Lessons for Future Rookie Teams

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1. Going Simple Pays Off!
   As a rookie team, it is important to know your limits. It is not realistic for a rookie team to construct a robot as advanced as a veteran team who has more experience, funding, members,  mentors, and connections, but it doesn't mean a rookie team can't make a robot that performs as well or even better. It is important for newer teams so realize early on that simple doesn't mean ineffective, and complicated doesn't mean better. Many times, a simpler design can work as well if not better than a complicated one, especially if a team is newer.
    

2. Make Tough Decisions with Confidence
   Cutting losses is sometimes the best option when doing otherwise would be a waste of time and money.
   At the beginning of the season, we wanted to have a level three hatch robot with lifts for the arm. However, a few weeks after further evaluation, we decided that we needed to make the decision to scrap our arm idea and the progress we had made for a simpler design. Although this was a difficult decision to make, we knew that if we continued with our previous plans, we would not have been able to complete a reliable design in time. We also applied this lesson later in the season when we were developing a level two climb. During worlds, we discovered our climb motor was being inconsistent. We decided to cut our losses and instead of wasting more time and energy on the climb, we scrapped that idea and focused on our defensive strategies and configuration to improve our chances of being chosen by an alliance.
    

3. Emphasize Safety
   Our team supported and enforced safety values throughout our entire build season. To our benefit, the safety culture of our team prevented any serious injuries from occurring, which allowed all team members to work to the best of their ability and maintain our team’s efficiency. With all of our team members staying safe and working at their highest capacity, the success of our safety practices this year taught us the value of safety in building a successful team. In the future, we will continue following safety practices and enforcing these practices for future teams.
    

4. Celebrate Small Victories!
   Do not forget to celebrate all your successes. Every step towards the final goal deserves a good pat on your back. For example, we made sure to celebrate the construction of our first working drive base, or every time we finished a mechanism.
    

5. Don’t Hesitate to Ask for Help!
   During the season, we reached out to experienced teams such as 5805 and 3476. After reaching out to those teams, we received help from their mentors and their team members, and due to their help, we were able to gain a lot of insight to the best strategies to win, and we learned a lot about mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and programming. Without their help, we would not have been able to place 6th place at OC Regional or get to the worlds championship.
    

6. Give Back to the Community!
   Not only did we learn to ask for help, but we also learned the importance of giving back. Helping other teams may not appear to be beneficial to the development of our robot, but not only does it feel fulfilling to help others, but it also exposes our team   to new people and ideas. At our regional event in Orange County, we helped a fellow rookie team, Lincoln Panther Robotics. From them, we discovered new ways to use servos in a creative manner and plan on using that knowledge next year. We also volunteered at our local middle school, Jeffrey Trail MS, to help them strengthened Their Vex Team. Similarly, even though the students there are younger and less experienced with robotics, their passion for robotics inspired us to work harder.
    

7. Never Ever Give Up!
   At times, our team was faced with difficult decisions that forced us to undo a great amount of time and effort that we had committed to an aspect of our robot. In these low points, although our team was discouraged from taking an entirely new direction in our work process and pursue a better idea, our team was still able to overcome these fears and frustrations and work hard to make ends meet. We now refuse to give up and allow our failures to become permanent. Our team now has the resolve and the ability to take action, withstand adversity, and do what is necessary to ensure success.
    

8. Have fun!
   Sometimes, our team is so into the project that we forget to take breaks - so remember that although robotics is interesting, have fun while you work!