Chairman's Award -- is the bar too high now?

[JaneYoung]

There can be a fine line between intimidation and inspiration when it come to the elite in FIRST. Those teams who have committed to setting the bar for excellence in ways that change the culture, help to draw that line and deepen it.

Just as not every team is destined for Einstein, not every team is destined for the Championship Chairman's Award. Does that mean they should quit making inroads of change in their team and in their community? Does that mean they should cap their potential? Does that mean that inspiration is limited to an award? No.

Does it mean that teams should assess their efforts each year and perhaps, realign and adjust their goals to match their progress? Yes. Does that mean that teams will change as they season and develop? Yes. Does that mean that as teams season and develop that so does their potential for impact and changing the culture by - increasing? Absolutely.

Where is the reward in this? In the students who move on to graduate and carry the team development and the inspiration they've received - with them.

If Miss Daisy's achievement - after several attempts - becomes a disincentive, then that reaction would be the total opposite of what 341 or ANY of the Hall Of Fame teams would want, desire, or hope for. They would want teams to continue to dig in, inspire, bring change, and - document it, with the potential opportunity of garnering a Championship Chairman's.

Jane

Edit: To be clear - I meant that every team who submits for Chairman's will not win the Championship Chairman's. It is my personal philosophy that every FRC team that qualifies should submit for the Chairman's Award and the Woodie Flowers Award. It is also very rewarding for rookies to submit for the Rookie All Star. The journey is full of win.