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Getting Along with Teammates

1/3/2017

With build season quickly approaching it’s normal to be a little nervous about spending 6 weeks in close quarters with the same people. For an enjoyable build experience, getting along with your teammates is key. Whether you are best friends with your teammates or aren’t friends at all, here are some helpful tips for surviving build season with all your bridges intact.

There will be bickering. Build season is a very stressful time for everyone involved in FRC. Due to this high-stress environment, everyone is on edge and seemingly at each other’s throats. If you find yourself getting angry over little things, just step away and take a break! Getting angry and your teammates will not help anyone, but remaining calm and keeping a level head will usually diffuse a stressful situation.
Avoid talking about disagreeable subjects in the shop, such as religion or politics. Everyone is going to have different opinions on these things. It’s best to just avoid these topics before anything gets out of hand.
If any team bickering gets out of hand talk to a mentor or trusted adult!!! Mentors are there to help you and your teammates have a good time building robots. If you think that a situation requires outside assistance, talk to a mentor that you are comfortable helping sort things out.
Take time to destress. Designated destress times such as lunches or breaks are always a good way to stay mentally healthy and prevent fighting before it starts.
Befriend your teammates outside of robotics. Becoming friends with the people you will be crammed into close quarters with during build season is always a good idea! Try team building exercises or social activities with teammates to strengthen your relationship in non stressful situations. Becoming friends can help aid in team communication as well as create a more cohesive building environment.
Have fun!!! Build season is supposed to be fun for everyone on the team! If you keep this sentiment in mind and remain lighthearted, build season should be a breeze.

Good luck to all teams! We hope everyone has an amazing season!

– Gus D. 3940

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Advice to Incoming Rookies

1/2/2017

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Hello to incoming rookies, and welcome to FIRST Robotics Competition! With Kickoff approaching, I know that we all are anxious about how this build season. One year ago, I was in every rookies’ shoes. I had made the leap and signed up for the team, paid the MSHSL fee, and was on the track to where I am today. I had no idea what was going to happen. Robotics changed my life with the guidance and advice of the lovely people around me and online. As a senior, and now a team captain, here is some advice I would give to incoming rookies.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help! We have all been rookies at some point. I have learned so much from just asking questions. It is better to be told how to do something than to just assume and then possibly make a mistake.
The rule book is your new best friend. As the Head of the Design department and a member of the Drive team, I read through the rule book at least three times. No matter what department you are in, the rule book will always be referenced, whether it’s for rules regarding wiring, bot size or the layout and components of the field. It’s better to know what you are looking for instead of skimming through the 100 pages looking for 1 rule. Also, check Chief Delphi and the FIRST website regularly for updates to the rules.
Stay on top of schoolwork! School always comes before any activity. Communicate your school schedule with coaches. They will be understanding if you need to miss a practice to take a test or work on a project. With competitions, you can miss up to one week of classes. Communicate with your teachers in advance to stay on top of everything!
Becoming friends with teammates makes build season so much more fun. You don’t need to be everyone’s best friend, but it makes build nights go faster if you can chat about the weather or last night’s hockey game.
Take care of yourself! Strive for eating 3 meals a day and getting as much sleep as possible. It makes work so much easier. Being well rested also makes us all better teammates and easier to communicate with.
Sign up for anything you are interested in! You never know where you’ll find your niche. Something that you never had any interest in could be the way you best support your team. I never had any clue I would be scouting, yet here I am. It is useful to your teammates to learn new skills.
Be patient! Not all of us can build a robot in 3 days. Take on problems with a calm approach and a clear mind. When frustrated, we are more likely to make avoidable mistakes. Accept that you don’t have all the answers, but work with your teammates and mentors to find them.
Don’t forget the amazing memories you will make this season. From when the feeling and joy when the autonomous finally works or the amazing feeling seeing you get picked for an alliance, or the laughs over a meme deep into build night, always cherish those memories. Look back to them in hard times.

I hope you all have a great first build season! Happy kickoff! If you have any questions, I would love to talk to any of you.

– Abby, MN FIRST

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Surviving Build Season

1/1/2017

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Kickoff is in 7 days, and you know what that means: your entire life will revolve around robotics for the next 6 weeks. If you’re a veteran, you can probably handle this without a hitch, but for newbies, it can be difficult and frustrating. Thankfully, this is FIRST, and we’re more than happy to help our own!

Let others help you! You’re on a team for a reason! Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Everyone was a rookie at some point.
Don’t fall behind in homework– It may seem difficult, but school always needs to come FIRST. Missing out a few hours of build time to study for an important test or ducking out early to do work on a project will be worth it in the end.
Be a pacifist, not an instigator. The people on your team are going to be around you constantly for the next 6 weeks. Sometimes, leaving the room quietly is better than starting an argument. Defend yourself and your beliefs but be reasonable. Some people will never change their views, and you can’t make them. Express disapproval, leave the room, inform a mentor, etc, but causing a fight will only stress you out.
Take care of yourself! Yes, you still need to shower! No, don’t only eat food that’s bad for you because it’s easier! Yes, you still need sleep! Don’t wreck your body. It isn’t worth it because you can’t give 100% to your team if you only have 50% energy! Try packing in healthy snacks or taking some power naps here and there if you find them hard to squeeze in.
Befriend your teammates! Being around the same people for 6 weeks nonstop doesn’t have to be a bad thing if you can find common interests with them! Build season is so much easier when you look forward to being there.
Don’t ignore everyone else in your life. You may feel like you don’t know what you’re doing, but friends and family outside of robotics have even less of an idea. Send them updates! This helps maintain relationships with other friends and make sure your family isn’t upset at how often you’re gone. Send photos of your robot, text a quick update on what you did today, or bring someone to the end of a build session if you can! Spread those ideas of FIRST!
Don’t overload yourself. If it starts to get overwhelming or you find yourself taking on too many tasks, take a step back. Look at everything you need to do and by when. Maybe a few projects need to be given to someone else. No shame in being human! Wearing yourself thin won’t help anyone.
Have fun, learn, and create memories. That’s what FIRST is all about in the end, right?

Whatever the game is this year, know that your team can accomplish anything with enough determination and elbow grease, but make sure to stay GP.

-Max C. 2197

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Getting Along with Teammates

Advice to Incoming Rookies

Surviving Build Season

About LGBTQ+ of FIRST

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