The Answer - A blog about Education, Preparation, and Commitment.

The Strong Take Care of the Weak

April 08, 2010 by Rita Vasak

The strong should take care of the weak. This, the first tenet of the YES Prep Thinks and Acts, is a concept our students live with. They see themselves as strong – and they are frequently correct in that assumption.   There is another side to this that our students have fewer opportunities to explore. There is not only an obligation to take care of the weak when one is in a position of strength; there is also an obligation to graciously and gratefully accept assistance when one needs it. This is a lesson that will serve our students well in college and in life. It is also a lesson they took to heart this weekend at the 2010 FIRST Robotics Lone Star Regional Competition.

Our FIRST Robotics Team 2737 is in its second year, sponsored by a generous grant from the Texas High School Project. With 1 senior, 3 sophomores, and 15 freshmen, our team is one of the youngest in the league. Our students spend more hours in school, have fewer hours available for the team, come from a smaller school, and have less funding and fewer resources than most of the other competitors. Despite this, last year we had a working robot and ranked 58^th of 62 teams. We were thrilled to pass inspection and avoid last place. This year we were determined to place higher. 

We arrived on Thursday and started assembling our robot. You must pass an inspection for safety and compliance with all regulations prior to competing.    When we left on Thursday evening we were just a couple of minor points from completing our inspection, and looked very good to be able to compete in our first match on Friday morning.

Early on Friday we cleared all of our inspection hurdles except the checking of our voltage reading.  We powered up our robot, connected our driver station – and got smoke and flames shooting from the control system. Ross Pettinger, a very kind and knowledgeable mentor from Team 118, and an engineer at NASA, came to our rescue. He helped us to find the source of our problem – some crossed wiring. He helped us to diagnose the damage to our components – nearly $700 of equipment. When it became clear that we would be out of the competition, he helped us to arrange loans from the competition’s spare parts bank and from his own team’s stock. He patiently explained the entire troubleshooting process to our students, and we were able to run in our second match and subsequent matches.

We had several other mishaps over the course of the competition – the game was hard on robots. We were tipped over, lost a drive chain, and changed our drive train from front to rear drive midway through the competition. Our friends from Team 118 congratulated us when we played well – even when they were on the opposing alliance. We continued to receive their help and support, along with that of several other teams . Our programming was error-free and our programmers were able to serve as a resource to others.  In the end, we were seeded at 26^th place out of 66 – in the top half of the ranking. We may have few resources and less experience than other teams, but our kids do not lack for heart; this they have in abundance. 

 I have a special place in my heart for all our Team 2737 kids, who have been dedicated and relentless in their pursuit of excellence. I would particularly like recognize our team captains, Sarah Gamblin and Adrian Gonzalez, our 2010 MVP Franklin Alvarez, and our Lead Programmer, Jose Pena.  I would like to thank the parents, alumni, staff and students who came down to support us and cheer us on. Finally, I would like to shout out my fellow coaches, Francisco Guzman, Brian Lawton, Tara Johnson, and Gay Morris. Without their dedication, none of this would have been possible.

 The Lone Star Regional Competition was a hands-on crash course in the Thinks and Acts – and in this respect we were unmitigated winners. Together we can move mountains – and robots. I am very, very proud to coach the YES Prep Wizards FIRST Robotics Team 2737.

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