What Is Your Favorite Part Of FRC?

[davidthefat]

What Is Your Favorite Part Of FRC? There seems to be a conflict of interest among different people on the team. The conflict of interests is creating friction among team members and it hinders with progress as a team.

Also, if you vote other, please specify.

[rsisk]

I like the competition season because I travel to so many (5 last year) and get to meet a lot of cool people.

[Chris is me]

How could this thread possibly solve a real problem on a team? "Hey everyone, people on Chief Delphi like this part of FIRST, we need to focus on it!"

[davidthefat]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

How could this thread possibly solve a real problem on a team? "Hey everyone, people on Chief Delphi like this part of FIRST, we need to focus on it!"

That is kind of what I was going for really. Seemed like a solid plan in my head.

[Chris is me]

I guess what I'm trying to say is why should your team care what we think is the best part of FRC?

[AdamHeard]

What offseason?

[davidthefat]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

What offseason?

What ever you do during off season, including the IRI and other off season competitions. Or if your team does any development and out reach stuff.

[bam-bam]

Originally Posted by davidthefat

What ever you do during off season, including the IRI and other off season competitions. Or if your team does any development and out reach stuff.

#sarcasm

[EricH]

Originally Posted by davidthefat

What ever you do during off season, including the IRI and other off season competitions. Or if your team does any development and out reach stuff.

Oh, you mean that less competitive and more developmental part of the season? That's what you call it?

In this case, being vague about the difference of opinion resulted in a distinct lack of clarity about anything except that there was a difference of opinion. A little bit more about what the difference of opinion is about would probably be helpful.



P.S. The term "conflict of interest" is usually used when someone in a position to make or influence a decision stands to gain extra benefit by making a decision in favor of a particular group. Say, for example, when a judge is on a case where they own stock in a corporation involved in the case--though usually the judge recuses himself from that case in that situation.

[davidthefat]

I guess I'll write it here:
Well, I am on a campaign within my team to start running the team more like a company. We are not so high budget, we start from scratch or in debt every year and it really worries me. The year before (break away) we almost could not even participate due to bad financial planning. There is a majority in the group that want to sacrifice a well performing robot in lieu of going to a second regional. Keep in mind, last year was the only year we went to a second regional due to private donations. It was great, but I am looking ahead and thinking of sustaining our team. However, those particularly in non technical groups, want to go to a second regional. I don't blame them. But that second regional burned through half our budget last year and we started this year $400 in debt. This really worries me. But good thing is that we got aggressive on sponsoring and fundraising this year.

You can infer a lot from this. This is my last year, I wish to leave a legacy that would allow the team to sustain for a couple years longer, but I am faced with a great opposition. Especially with all the technical members graduated, except for programmers, no one can make a robot on our team. They see doing research and development during the off season a waste of money. I see it as essential. R&D actually costs a fifth of what a second regional would be (Including lodging, food and ect) I would like to have the kids start out next year with a couple thousand dollars in the bank with a database of different drive trains and code to go along with it since I won't be able to mentor.

So the bottom line is I would like to design and develop drive systems during the off season. That would allow us to be more competitive during competition, allow us more time to debug the drive code (majority of time consisted of this), let the drivers practice, build a practice bot, leave behind a legacy of CAD and code for the next years and to train rookies in skills that go into building a robot.

[Akash Rastogi]

If I had to and I mean HAD TO, choose between a second regional or designing and prototyping before build season, I would choose prototyping. It would cost less to prototype systems you want to learn about than it would to attend a second regional, and the return on investment is potentially greater.

That is why my favorite part of FRC is the "offseason."

In the end, at least you know you need to fundraise more. The money you save from not attending a second regional can also be used to compete in offseason events (many more of them). So yeah, if given the option, I would focus on how to make my robot more competitive. Perhaps your team really needs to lay out a financial/sustainability plan for the future. You never want to be in the position that you win a regional or somehow qualify for championships, but can't afford to go because you spent up your money during the pre-season.

More money = more fun, but it doesn't always = better robot.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

If I had to and I mean HAD TO, choose between a second regional or designing and prototyping before build season, I would choose prototyping. It would cost less to prototype systems you want to learn about than it would to attend a second regional, and the return on investment is potentially greater.

I have to respectfully disagree. The second event is more or less essential to our program. You really need that quick turnaround iteration cycle to inspire kids with hard work.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by rsisk

I like the competition season because I travel to so many (5 last year) and get to meet a lot of cool people.

this

[Dustin Shadbolt]

I agree with the saying of "what off season". I would have to say build season, because it's where the magic happens. I loved it. Competitions are a close second.


Come on guys you know nothing beats waking up in the middle of the night during build season with ideas that need to written down. Also you gotta love the pizza/dew diet.

[krudeboy51]

That anxious, sense of exploration feeling I get when i start programming a newly built robot during build season