It's more than just a robot.....
When I took my son to the high school for freshman orientation, I was more terrified than anything else. My baby boy was going to HIGH SCHOOL. My youngest. My last. My son. I was so busy worrying about what could go wrong, that I didn't even think about what could go right!
He came home and said, Mom, I want to join the robotics team. I kind of gave him the "side eye" and was like...ok..... (and in my head wondered what in the everloving heck a robotics team DOES). I was worried about him being labeled or thought of as weird, and didn't even know a single THING about robotics.
Boy did I learn. Did I ever. The first event I went to with him was an event called T.H.O.R., which stands for Thundering Herd Of Robots. As I sat in the stands and watched for the first time what these kids could do, I literally fell in love. Like head over heels whole heartedly in love. FIRST Robotics is a worldwide organization that promotes ideas like Diversity. Cooperation. Teamwork. Support. Gracious Professionalism. I had never before been exposed to any team or group before that was comprised of so many kids from so many different backgrounds, family units and socioeconomic statuses. I watched the kids in the stands chant, cheer and urge each other to do better. I watched the robots that they had 6 weeks to build do the most amazing things. And I was immersed in a culture that I didn't know existed. Being a part of FIRST, especially of FRC (First Robotics Challenge) makes you a part of a lifelong sorority or fraternity. Because once you invest yourself? You never forget. Even if your child is no longer competing, you never forget how you felt when they were.
I got to know the kids. I got to learn the game. I still don't know all the technical terms but I know more than I ever thought was possible. I cheered when they won. I was devastated when they lost. Especially when they lost hard. When they poured every bit of heart and soul into the robot and into each other. I saw them grow as a team and as individuals. I saw them mature. I saw shades of what amazing things they are sure to be in the future.
Our team, Team 4935 T-Rex, is a team that is co-sponsored by the Olympic Community of Schools (Trojans) and Bosch-Rexroth (T-Rex) T-Rex Roar
Even with those sponsors, every year we have to raise thousands of dollars for travel costs, lodging, materials and competition fees for events across the state and even the country. We are also a part of a very unique organization, the Queen City Robotics Alliance. Queen City Robotics 3 teams. One warehouse. Collaborating, cooperating and competing against each other; but always cheering each other on. We recently found out that our QCRA "home" is no longer available to us, so we need to find a new one. We are actively looking for someone to help us with warehouse space that will hold 3 teams, a machine shop and a replica of the playing field. It's hard, but I know we can find something.
Over the past three seasons I have laughed, I have cried, I have gotten so angry I couldn't see straight, I have hurt, I have had my heart broken, and I have been inspired more than I ever thought was possible. So when people ask "Why Robotics?" or "What the heck do they do?" I tell them, that this is more than robotics This is not just a robot This is a culture. This is a family. This is FIRST.
He came home and said, Mom, I want to join the robotics team. I kind of gave him the "side eye" and was like...ok..... (and in my head wondered what in the everloving heck a robotics team DOES). I was worried about him being labeled or thought of as weird, and didn't even know a single THING about robotics.
Boy did I learn. Did I ever. The first event I went to with him was an event called T.H.O.R., which stands for Thundering Herd Of Robots. As I sat in the stands and watched for the first time what these kids could do, I literally fell in love. Like head over heels whole heartedly in love. FIRST Robotics is a worldwide organization that promotes ideas like Diversity. Cooperation. Teamwork. Support. Gracious Professionalism. I had never before been exposed to any team or group before that was comprised of so many kids from so many different backgrounds, family units and socioeconomic statuses. I watched the kids in the stands chant, cheer and urge each other to do better. I watched the robots that they had 6 weeks to build do the most amazing things. And I was immersed in a culture that I didn't know existed. Being a part of FIRST, especially of FRC (First Robotics Challenge) makes you a part of a lifelong sorority or fraternity. Because once you invest yourself? You never forget. Even if your child is no longer competing, you never forget how you felt when they were.
I got to know the kids. I got to learn the game. I still don't know all the technical terms but I know more than I ever thought was possible. I cheered when they won. I was devastated when they lost. Especially when they lost hard. When they poured every bit of heart and soul into the robot and into each other. I saw them grow as a team and as individuals. I saw them mature. I saw shades of what amazing things they are sure to be in the future.
Our team, Team 4935 T-Rex, is a team that is co-sponsored by the Olympic Community of Schools (Trojans) and Bosch-Rexroth (T-Rex) T-Rex Roar
Over the past three seasons I have laughed, I have cried, I have gotten so angry I couldn't see straight, I have hurt, I have had my heart broken, and I have been inspired more than I ever thought was possible. So when people ask "Why Robotics?" or "What the heck do they do?" I tell them, that this is more than robotics This is not just a robot This is a culture. This is a family. This is FIRST.
Comments
Post a Comment