What Is Something Awesome That Happened To You And/Or Your Team This Season?

[JamesCH95]

Originally Posted by BradMello

this has to be one of the most ironic things I've ever read

I strive for maximum irony. Though now that I am reminded what your robot looks like I am pretty sure she was NOT from 78.

[delsaner]

Originally Posted by Nigel

climbing kilroy

My jaw-dropped when I saw that happen. You could hear the excitement within the crowd. =]

[Wildcat]

lotta memorable things for me...both good and bad...since i like the good better than the bad ill share those:
-my first year as the scouting coordinator for my team (most stressful job ever)
-made back-up driver (only non senior on my team's drive team )
-got to drive twice so far this year (i still need some practice)
-got to go on field for my team for alliance selection (note to self: use bathroom before going on field, always)
-my team made the semi-finals during a week 2 event (for the second year in a row AND second time in TEAM HISTORY we've made the semi's )
-i proved myself that i CAN survive a competition without mtn dew

[fireyoshi]

Well FRC was a very fun experience made of epic win for everyone involved in team 3411.
- We won Rookie All-Star and obtained Highest Rookie Seed in the Bayou Regional.
- We were told by the MC, judges, and other teams that we don't act like a rookie team (this probably makes me the happiest)
- Had some of the awesomest alliance-mates in team 57 (good luck in Lone Star!) and 3039 (one of the best defensive robots I've seen)
- Getting one of the most strenuous workouts ever
- Knowing that as a senior, the team will be left in good hands for next year and other years to come.

[Phoenix Spud]

The coolest moment for me was walking out of the GSR stadium with all the awards we won. (4-5 depending on how you count) The awards weren't the cool part though. The cool part was knowing that the lives of my team mates would never be the same. One of them now hopes to become an engineer--before he wanted to be a docotor--and another has changed the coureses she is taking at school to include science.

More rode on our team then just that robotics comeptition at this year's GSR. The fate of Australia was resting on our shoulders to a certain extent. We will now attend the Championship not only representing Australia, but also my home region, New England. There is a certain sense of irony there, but it is good irony.

Our team met and exceeded all our goals. At the begging of the season we said our main goal was to have a driving robot that did SOMTHING by the competition. We had many hurdles to overcome being the firrst FIRST team in Australia, but with each challange we rose to meet it, and in the process became a family. I have never seen a FIRST team come together as much as we did. We really miss each other, and e-mail or Facebook every night!!!

On the plane ride home, we would all gather at the back of the plane and talk about how great GSR was. Luckily, the plane wasn't that full, so we didn't bother anyone. I think most of the time was spent talking about fundraising to get back to the USA for Atlanta. We can't wait to see you there!!!

[Mr. Pockets]

One of my favorite moments of the season was our sixth or seventh match at the Traverse City district. This was our first year attempting to use a swerve drive, and it was having some serious issues. The first several matches we ended up being more or less a doorstoo. So anywho, we all hurry back up to the stands praying that our bot will finally work this time and, lo and behold, tele-op starts and our bot rockets forward. We promptly become stuck on two balls earning us a penalty and a loss for our alliance. We didn't care though, to see our bot actually moving around meant way more than a match result. It was priceless =)

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by BEEKMAN

Winning GSR after being told by one of the top 8 teams (we were in second to last at the time)(and i'm not going to say the team #) that they shouldn't take advice from us, as we're were "clearly not a qualified team to be giving advice". Many teams let the leaderboard go to their head. It felt very good to beat them in the finals, and become a regional winner!

Brendan, that win was epic!

I will agree with Brendan, winning GSR was amazing, but because our team was on the winning alliance was not the reason why. Back in 2003 my older brother founded team 1058 and I was hooked on FIRST after watching them compete at GSR that year. I got involved with FLL that fall and was a 1058 fan ever since 2003. I went to every GSR since, traveled to the Greater Toronto Regional in 2005 with them, along with several off-season tournaments. In the fall of 2007 after graduating from FLL I decided to join team 1519 as they were a homeschooled team and I was close friends with several members. Since then, I have gained so many new and awesome friends on team 1058 at tournaments (BEEKMAN included ). So just being on the same alliance with them was amazing, but winning the regional with them was just so much more than that. My brother never/rarely smiles and is not one for emotion, but I have never seen him smile as big as he did or dare i say hug me like he did after the finals. So for me, awesome was after winning the regional and congratulating your teammates to go over to team 1058 and realize you won, and you won together. I only wish my grandmother was still here to see it. She hoped it would happen in previous years which it never did, but 6 months later it did.

[huberje]

Definitely something awesome that happened was when we won our 3 vs 1 match (Especially since it was our first match in the competition).

This has been a really exciting year, and I'm looking forward to what other awesome things will happen at our next competition.

[McVey]

So there I was at the Washington DC regional, a penalty was called on my team for having the kicker outside of our frame for more than 2 seconds. Our kicker cannot physically exit the robot frame perimeter so I walked up to the question box and waited on the head referee. I glance over to my right, and who just so happens to be sitting there? Dean Kamen, John Abele, and Harry Reed. I had a wonderful conversation with the three of them until Dean had to leave. Amazing people all three of them, they then signed my safety goggles.

Not to mention I got the penalty removed!

Originally Posted by huberje

Definitely something awesome that happened was when we won our 3 vs 1 match (Especially since it was our first match in the competition).

Your team impressed me from the start - watching your autonomous score from the far goal on practice Thursday just blew my mind.

[ExTexan]

I can't seem to grasp my mind around the idea of being as spirited as 67, or 27, or 51, or 2771 - all teams that I respect for their energy, enthusiasm, and unity.

Karibou, it's pretty easy for those teams to have spirit. I usually only get to know the drive teams but I have enjoyed being around 1189's drive team for 2years now. Your team has a lot to be proud of! Being good people is as important as being the winners of some robotics competition!

At West Mich this year we were the ones being looked up to... it is the weirdest feeling in the world and something I have never felt before.

Fuzzy, haven't seen the PI this year yet but I did celebrate 3/14! That feeling you described is the one that turns competitors into consistent champions. See you at States and looking forward to a big PI future.

and for the first time in many years we actually felt that we could win it.

Alex, I was there and you could have won it. Glad you guys got to enjoy that feeling. That's why the good teams win in every sport and competition.....they know they can win it so they do. Now you know.

-got to go on field for my team for alliance selection (note to self: use bathroom before going on field, always)

and finally Wildcat, my orange neighbor, imagine this. You are a 3rd year team and it is your first time picking as one of the top 8. Not only that but you are the top seed, have to pick first and I am telling you that you should pick 217 Thunder Chickens even though they are not at the competition! She didn't want to but she had the nerve to do it at Ann Arbor this year, Grant (former 217 driver) was the MC, and in on it, so after the dead silence it was fun! And hopefully that is what the whole 862 team feels....it is all fun!

[Sandee]

Being part of the excitement............it is awesome!

[lenny8]

During boilermaker this year, after we had just lost semis i was feeling really down. one of the seniors came up to me and said " Lenny, thanks for making this the most fun year Ive ever had." ( this coming from kid had been on the team since 7th grade.) that's when i realized why people like Andy baker, Joe Reel and Chris Elston do this its not about winning or losing, it's about the memories and experience you give the kids that will last them a life time.

this was my first year mentoring and i cant wait for the years to come.

[Ed__]

When my team got be on team 1676 alliance for one match and all the scouting and plain for match was completed by 1676 the only team in the whole regional that had all the scouting and plain for match before I did. I like to thank them for this I found this to be awesome just in to see a good team be good

[Kibaspirit]

Probably winning the Traverse City District for the second year in a row. That was awesome.

[Chris Hibner]

For me, it was the last "breakfast club" of the build season.

Merging two teams can be a tough thing to do. Merging two teams with a lot of history and a lot of pride has potential for disaster. When we first realized that merging was all but certain, there was a fair amount of animosity about the situation and a lot of unanswered questions: what is the team name/number going to be? who's history are we keeping? how are we going to integrate the process and culture of each team? blah blah blah. I always hoped for the best, but I could see that there were going to be landmines to dodge.

Of course there were some growing pains, but for the most part the integration has gone well. I was really starting to notice that the team was coming together. Then at the last "breakfast club" of the year (which was an AMAZING pot luck, btw), Mr. Martus gave a great speech about how the team has come together and how we need to celebrate the unity and the birth of the new team, and how the merger has made us a much better team than just the sum of the parts. Afterward I overheard many comments saying how the merger may be the best thing that could ever have happened.

Mergers always have the potential for disaster. It makes me really proud of our entire group of students, teachers, metors, parents, and team alumni to put aside some of the past rivalry to make this new team work. I'm ecstatic to be a part of it. As always, nothing is perfect - but at this stage of the game it is working better than we could have hoped.