At the beginning of January in the dead of winter, most people aren't terribly excited for the next few months. All it means is more cold and more snow, neither of which are desirable for most of the populace. One such community however looks forward to such a time with eager anticipation. Each year on the first Saturday in January, a new FRC game is released, inviting teams from across the world to build a robot in the span of roughly 8 weeks.
Building a robot with such a timetable is no easy task and it requires many people, all high school students, that must know how to design, machine, and program. FRC Team 3928 meets in Sukup Hall, located on ISU campus, and meets every day of the week except for Sunday during the build season. It's a very busy time that requires significant effort from all of its members, but that's simply because that is the price that must be paid for a high quality robot that is ready for competition in March.
Team Neutrino is more than just building a robot however. It's a place where students come together from across three different school districts to learn how to develop the attributes that will undoubtedly define the successful people of tomorrow. It's a place where friendships and connections are formed over a shared passion and time spent together. It's an environment that cultivates communication, perseverance, and a common goal, each one of these things being necessary to achieve the greatest heights in not just the landscape of competitive robotics, but in life as a whole. It's never easy, but how could any growth occur if it was?
When the build season starts, intense debate and discussion occupies the first few days as big decisions are made about the direction of our strategy and robot design. Communication is critical to success, so that’s what these meetings are all about.