teaching. The material available online for Java is unparalleled. You want to think long term and wonder "next year, when I'm not here, will they be able to handle it". (which is one thing my team isn't really putting on priority)

- I find that mentors are the most effective when he/she has a want to put effort into whatever they have. Encourage parents, neighbors, and even sponsors to come out and lend a hand. Offer companies a higher level of sponsorship if they chose to come out and help. You'll find that there are a lot of people who are just waiting to help you.


Don't worry about it too much. As long you have a clear heading, you'll get where you want to go. I would recommend you get in touch with a local team. They might help you expand your base, and who knows, maybe you'll have gained a new competition partner.