I have been wondering what position(s) on the team gets the most appreciation. I would like to know what the Chief Delphi community thinks.
In your opinion what team position fits into each category?
I don’t feel like any team role deserves appreciation more than any other. Every student that works hard and gives 100% deserves appreciation. Every role on the team contributes to improving the team and each person can only work within the role they have.
I feel that the drive team is probably the most appreciated and any non-robot related role such as fundraising or outreach is probably least appreciated on most teams.
The last two questions are answered as a consequence of my answer to the first four.
I would not really judge each different sub-team. Each sub-teams is appreciated in a different way.
-Chassis and Mechanical actually build the robot so we have something to play with.
-Electrical helps make the robot able to be driven/operated through a controller.
-Programming writes the codes to make it run or track objects via camera.
-CAD helps design the robot before it is actually built.
-Non-tech works on awards and helps with gaining sponsors and fundraising to help spread engineering.
-Animation helps with awards, while learning professional animation programs.
-Info-tech helps with adding information to our pit tower and runs our scouting network.
-I&T helps with finding out what the best strategy is in order to do well on the field.
So in a sense, every sub-team is important in their own way. I would not put anyone above or below another.
I&T stands for Integration & Testing. During the build they are the liaisons between teams to make sure we’re all working compatibly and they test assemblies to ensure their function meets spec. They are also in charge of weight (that’s why we’ve been underweight these past 2 years!). Just after kickoff they are also the leaders of the strategy discussions (that is, “what strategy wins this game?”), which happens before we design or build anything. In theory.
I appreciate anyone who takes their job seriously and works at it until they either complete it or hit a roadblock they can’t resolve and thus ask for help. If everyone did this, there would be a lot less need for supervision.
I can’t really say for most and least deserving, if anyone doesn’t do their job, the robot doesn’t win… I guess drivetrain because if your robot doesn’t move, it’s worthless, while if the manipulator fails you can play defense, and if the programming fails you can put in simple code.
Most appreciated is probably the drive team, since they apply the robot’s skills. They’re not the most deserving though, despite their ridiculously difficult job. The least appreciated is by far programming.
On our team its been admitted that we appreciate the electrical team the most because the rest of the team just gives us a day to wire up the entire bot and do full systems checks. :rolleyes:
The drive team is the most appreciated on our team, but I agree they aren’t more deserving then any other team. I disagree on programming, when the robot works, they are appreciated. It’s when it doesn’t work, the programmers gain a bad reputation. The most under-appreciated section on our team is scouting, which gets passed off as supplemental and unnecessary. The only people who realize the importance of scouting are the people who utilize its information. (a.k.a. the drive team.) I also want to add in parents and mentors, the good ones are appreciated often, (through WF’s) but the ones that do the little things seem to go unnoticed.
The most deserving team members are often under-appreciated are sponsors.
Many FIRST teams simply wouldn’t exist without the help of NASA, BAE Systems, Boeing, and a host of others that believe in the program.
Alternate answer: Team 2468! 
I probably have a bit of programming bias from having to be the only programmer on two FTC teams 
On 1714, scouting was a pretty big deal. And if I’m with these 2791 guys for long it’ll get that way
Just curious - why do you limit the appreciation to students?
-dave
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This is more of an oversight in my post than in my actual feelings. Thank you for pointing out my error. Everyone that assists the team from students to sponsors to mentors to parents deserves our respect and appreciation.
I second that. I was given 4 hours to wire the robot. I then had to rewire it in the pits while we unpacked. The programmers then get cranky when something wasn’t connected. Of course, the team gets cranky with the programmers when something doesn’t work.
Basically, on my team the team captain actually gets the most appreciation; I wont sugar coat it. Then the drive team, then the build team, then programming, then electrical, then media.
Though the specific sub groups get their own appreciation. Each and every member of the team that works, even tries for that matter, gets appreciated just as much as everyone else.
And on the note of the mentors, I think a lot of new team members under appreciate them. I know that I didn’t my first year. This being my second year I have come to realize just how much they put into this program.
And on a separate note. I do not think that appreciation comes from the team, but rather each individual. And each person will have their own opinions on the subject.
-Rion
This is an interesting thread. It makes me wonder what the most important part of riding a bicycle is.
Exactly. I suppose you could ride a bicycle without brakes or handlebars, however the outcome might not be so good!
I think FIRST teams struggle to balance all of their components (positions) and suffer when one or more is ignored (or grossly under-appreciated).
This is true. Actually, after giving a few minutes of thought to this thread, I was able to come up with answers for all of the categories very easily, which occurs to me as something that should NOT happen.
For my team alone…we should NOT be giving our controls team one night to program the robot (2008: programmer and mentor were up until 3am programming before they had to leave for a trip), and the build group - to me - always seems to think that they have the right to more time than anyone else, which is not necessarily true (please don’t kill me, Q). We’ve actually been trying for years to keep a set schedule of when design decisions need to be made, when drawings need to be passed on, when assemblies need to be completed by, etc., but something always seems to go wrong with that; parts get broken, core people get sick and can’t work, deadlines aren’t met…which always causes someone to end up with the short end of the stick. If everyone were to work together and solve problems efficiently, not procrastinate, and stick to whatever timeframe they’re given, everyone can benefit, and nobody ends up with the odd straw.
On the note of mentors, I definitely realized this year how much I’ve under-appreciated them in the past. This year, we lost two of our core mentors, and as a co-captain, I’ve been forced to pick up quite a bit of the slack. I had never realized how much those guys did for the team, how much they turned us around, and how much time they spent with us. You really don’t know what you’ve got 'till it’s gone.
The honest truth.
I’m surprised no one echoed this. I’m a firm believer that if you’re bored and feel the urge to write a letter, or even better, a thank you letter, that you should look on back a team shirt and tell one or all of the sponsors that you love them.
After my little tangent, I agree that mentors and sponsors are often forgotten about, and deserve more recognition than given.
This is an interesting topic and many good points have been brought up.
I’m definitely in the boat that every single part of the team needs to be there for all of it to function. On 1511 I think they try really hard to make sure every group knows its needed and appreciated, so its hard to guage the level. From your sponsors to your mentors, your parents to your teachers, your drive train team to your chairmans team, your shop cleaners to your janitors… everyone helps make it happen.
I think the real question is who have you thanked/appreciated? and who do we forget to thank? I’ll give a few of the good examples from my experience (of those often left out), and note that there are many that we leave out every day… its up to all of us to make everyone feel like a part of the team/family.
1511 for the first 3 years did recognition for the Janitorial staff… they were constantly opening doors for us, helping us get places through the building, cleaning up for us, and just overall made our lives easier even when we would forget to reserve a room or needed more space. They would often stay late with us even when they were only scheduled to stay until 11pm. We got them cake and little gifts (pocket knives).
1511 does a mentor recognition luncheon at Harris every year. This is mainly for the Harris mentors (Harris gives certificates and often small monetary awards), but all mentors are invited to come have a great lunch and our students run through the chairmans presentation. Harris thanks all the volunteers for their time.
1511 does a **sponsor picnic **to thank all of our sponsors for donating and give them a time to meet the whole team and get to see the robot close up.
As a team leader for 229 & 1511 I often got a lot of thanks from parents, and while much of it was more deserved by all of the mentors that helped make the team, it was great to hear, and some of it helped me know that I had an impact. On 229 I had a parent thank me “because their student had never been so interested in anything before”. On 1511 I have had a number of parents thank me for helping their students grow into leaders. I have had students thank me when they graduated for believing in them. Some days the team leader is the hardest position in the world… other days make it all worth it. Often the leaders are seen as deserving of appreciation, and while they are, make sure you remember the other parts of the team that made it all possible…
So make sure all parts of your team, and every individual feels appreciated. Whether its a sponsor or a janitor, your button makers or your CAD designers, a drive team member or a parent… make sure they know that they are important… but it matters most that appreciation is genuine and personal.