Rookie Season Lessons Learned

As our awesome rookie season comes to a close, we wanted to document some of of the lessons we learned. Writing them down will help us remember. And maybe they will help another team along the way. 

Lessons Learned ​

• Your team and the FIRST community are your best tools for success.
• Teamwork comes from fluid communication and great team chemistry.
• I learned a lot about working on a short schedule and on working as a team.
• It is really important to read the rules thoroughly. Because we only skimmed over the rulebook in the beginning (rookie mistake!), one of our key ideas had to be scrapped midway through the build season.
• It's very important to pace yourself throughout the build season. We had to build most of the robot in the last two weeks, which was more stressful than it should have been.
• From a programming perspective, make sure to turn off wi-fi on the computer when running code on the robot or else the program will not work.
• I learned that in order to have good productivity you need to make sure everyone has a job to minimize distractions.
• We need to work on our overall presentation of our team. Those are some of the main reasons we lost rookie all-star and many other awards.
• Fundraising was a big issue. We were always short on money so more fundraising needs to be done before the build season.
• We needed to pay more attention to the bumper design, especially how to get them on and off quickly.
• I learned so much about robotics and engineering, an area in which i had very little experience with. This season has helped me to expand my knowledge from not only an engineering aspect, but also a business one.
• I gained lots of valuable experience working with the business side of the team.
• Calling or visiting potential sponsors in person works a lot better than emails. Connections are everything in business.
• Communication to parents is crucial. 
• There should be attendance requirements. It is understood some students are involved in multiple extracurricular activities. However, the build season is very intense and consistent involvement is needed.
• Design decisions need to be made very quickly. The build season is compressed.
• I learned how important teamwork was. Everyone had a big role to play.
• I learned a lot about teamwork and real life problem solving. Hard work and determination will let you overcome the odds.
• I learned that we need to have our robot running as soon as possible (even if all the scoring components aren’t finished) so we can practice driving. It’s not smart to have only one person who can drive. And, you can’t really create an autonomous program until the robot is running.
• Make sure conflicts are dealt with openly and swiftly. Keep short accounts.
• I learned how important it is to be on time and start preparing for things early, since the build season is so short.
• I learned how important teamwork is.
• I learned that everyone should read the game manual. Maybe make a rule that you can’t participate in any discussion or building until you have read it.
• Bumpers shouldn’t be an afterthought.
• The robot needs to be more rugged than you think.
• There is a great deal of Gracious Professionalism at competitions and teams are very willing to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask. And be willing to offer.
• I learned that it is very important to make sure people know what they are signing up for.
• It is very important to keep people involved during the build season so they are more interested at the actual competition.
• I think we need to have a better system for keeping our sponsors informed. It’s important but it can feel like it’s not.
• I learned how to be on a team despite the different views of my teammates.
• As rookies, our experience and money were both limited, and we knew that going into the season, which forced us to choose a strategy which didn't yield as many points as some other teams. Although we did very well throughout the season, if we had known some of the things we had learned during the season, we might have felt more comfortable taking on more challenging tasks.
• As tempting as it may be, you should not stop working on your assigned project or tasks to go work on something someone else is in charge of. Your work won’t get done. And it communicates to others that you don’t think they can’t do their jobs.
• I learned that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask other teams for help.
• I learned that a lot of teams pay companies to manufacture pieces which the team CADs. Next season we will utilize CAD and the engineering design process to enhance our designs and manufacturing.
• To motivate students to stay dedicated to the team and the work, require them to be present for ‘x’ amount of hours and to help raise ‘x’ amount of dollars in order to go to competitions.
• I learned there is more to FIRST than robots.
• If you want to be competitive, you have to have an autonomous program.
• I learned that we should keep some kind of electronic journal that all team members can contribute to. This is where we can record what we’ve done, ask questions, list items we need, etc. This will keep everyone up-to-date.​

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Advice for other rookie teams

• Have fun with anything that you do.
• Do your best and have fun. Don't focus on winning your first year, focus on creating a fun team that will continue on even when you are done.
• Read the rules carefully. Every rule could affect your strategy.
• Manage your time well and define your goals early in the season
• Start fundraising as soon as possible because you never know how far you are going to go.
• Fundraise as if you’re going to make it to the world championship. Because you just might!
• Communication and team spirit is very important. If you and the whole team are all friends, it makes communication easier and allows more to get done. You also have lots more fun and are much more likely to get involved if you are with your friends. Team spirit is also key so that the team is motivated to do more.
• Make sure to have a solid business plan and know how much funding you need.
• Be a cohesive team.
• Don't be scared to take risks.
• Don’t expect team members to know what is expected of them unless they are told.
• Nothing is impossible, so go out there and give it your all.
• Start fundraising early!
• Keep everyone involved to at least some degree in the actual robot build.
• Make sure everyone who wants to be involved and shows effort to the team feels needed and important. Without this, things will fall apart.
• Keep it simple. Find something other people might not think of, then build the simplest design which can efficiently complete this task.
• Make your robot the fastest one on the field, provided you can control it.
• Use the pre-build season to learn how to use the tools and build skills.
• Consider assigning a section of the rules to each team member and have them present to the group. The discussions will help the team understanding before committing to a design.
• Pay attention to you team brand/image. It’s more important at competitions than you think it will be.