Team 1583 has team ‘norms’ which are student enforced. You become a team member by demonstrating respect, motivation, spirit,and gracious professionalism among other character traits. It’s not showing much respect or being very gracious to other teams by playing video games at a regional while they compete. Btw, we’ve won the gracious professionalism award the past three years in a row at the Denver regional and it wasn’t for helping others play video games.
As someone who takes the FRC extremely seriously, the whole attitude of FIRST being “just another club” also scares me. That attitude will eventually lead to that team’s demise if it doesn’t get corrected soon.
was it pokemon… I can understand if it was pokemon, those games are awesome!
But seriously, that students would consider doing this at all during a comptition has me baffled. The FIRST experience is so unique and special, and you’re waisting it playing videogames?
Walk around the pits, collect buttons, examine others robots, scout, meet new people, and for heavens sake Cheer For Your Robot! There are so many teams that just sit and watch quietly well their robot is playing! Coming from a team who got other teams mad at us for standing up and cheering during one of our matches at Atlanta (Apparently, we were blocking their view, Sorry:rolleyes: we ended up changing to a less viewblocking area further to the side.) I want to see people excited at robotics comptitions, because its an exciting thing!
If people want to play videogames while their at a FIRST comptition then something is seriously wrong…
my 2 cents
I couldn’t agree with you more. I am baffled by the number of people who would rather play video games or just talk in the pits rather than cheer for their team or another for that matter.
I do agree that FIRST being “just another club” is a grave statement, but not everyone has an interest in robots. Yes, we are supposed to raise awareness of robotics and engineering, but it just doesn’t click with some people. I take some FRC very seriously as well, but I respect the fact that some people don’t have an interest in engineering, only if they have been previously introduced to engineering.
Getting back on the topic of video games, there are certain times when the power-switch needs to go off. The only times where I would game is during lunch break, on the bus, or in the hotel (when we aren’t doing anything significant). About Dean’s speeches, I will agree that they are boring at times, but it is disrespectful to be engrossed in a video game more than the speech of the founder. =/
My two pennies.
I generally don’t think “oh, what huge brats” when I see kids on other teams playing DS or texting during a long opening speech, and that their actions can be used to extrapolate that they don’t appreciate FIRST. I think it’s a simple combination of lack of awareness, the somewhat hyperactive nature of the average FIRST student, and the culture of today that makes this thing happen rather than an intentional effort to disrespect speakers.
Consider that people these days do stuff like livetweeting, texting, dynamic communication, and internet reference lookup on their phones and it’ll look a lot less bad. I’m sure if someone looked at me at Kickoff and saw me typing a tweet about it, it wouldn’t look the best.
To clarify, though, I don’t approve at all and think students should be corrected, and that’s not something I tolerate on 2791.
From our very first year we set standards that all students must strive to adhere to. In the early years (pre-handheld games - yes this did exist) you would often see other students playing cards in the corner, getting friendly (you know what I mean) and other activities we as leaders - mentors of our team felt were not in the interest of our team. We had rules regarding these behaviors - a Code of Standards.
Sorry but IMAGE is an important part of life, and image for your team is important… Students… you never know who is who at an event and who is watching you.
There was an incident told to me many years ago by some of my students - short version…
While on an elevator with several other students at a hotel and a adult the other students (not my team) started swearing, pushing and plain being rude. One of my students spoke up and asked them to respect their team and FIRST finishing it with “Cool it”. The response was “Mind your own business”. As they left the elevator the adult asked to speak to my students. He thanked them for their comments and praised them for doing and saying what is right.
Later in the competition when we were getting an award… The lead judge smiled at them and said " I remember you".
True story.
I agree with you in every aspect. It goes something like this, put those kids in a class room with a teacher giving a lecture. Now I can say that those same students not paying attention because they are playing a game or something, they are doing the same thing to the teacher. It is a mind set and mentality that is becoming more common in students that they feel as though they can do whatever it is they want. To me this is saddening because in my eyes, it is becoming worse and worse as time goes on.
I must admit however, I may have drifted off into a day dream while still looking awake during Dean’s speeches, but I did not seem to be pre occupied like some individuals are.
I have also seen this same behavior, and this really floors me and honestly saddens me, while the national anthem is being played.
Honestly, I don’t know what to say about a situation like this, but if it was up to me, the students would get a stern warning and it wouldn’t happen again. It seems like blatant disrespect.
Just my two cents. Feel free to comment.
Cass
I am going to disagree. There is a time and a place for spirit. When people are making speeches they shouldn’t have to be holding a T-shirt cannon to hold the crowd’s attention.
The issue here is just a matter of respect. I have tuned out during long speeches and visuals do help but I do try to pay attention and often enjoy the presentations.
Firstly, I’m 17, and a leader on my team.
Secondly, if I saw anyone (including other leaders) ever representing my team in that way at an event, I would swiftly whack them upside the head. I’ve done it before, too.
For some reason, my generation enjoys testing boundaries. I, personally, find that disrespectful.
We honestly require that no one use their phones in the pits, and if they need to use it, they walk outside the arena. I told a kid to do this in Utah, it was snowing outside. He waited to make the call 
The parenting bit isn’t necessarily true, as I’ve met completely ill-behaved students whose parents (and their tactics) are very similar to that of mine. I’ve been told by my parents that i’ve been the easiest kid to raise…i’m one of 3. I don’t know how much that really matters, but it’s very much about the mentality of the student.
You have not only joined a robotic competition, you will discover that you are becoming a member of a very large and wonderful family. The more years that you participate, the larger your FIRST family will become. - Car Nack
I just saw that on the top of the page. It’s true, we’re a humongous family. If my sibling was doing that? A swift handling of the situation (physical or not ). Honestly, I think of the situation like this: No talking during grace. It’s something which may not be riveting, but is still very important, and tradition.
Wow… that’s all I can really say to above statement. =/
Now THAT is behavior that would get the student a stern talking to after the anthem was finished.
On my team, after experiencing a few competitions last year where people were very fond of their gameboys, we put a no games rule for the pits and stands. In the stands you are there for two main things; scouting and cheering. If you aren’t doing either than you best find something productive to do.
In the pits we have an even stricter rule of no electronics (besides the robot of course ;)). The only laptop we have is the scouting laptops, and besides that the only electronics we may have is a phone.
The reason we don’t completely ban phones is because they simply haven’t been an issue. The majority of team members at an event are there for the competition, and do not feel like texting persons while there. If a text is to be sent it is to be done discretely.
So far I have not seen any phones or other electronics this year 
Although this policy may change after seeing my drivers out on the field right before a match texting!
This goes hand in hand with Beth’s statement about respect.
I agree. They aren’t the least bit exciting and it seems like he says the same thing at each competition. I mean, it would be a little more respectful for them to put the games down for a few seconds and try to pay attention, but I don’t think they deserve disrespect for playing video games. It can get boring there and I don’t really have a problem with it.
Yeah it would. I was absolutely appalled.
Cass
A lot of this can be avoided/headed off at the pass with forethought and a plan in place. The plan involves spending time teaching the members of the team and those that travel with them, the rules of conduct and expectations that go with wearing a team shirt, affiliating oneself with the team, and participating in the events. If the event is already in process and the team doesn’t have a clear understanding of who they are and what they represent - then don’t be surprised when people embarrass themselves and the team. Nothing can be taken for granted in today’s culture where self-respect and respect for others is ignored and discounted. Mr. Martus is right - image is important. Self-image is very important. It’s up to the veteran team members to impart the importance of conduct and respect to the members from the very first day. Dean Kamen and Dr. Flowers are going to have a front row seat when observing the teams who show respect and the teams who do not. The teams that show disrespect will have the opportunity to stick out like a sore thumb in the stands - pretty much like they do on an elevator in a hotel.
Jane
I was talking about during matches. We have several members on our team who don’t watch unless we are playing, and even then some do not care. It is sickening to me. I find every moment of the competitions to be extremely exciting.
I agree that a lack of respect is the cause for not paying attention during speeches. Then again I have also quit paying attention during Deans speeches. However it was due to the fact that at Traverse City the system was screwy and you couldn’t understand a word he said and at Detroit it may have just been me but it seemed too quiet and the screen was too dark.
This year my team has had similar experiences with being on DSs and phones and whatnot else. I was in the queing area during Dean Kamen’s speech at the Midwest Regional, so I am not sure if members of my team were specifically doing that during one of Dean’s speeches. I must say that my team shows frustratingly low amounts of energy, enthusiasm, and team spirit which I admire greatly in other teams.
My personal opinion about such behavior is that as someone who has little to no control over most of my team’s behavior (believe me, I tried), I wouldn’t like to be the “uptight jerk” who takes away your DS, but I also would like it if my team and other teams with this issue showed a little excitement about what are, in my humble opinion, the three greatest days of every year.
There was a student on my team who played his DS through all of the elimination matches. When I told him to just watch the finals without his DS, he refused and afterwards told me that he had payed attention through the entire match. I was almost tempted to walk over to another team’s area in the stands and cheer with them after that.
On the other hand, one of the alumni from our team who graduated last year returned as a volunteer this year. Before Friday morning was over, he had Dean Kamen’s signature on his forehead and his volunteer shirt. How I wish he were still on the team…
Honestly? Sickening? Seeing someone who has different interests than you sickens you?