The night before Kickoff Poem

FIRST General Forum
1

An awesome poem written by one of our great mentors, Mr. Ron Hahn. I hope you all enjoy…………

'Twas the night before Kick-off, we’ll call it Kick-off Eve,
No team knew what challenge tomorrow conceived.

The guesses were many but none were for sure,

The enthusiasm was high and the excitement was pure.

The students were restless as they went to bed,

While visions of robots raced through their heads.
Flowers knew the challenge along with Kamen,
Tomorrow the rest of us would find out, AMEN.
The long awaited answer to what we would do,
For the next six weeks would soon come true.

Our mentors and team has been working for weeks,
Teaching our pneumatics group not to get leaks.

Showing our mechanics how holes get tapped,

Instructing our controls team on not getting zapped.

Our programmers were contemplating autonomous control,
While our drivers thought about their manual roll.

Our challenge I’m sure which will be first rate,
And in just six weeks it’ll get stuck in a crate.
Off to our first regional for 2008,
To a competition that will be just great.

There’s work ahead building our robot and crate,
As we work with the manual and “daily” update.
Weighing our robot and counting each pound,
If it’s too heavy, more holes will be found.

We brainstorm, plan and build what a feat,
While having fun 'til our robots complete.

There are awards available, very many we knew,
We all hoped we would end up with one, maybe two.

The awards presented by FIRST, our mentor he read,

As thoughts for winning them began to be said.
There’s Chairman’ s and Quality and Safety and Visualization,
There’s Inventor and Spirit and Website and Innovation.

Tomorrow won’t come soon enough for Team 2062,

We’re always looking for better things to do.
A short time from now received by satellite dish,
Will come the answer to each teams wish.
As we get prepared for another busy build season,
We say to all teams for all the right reasons.
As it says on the back of our mentors black truck,

“Gracious Professionalism to all and to all Good Luck “

2

Very Nice.

3

wow.
nice.

4

lol pure genius

5

beautiful. i almost cried

6

9.5 HOURS :ahh: :ahh: :ahh: :smiley:
Let the sleep deprevity begin.

7

Well done. Nice poem.:slight_smile:

8

SWEET :yikes:

9

Bravo. Very well done.

10

I love it!
now can I find out the Game please!
how 'bout another hint??

11

Excellent! It’s brilliant!

Here’s something I wrote a while ago in October, and never got around to finding an appropriate title. Feel free to suggest any titles.

Yet Untitled

All the incredible fun without the fear
That in six weeks, soon the Ship Date will be near
Excitement in the air
Each brainwave is fair
Finally, finally the Kickoff is here!

12

im usually not really that big on poetry, but that really touched my heart

very well done

13

the author is Jane Young, I found it on the other thread.

‘Twas the night before Kick Off and all through CD
The teams are a’puzzlin’ and Dave’s filled with glee.
The students are waiting for Kick Off’s reveal
In hopes that the 2008 game’s a thrill.

The team members scratch their heads with the clues,
As visions of sensors and cameras start yet anew.
And grandmothers smile at the teams with delight
As knowledge and kindness are shared through the night.

And out of the KoP box may come news:
The dlavery offer of pun-ridden clues
Was indeed helpful for all who partook
Though he laughed and he giggled and his belly, it shook.

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
Is helping the northern teams wait with a glow
As hot cocoa and marshmallows diversify systems of
Thought – well yes and no.

The drivers are chomping to start world wide
In the quest for the robots that will bring home the prize.
When what to their wondering eyes should appear
The clues - they are good ones, the answers not near.

Now mentors! Now students! Now sponsors and all!
On teamwork! On FIRSTers! Let’s all have a ball!
To the Kick Off we go, to the game challenge, haste!
Not a moment to dally, not a moment to waste!

Not as leaves that before the hurricane fly,
When teams meet with challenge, they continue to strive.
No problem too large or too small overlooked
The teams are quite ready to build by the book.

They’ll follow the rules, to the manual they’ll go
When questions are asked and they just don’t know.
The FIRST Q&A is another great source
After teams have researched and studied, of course.

Our eyes, how they’ll twinkle and sparkle before
The six weeks’ build has them begging to snore.
Well, the nose snores that’s true - but the eyes, they must close
In order to sleep or to rest or repose.

No grumbling, arguing, fighting allowed –
Remember that Gramma, we must make her proud.
Our mentors are waiting, our students are, too –
This Kick Off will rock, I can feel it, can’t you?

The punster, the jokester, the right jolly elf –
Is happy and waiting for Kick Off, himself.
The new animation is coming along
That is - if nothing, no nothing, goes awfully wrong.

Our hats off to FIRST and thanks, GDC!
For making the season just what it should be:
A season to recognize science, math, and more
Technology, education, and robots that score!

It’s time to anticipate what this all means
The magic and drama the challenge will bring.
Wishing all a good build and experience that’s great
Here’s to all of our teams and to FIRST 2008!

Borrowed from and with a nod to - 'Twas The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore

14

I like it!

15

I read it out loud four times now, it’s a mouth ful but it rulez!

16

Humm… What rhymes with 42.349905? Just kidding :slight_smile:

Very nice piece of work there. Someone should make an online countdown to kickoff timer and put it up on the portal.

O well, time to attempt to get some sleep.

17

Awesome!

18

Just Beautiful!

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