So, I’m not sure how many of you know that I’m not participating on a FIRST team this year or not, but I’m not really sure if I’m going through withdrawals due to FIRST or not. I absolutely love having free time to do homework and dance and hang out with non-FIRST friends.
I stopped by the lab today. “Hey Kate, how’s it feel to not be doing FIRST anymore? I’ve always wondered what it was like.” To this I responded as saying that I was loving having the free time.
Then I get home from doing homework, and I start surfing the boards slightly. This is something I haven’t done in quite some time. I’m not sure if I’m doing this because I miss it, or because I’m just that bored right now.
I do know that I’m going to miss being on a team at competitions. I’m trying to volunteer at a competition [or two], but I’m not sure if that will happen or not. And normally, I would go visit the UTC regional, but a dance competition has gotten in the way of that.
So I’m not sure what I’m really thinking or feeling right now. Is there anyone else that has recently stopped being a team member that is going through anything similar to what I am?
Yes, Withdrawl is very common among those who stop doing FIRST. Last year felt very strange, I ended up helping at the regional and watching what I could of Nationals. Although the regional was great, it definitely was not the same either. I stilll am trying to figure out what this year will bring with schedule conflicts and other pressures.
At the least we can support and encourage the teams and help explain the program to the less informed.
Each year for the last 2 years i swore that i would not do FIRST again b/c of the time needed and the fact that i have no desire to be an engineer (i want to be a firefighter-paramedic). Well as kickoff came closer i felt tremendous void in my academic life and ended up running back to my team and joining them again right before kickoff. FIRST is one of those things that is extremely hard to work at, but without it you simply go into withdrawl.
Having been an active member of FIRST for over 4 years (read employee!)…and now NOT being there for over 3 months…I have experienced my own withdrawals. I went to the Kick-off (keeping a very low profile) just to see how things were going…and I went home depressed…depressed because I wasn’t part of the excitement any more…not a part of helping the teams anymore…not a part of the anticipation of the revealing of the new game…not a part of getting the teams through the tough bumps they hit along the way…
I am going to miss not being at the Regional Competitions this year…the hecticness of it all…the fun of it all…you know, the whole ‘FIRST’ experience. And the Championship! There’s nothing like it! Boy, will I miss that!
But Jayda is thriving and so is our business…I guess I can’t have everything!
I wish all the teams well. I miss you! I miss talking with you on a daily basis. I hope to visit the UTC regional and see some of you…maybe!
It’s me, Anton. I wonder if you remember me. It’s nice to know that you are still around. I cant believe I didnt see you at kickoff! That was some low profile indeed! We miss ya!
Kate will not be surprised by this answer. Those who know me well know that I have a cynical streak that is probably just a tad larger than is healthy. I’ve participated in FIRST for 5 years actively. Four years on my High School team, some of the best time’s i’ve had, and a 5th year going back and helping my HS team for the last year before it disband.
I’ve been out of FIRST (or maybe it’s off of FIRST…like it’s some kinda drug or somethin’ ) for about 3 years now. My girlfriend is in FIRST so I’m never to far from it. But I’m not on a team…I still go to comps and help out in the ways that I can…work @ Kickoff, run invitationals, etc, etc.
After going back to nationals on my own w/out being on a team in 2001 my outlook on being off a team changed. What I realized is that FIRST will never again be the same as when I was working with Blue Lightning. Every team has its own culture, inside jokes, etc. and what I’ve found is that it is pretty hard to break into something like that. Therefore I’ve been kinda teamless but I don’t miss it because I enjoy being able to look back on my Blue Lightning days…go and visit with some of the engineers who were on the team with me and remember it all quite fondly.
I know a number of people missed you on kickoff day in NH. The whole “feel” of FIRST was somehow changed, and a bunch of us attributed it to your absence.
Anyway- you know you are always welcome to drop by in our neighborhood…
I am an ex-parent of FIRST-would that make me a parent/alumnus?! It’s been about 3 years since I participated on this site, & it’s alot more complicated!!even to register! I’m not very good w/computers…I check in from time to time esp. at this time of year-to see what all the kids, engineers, teachers, etc. think of the game,etc…Kate’s post caught my eye, & when I read Lori’s, I just had to write. My husband & I loved helping out with FIRST, everything about it, but we especially enjoy the people. We have a group of friends that met though our team; All of us, and all of the “kids” who were the team are still all very close. My husband Ron still volunteers for 2-3 regionals doing the announcing, & we plan a vacation around the "Championship"every year.We have the greatest memories of the FIRST experience that just about anyone could have-won the Chairman’s Award-the Woodie Flowers Award-2nd place in the Animation & the best!!!-my son’s roommate at WPI-a full scholarship!! We enjoyed every minute, knowing how great it was- always…So from a lucky parent’s point of view, I’m trying to say that it’s bittersweet-like you, Kate, I miss it, but it’s great to have time to do other things! Like Lori (who by the way was so great to deal with always! Delivering our Chairman’s Award every year was a fun roadtrip for the kids & me!)your priorities change…I had really let my business slide every year, as many other people still do!
The first year I was at Nationals without a team, it was really hard. I still get choked up alot when I’m down there, but it’s still great to watch from the sidelines. All of us who contributed to a FIRST team-we were part of something so special, it’s hard to put into words, but because of working so much on something for so long, we should always feel that we belong to it…even though i can walk around at a regional or the nationals and it’s not like before when i knew alot of the people there, & they knew me, I still feel a part of it. I guess like anything else in life, it just got easier as time went on- & all the friendships are a tremendous help! so Kate, i hope you don’t mind an old parent rambling on, but i thought you might like to know that others feel the same way! It’s all good! Thanks for listening…
It’s a funny thing really. For me, FIRST changed my life while in high school, and I swore up and down that I would never ever ever ever leave it. But the past two years I’ve found myself dancing on the edge… in FIRST, but not… adopted by some great teams, but never <i>really</i> belonging to one. Last year, I faded into the FIRST backround until competition time, when the draw was too strong to ignore.
Then again, this year I swore I was going to get back into the team side of FIRST… and again, I find myself fading into the backround. It draws me back for Kickoff, and I know I’m going to find traveling to at least one regional and probably nats will be irrisistable. But my focus seems to have changed no matter how hard I tried not to. I’m still drawn to FIRST, but things like moving, work, and getting back to school are taking more of my energy. I find myself talking a little less to old FIRST pals, and beginning to make new friends outside of robotics. The addiction is still there for me, but my life has begun to fill the holes that once only FIRST could - making me complete.
To answer your questions Joe, life outside of FIRST is… different. I had never been able to imagine myself NOT working for FIRST. It was the BEST job I ever had! There was nothing about that job I didn’t like…even telling teams to READ THE MANUAL when they’d ask me a question that was clearly spelled out for them in the manual! (did you see the special button I made for myself to wear at competition last year???)
I loved helping the (my) teams through all the difficult moments of rules questions, shipping issues, over-crowded bleachers, other teams saving seats, ‘the noise is too loud’, ‘where’s my pit station’, etc. etc. etc. I just loved helping them.
So, to go from helping thousands of people…to helping 2 was cause for my withdrawals! But like I said, Jayda (now 19mos!) is thriving. She knows ALL her presidents…her alphabet, counts to 20…then skips over to 30!, she sings all the typcial ‘kid’ songs, we’re even learning Spanish together!..and she loves being home with mommy and daddy! She loves the attention…and I will get a pic of her soon so you can see how big she’s gotten!
The business is thriving…we’re always busy…sometimes I wish I were back at FIRST just to get a break!
But I do miss FIRST. I miss all you guys…I became personally involved with so many of you…I considered you my friends, not just ‘my teams’. So that part I miss a lot.
I hope you’re all doing well. I think of FIRST every day…I think of all of you every day! I hope you all have a successful, winning experience with FIRST this year and in future years! I hope that someday our paths will cross again…until then, know that you…my teams…have always held a special place in my heart! And I will NEVER forget!
my best to you all…
-Lori-
You know, you will never be an “outsider” to us… you really should change your title in your profile Even if you have left FIRST, you’ll always have a place here.
) for about 3 years now. My girlfriend is in FIRST so I’m never to far from it. But I’m not on a team…I still go to comps and help out in the ways that I can…work @ Kickoff, run invitationals, etc, etc.