Team 330 to Retire After 2019 Season

FIRST General Forum
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Following much thought and consideration, Team 330 has made the difficult decision to retire following the 2019 season after a strong 20 year history with FIRST. We are coming forward with this news now so that we can go in to 2019 openly, celebrating everything our team has been over the years.

Many of you may wonder what led us to this decision. In reality, this decision has been creeping up on us for a few years now. We’ve faced increasing challenges with recruiting for the past couple of years since the closing of our founding school, Hope Chapel Academy. We were able to recruit students here and there from other academies, but have not been able to maintain sustainable numbers. At the same time, nearly all of our mentors are entering new chapters of their lives and will have little to no availability moving forward. This led us to make this decision at a time when students and mentors who have been with us for years will be able to enjoy this final year together.

Many of you know that we have been sharing workspace with 4201 since the start of 2018, so we want to mention that our decision has nothing to do with sharing space with 4201. They have been the most gracious hosts and have made us feel right at home from the very beginning. It’s been awesome getting to know them better and we look forward to spending our last season under their roof.

To further put minds at ease, the bag and tag rule change coming in 2020 was not a factor in this decision; although, it would have been interesting to experience FRC without bag and tag restrictions! :slight_smile:

Ultimately, no decision is ever easy, but we feel confident that this is simply the right time to retire the team. We will cherish our final regionals in Southern California, and hopefully Champs and IRI, alongside so many teams and volunteers who have become friends throughout the years. It has been an honor and privilege to be a part of the FRC community for so long, and we are looking forward to an awesome final chapter in 2019!

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With all the hype of starting the 2019 season, now I don’t want it to end. 330 has been an inspiration to all of California, as well as the rest of the world. The work you, Lauren, and the rest of the team has put in to making this legacy will continue to inspire teams and students for years to come. 330 is bound to have a fantastic final season - I can’t wait to see everything you do.

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I wanted to personally thank 330 for all the amazing inspiration they have given the community over the years. When I was in high school I looked up to the team and love that I was able to become a friend of the team the last couple years.<3
Cannot wait for an amazing final year for the team!
It’s truly sad to see 330 go, but I am overjoyed that the mentors are entering the next stages of life.

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Going all the way back to 1114’s first IRI in 2005, Team 330 has always been one of the team’s best friends. It was always great seeing you at events and we loved the camaraderie between our teams. Thanks for everything including years of inspiration and excitement.

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Shoot.

When I was a freshman, four years ago at the Ventura regional, there was one robot that drew my attention specifically - 330’s.

I always looked to 330 for inspiration in Southern California, as a fellow small team during that time. I was inspired by their 2016 robot in an intangible way, and though we’ve never competed since then, they’ve done so much to uplift all competition in Southern California.

The end of an era.

But if you’re going to go out, go out with a bang.

Cheers to 2019!

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330 is the first team I knew when I joined 294 in 2016, when we allied with them and them being neighbors and all. Hopefully they will go out with a bang this season. There’s going to be a real vacuum in LA from them.

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So sorry to hear this. Always a team with great engineering and a great attitude. 330 +1717 was a great combo so many times. Enjoy your final season!

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Watching 330 in 2016 at champs is still one of my top all time FIRST memories. Talking with you guys in the pits and being in the same division with you was an amazing experience. I remember that was my first year inspecting at Champs and I worked quite a bit with one of your mentors who was also inspecting.

Hopefully the FIRST community can give you the Kobe Bryant/Derek Jeter farewell tour that you deserve. One of the most inspirational teams in FIRST without a doubt. You will be missed but best wishes for all the mentors and students in the next steps in your lives!

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I had the same thought. That match was magic to witness. Just couldn’t keep them down.

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This is sad sad news. 330 is a class act and will be missed.

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Thank you to all the people who have been a part of 330 over the years for being an inspiration to the FIRST community for so long. The first year I attended the Championship, in 2012, I remember seeing your robot, and being mostly very confused until I saw it on the field, and realized how cool the concept was. At the time, it was one of the robots that opened my eyes to what FRC robots really could be… I know I’ll miss seeing what you guys come up with every year. Here’s hoping y’all have a fantastic 2019 season to cap it all off!

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Have a great season! I understand the hard decision. Based on the comments here, 330 has made an impact over the past 20 years. Best wishes.

Jayesh
Baltimore Bolts, #6326

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Kareem had a pretty good farewell season.

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That video hit me right in the feels…

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It makes it all the more special that we had the opportunity to be on your elims alliance at champs this past year. You guys have been an amazing team for a long time, and we hope to one day have a fraction of the impact that your program has had during your run. And we’ll always have that clip from Einstein 2016 to remember how amazing you guys were.

Truly, it was an honor to share the field with you guys. Here’s hoping we get a chance to do it one more time.

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330 has been my favorite team to look up to. You guys were always a class act and built amazing robots. What a legacy!

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330 was one of the first teams I’ve ever interacted with as a freshman at the 2010 Arizona regional. I’ve always looked up to the simplicity and deadly effectiveness of your robots, oftentimes from the other side of the glass.

I’m sad to see you guys go, but grateful that you’ve made such a massive impact on FIRST in socal and beyond.

Can’t wait to compete against you guys one last time at Orange County this February. Thanks for the inspiration and memories.

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I am very sad to hear this. 330 has been an absolute powerhouse in Southern California since my rookie year in 2011. My team and I have had the honor of working with and against 330 many times over the years and we have come to know them as an incredibly competitive, gracious, knowledgeable team. 330’s robots have always astounded me with their robustness and simple yet effective design, and I always took the time to point them out to our new students.

You will be missed, but it’s not over yet! Good luck in 2019!

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Coming into the FRC community for the first time many years ago, it did not take very long for me to figure out why The Beach Bots were held in such high regard, and why for many in Southern California they were THE iconic robotics team that represented the best that FIRST could stand for. I am glad that over the years I had the opportunity to interact with 330 as both an alliance partner and opponent, and am incredibly grateful that I got to know many of the students and mentors that make the team the consummate professionals that they are. While I am sad to see the team go, I know the impact that they had in SoCal and beyond will live on through teams that find ways to follow their example.

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It will be… strange… in 2020 and beyond to not see the familiar blue and yellow shirts and robots that have been a fixture in SoCal since 2003 (and before, prior to settling on blue and yellow for the team colors). I know this can’t have been an easy decision for anybody on the team. (And I’ll see you guys around church.)

–330 alumnus

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