'Twas the night before Kick-off'

[Sunshine]

'Twas the night before Kick-off, we’ll call it Kick-off Eve,
No team knew what challenge tomorrow conceived.

The guesses were many but none were for sure,
The enthusiasm was high and the excitement was pure.

The students were restless as they went to bed,
While visions of robots raced through their heads.


Flowers knew the challenge along with Kamen,
Tomorrow the rest of us would find out, AMEN.


The long awaited answer to what we would do,
For the next six weeks would soon come true.

Our mentors and team have been working for weeks,
Teaching our CNC group how to produce the many tweaks.

Showing our mechanics how holes get tapped,
Instructing our controls team on not getting zapped.

Our programmers were contemplating autonomous control,
While our drivers thought about their manual role.

Our challenge I’m sure which will be first rate,
And in just six weeks it’ll get stuck in a crate.


Off to our first regional for 2011,
To a competition that will be just like heaven.

There’s work ahead building our robot and crate,
As we work with the manual and “daily” update.

And for tomorrow, make sure you’re there at eight.


Weighing our robot and counting each pound,
If it’s too heavy, more holes will be found.

We brainstorm, plan and build what a feat,
While having fun 'til our robots’ complete.

There are awards available, very many we knew,
We all hoped we would end up with one, maybe two.

The awards presented by FIRST, our mentor he read,
As thoughts for winning them began to be said.


There’s Chairman’ s and Quality and Safety and Visualization,
There’s Inventor and Spirit and Website and Innovation.

Tomorrow won’t come soon enough for Team 2062,
We’re always looking for better things to do.


A short time from now received by satellite dish,
Will come the answer to each teams wish.


As we get prepared for another busy build season,
We say to all teams for all the right reasons.


And it needs to be said and comes from the gut,
“Gracious Professionalism to all and to all Good Luck “

[dag0620]

Aww beat me to the point

Awesome Poem over all!

[Jon Stratis]

Great poem! Anyone have anything more exciting than sleep planned for the night before kickoff? I know I'm going to get as much as i can tonight to get ready for the build season!

[torihoelscher]

Originally Posted by eagle33199

Great poem! Anyone have anything more exciting than sleep planned for the night before kickoff? I know I'm going to get as much as i can tonight to get ready for the build season!

Too much excitement! No sleep tonight!!!!!

[DinerKid]

I love this. I have been waiting for it for weeks. My teamates have been getting tired of hearing me recite the old one

~DK

[Robert Cawthon]

Originally Posted by eagle33199

Great poem! Anyone have anything more exciting than sleep planned for the night before kickoff? I know I'm going to get as much as i can tonight to get ready for the build season!

Get as much sleep as you can tonight. You will probably miss it over the next month and a half.

Great poem, by the way. I have been looking forward to it and posted the link on my team's facebook page.

[GCentola]

That was great! and pretty much sums up every feeling and thought that could be had tonight. IM SO EXCITED!!!!

[BIGWILLI2081]

this is a work of art

[Matt Howard]

This reminds me a lot of the Submarine version that I hold dearly to my heart:

T'was the night before Christmas, and what no-one could see,
The men with the dolphins were under the sea.
Most of the crew was flat on their backs,
Snoring and dreaming all snug in their racks.

Those men on watch were making their rounds,
Some manning the planes or listening for sounds.
Back in maneuvering or down in the room,
They all hoped the oncoming watch would come soon.

I'd finished some PM's whose time was now due,
And hoped for some sleep, even an hour or two.
Against better judgment I took a short stroll,
And found myself wandering into control.

The Nav had the Conn, the COW was in place,
The COB had the Dive and a scowl on his face.
The helm and the planes were relaxed but aware,
The QM and ET were discussing a dare.

To comply with the orders the Nav told the Dive,
To bring the boat up with minimum rise.
The orders were given and soon they were there,
At periscope depth with a scope in the air.

The QM confirmed our position with care,
The broadcast was copied, we brought in some air.
The Nav on the scope let out a small cry,
He shook his head twice and rubbed at his eyes.

He looked once again to find what it was,
That interrupted his sweep and caused him to pause.
Try as he might there was nothing to see,
So down went the scope and us to the deep.


I asked what it was that caused his dismay,
He sheepishly said, "I'm embarrassed to say."
It could have been Northern Lights or a cloud,
Or a meteorite he wondered aloud.

But to tell you the truth I guess I must say,
Whatever it was it looked like a sleigh.
And though it passed quickly and never was clear,
I almost believe it was pulled by reindeer.

We laughed and teased him and I got up to go,
When our moment was broken by "Conn, Radio."
They told us a message was just coming in,
We looked at the depth gauge and started to grin.

"Radio, Conn, I feel safe to say,
Your attempt at a joke is too long delayed.
If it had been sooner it might have been neat,
But I doubt we're receiving at four-hundred feet."

"Conn, Radio, you can come down and see,
We're not playing games to any degree."
I headed aft with nothing better to do,
Surprised by the fact it was still coming through.

It stopped and was sent to control to be read,
The Nav read it slowly and scratched at his head.
Then again he began but this time aloud,
To those that now waited, a curious crowd.

"To you Denizens of the Deep and men of the sea,
Who risk your life daily so others stay free.
I rarely have seen you on this, my big night,
For far too often you are hidden from sight.

But purely by luck I saw you tonight,
As your scope coaxed the plankton to glow in the night.
And lucky for me I've finally won,
The chance to say thanks for all you have done.

I know that you miss your families at home,
And sometimes you feel as if you're alone.
But trust what I say and I'll do what's right,
I'll take something special to your families tonight.

Along with the gifts I'll take to your kin,
I'll visit their dreams and leave word within.
They'll hear of your love, and how you miss them,
I'll tell them that soon you'll be home again.

It might not be much I know that is true,
To thank you for all the things that you do.
But I'll do what I can, while you do what's right,
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight."

[bobosalad]

Please post on the "You know when you have overdosed on first when..." I love the poem. Much creativity. It seems like something i would do.

[bearbot]

i luv this to all finallly nite of sleep for some not me my season starts now till feb 22 wen we dnt c it till competetion i then say good nite

ps- it that time of year tools dread for tired asult from alll the team work but then some make the championship and say it was all worth the time to help the kids and mentor to succed to this point

[chemipanda]

This poem brought a tear to my eye because it was so good

[Dustin Shadbolt]

Ahhh It's beginning to feel a lot like Kickoff

[buildmaster5000]

Well you should bring this up next December and have "twas the night before the first hint...."

[ATannahill]

Originally Posted by buildmaster5000

Well you should bring this up next December and have "twas the night before the first hint...."

Just remind us that night.