“FIRST has the power to reduce burnout by taking a close look at what their mission really is. Inspiration, if that is the mission, can exist by reducing the constriction put upon teams. Shipping rules, game rules that require teams to use the new technology to be competitive, and finally rules that constrain time before and after ship date are but a few areas that FIRST can assist the program with.”
There are some that recognize this quote but many who won’t. I was written by a wise and seasoned member of the FIRST community. I came across a VERY long article written by this person and wondered why I had not ever seen it before. There are many enlightening points of view and history that many will find rewarding and interesting.
I would like to start this thread to bring to the CD community gems such as this that can help, warn and inspire us as we come down from this years experience and look at whether it has been worth the while. If you have such articles please point us to them.
This quote came from Mike Martus of Team 47 fame. It can be found on Team 47 website http://team.chiefdelphi.com/ . The writings can be found at http://team.chiefdelphi.com/story.htm . It is a long read but very interesting. Just think, of all of the time that I have known Mike and CD 47 I have not taken the time (till now) to explore their website. Shame on me.
Wow that was a great read. Great insight into an amazing team and FIRST. Thanks Mike!
This quote really grabbed me:
Yes, our team will be different in the future; we are different from that 1996 team that won the Rookie All-star Award and WPI Scholarship. We will be different from that team that won the Chairman’s Award in 1997. We will be different from the years that we won many regionals with great robots with innovative ideas. We will be different from that team that won the Team Spirit Award at the Championship in 2005. We will be different, but we will be that Hall of Fame team called CHIEF DELPHI Team 47.
I’ve seen major changes in my team in just the five years, changes are what keep teams alive and growing.
I read that story a couple months ago, in its entirety. I really enjoyed it. It was very inspiring and enjoyable to read. It was fascinating to see all the things that individuals go through to keep a team going. I think it provides hope for new teams and it brings everyone back to the essence of FIRST, gracious professionalism, and the students; all of the things FIRST is trying to accomplish. I think I’m going to suggest reading this to my team; it might help focus some of their attention on the most important aspects of FIRST, and be thankful for the support that we currently have through our school, teachers, mentors, and sponsors.
That was one of the most articulate articles I have read about FIRST in a while. That said, there was section of the article that bothered me enough to bring it up here. As the author described his team’s selection process, he seemed to focus on the fact that students need to be making good grades before joining the team. To me, this contradicted the theme of inspiration that was prevalent throughout the rest of the article. Students who are already making good grades have already, at least in a small way, been inspired by school. There are plenty of capable students with sub par grade point averages who have yet to be inspired and it seems a shame to deny them an opportunity as inspiring as FIRST simply because no one has shown them why academics can be worthwhile.