Kick-Off 2010 - Who's Excited And What Is A Skill That You Want To Develop?

[Wayne TenBrink]

I'm pumped & ready to go, but I still haven't had my usual pre-kickoff nightmare about getting lost on the way to kickoff.

As a mentor, I hope to develop my skills in the following areas:
- Discern the current and potential skills of everyone on the team.
- Delegate tasks & responsibilities accordingly, and then let the person/team take ownership of the product.
- Teach students to think for themselves - not just follow instructions.
- Keep everybody productively occupied.
- Keep an open mind on technical approaches. Don't just latch on to the first idea that comes to mind.
- Keep all receipts and submit them in a timely manner...

[Nate Smith]

Originally Posted by EricVanWyk

Can you mentor me on this technique?

Sign me up for this class too...last time I tried taking a year off just for the sake of taking a year off, a team called me and wanted to basically "hire" me for build season...since then, I've had a few years off out of necessity(read: two new additions to the family, 14 months apart)

[buddyb]

I'm extremely excited for kickoff.

This year, I'm looking to improve my software and management skills, and am looking forward to meeting and becoming friends with newcomers on our team, and those on other FRC teams; the FIRST community really is an excellent one.

This is my first post here in awhile not asking for help and just for fun. I know I'm excited about kickoff because I'm spending time on Chief Delphi again instead of finding other ways to procrastinate. As a senior, I can't wait to graduate, but am also sad and excited to see my fourth and final year on the team.

Originally Posted by Karibou

I'm looking to improve both my time management and general leadership skills this year. I'd like to actually have the motivation to do some of my homework (I DO have the time. Just not the motivation), and possibly snag a job so that I'll have some money.

I also really need work on leading rather than just doing. I've got the same habit that Chris does: doing instead of teaching. As a team leader and a junior, I need to start passing on what I've learned and start taking a little more of a hands-off approach. As a mentor told me yesterday, the attitude that he wants the captains to take this year is more of a "welcome to mentoring" standpoint.

I like this post. I think I need to start to stay back a little if I really want to teach kids what I think is important, which to me is both mechanical abilities but equally the ability to think for oneself and act independently of a safeguard. As captain, I hope to become more like a mentor, so I'll be better prepared to do whatever leadership jawn I want to commit my life to.

Originally Posted by Wayne TenBrink

I'm pumped & ready to go, but I still haven't had my usual pre-kickoff nightmare about getting lost on the way to kickoff.

As a mentor, I hope to develop my skills in the following areas:
- Discern the current and potential skills of everyone on the team.
- Delegate tasks & responsibilities accordingly, and then let the person/team take ownership of the product.
- Teach students to think for themselves - not just follow instructions.
- Keep everybody productively occupied.
- Keep an open mind on technical approaches. Don't just latch on to the first idea that comes to mind.
- Keep all receipts and submit them in a timely manner...

Lol, I found this funny, since for the first time ever my dad is letting me drive to kickoff by myself, and one of the slight fears of mine is I'll take the wrong exit on the way to Upper Darby and get completely lost.

[Swampdude]

I'm stoked for 2010, had a nice break and I'm ready to pull out the rest of my hair.
I'm going to try and not whine when they change rules due to "clarification" (seriously).
I hope to volunteer for my first time at a regional or nats because we weren't able to register for 2 events this year, so I'm looking forward to that also.
Good Luck Ya'll!

[Robert Cawthon]

Strangely enough, I am reducing my involvement with the team (1802). The team is starting to mature and I find that some of the parents are stepping up to fill the gaps. I am trying to get them to recruit more mentors (there are many out there that can do more than I can) and get the seniors to mentor the freshmen. Perhaps in a few years, we will get new mentors that used to be students with the team.

[AdamHeard]

In a large group such as my team, I often talk to much and bring up topics/conversations that are barely related, and really just wastes everyone's time and energy. I'd like to do that less.

[Jeffy]

Very excited
My goal this year is to do less work. Therefore getting the rest of the team to do more work and they learn more.

[joeweber]

Although I helped in the 1999 season this will be my 10th year at a Kick Off. Each year I am excited about the new game release and each year I get less interested in the interesting speeches given before the release. I want to get right to the game, but we all know how important the speeches are and the information given. It is good for the students to hear what goes into setting all of this up and how it will help them in the future.
When you’re new at this you tend to think that your idea is the best and it is crazy to do it any other way. I have learned through the years that there are many ways to win the game and it is better to work with the group and come up with a plan together. I hope to listen to others better and make this a great learning experience for the students. (That is what this is about anyway).

[Andrew Schreiber]

This will be my 7th FRC Kickoff. I am still excited despite not really being part of a team anymore.

A skill I would like to learn this season? I want to learn more how to design and make. Maybe not well enough to build a drive train or an arm but well enough to make a mount for a sensor. 7 years ago I learned how to use mills,lathes, drill presses, etc and I haven't put the knowledge to much use, I would like to change this.

[Akash Rastogi]

Admittedly, I'm working on not yelling at kids this year.

I want to begin designing efficiently and intelligently. I want to learn to dominate a match.

[Joe G.]

Each year, I get more and more excited about kickoff, and this being my senior year...lets say I'm not sure how I'm going to sleep tonight...I just spent all day in the robotics lab improving our crate, doing some last-minute kickoff planning, and building storage systems, and can't wait to get started on the robot!

And as for goals...teach my team everything I know, and get some promising, newer members to love this stuff as much as I do.

[Richard Wallace]

My goal for 2010 is to develop remote mentoring skills.

And oh yes, I am excited!

[Trent B]

I am excited for tomorrow which made me ADD all week.

I am with Kara and Chris, this year I need to work on teaching more than doing (my goal is to be responsible for less than 25% of the electrical wiring this year, I did almost all of it last year because the other members interested seemed to not be able to stay focused.)

We have a team that is 1.5 to 2x larger than last year if people stay in it and continue to stick to it, many of these members are Freshman so I am also hoping to learn to have more patience in teaching them and listening to their ideas.

[billbo911]

I love the fact that so many Mentors and leaders have responded and all with great anticipation for tomorrows event! Yes, I too am itching to see our new challenge.

What skill would I like to develop? I want to learn Inventor.