Pre Season Talk

Team (parents, students and fellow mentors)

With build season around the corner, I just wanted to give our team a heads-up on what to expect, and information about who to contact with questions.

Sponsorship

Please contact Steve Londeau (1-734-272-7004). He has all the appropriate documents to give sponsons, as well as the ability to schedule demos etc.

Agendas and Meeting Information

Please contact Bernadette Storts (810-834-9586). She will have all the information regarding agendas and competition hotels, as well as the most important question on Saturday… ”What’s for dinner” (DO NOT ASK JON). For food on the weekends, we ask all parents take turns providing the two meals on Saturday, and the one meal on Sunday. This makes it easy for the students and mentors. Whether it’s home cooked, or a parent buying the pizza, it helps keep us on track.

Robot

If you have questions about which parts we need for building, or about tool donations, please feel free to contact me, Jon Uren (810-338-8601). Over the last couple of years we have standardized fasteners, motors, and the tools we use to make it easy, quick and safe to build the robot.

Build Season Meeting Information

We will be meeting weekly:

• Monday - Thursday        6:00pm - 8:00pm

• Saturday            9:00am - 9:30pm 
• Sunday            noon - 8:00pm

Snow days:
If school is cancelled, there will be robotics except in extreme conditions. However, if you feel it is unsafe to drive, please feel free not to attend. Most of the time, the roads are plowed and cleared before our 6pm meeting time.
To receive the latest information about changes to the meeting schedule, please sign up for our Remind 101 mass text, which is how I communicate schedule changes to the team.  

Please note that meeting times are approximate, because there will be nights when we lose track of time. Because of this, we strongly encourage students to complete their homework before robotics, or to bring it with them to meetings. Robotics meetings do not excuse students from their school responsibilities.

As an adult who works full time, then attends robotics meetings afterwards to volunteer (just like many of our mentors and parents), I understand this schedule may seem crazy. However, it is necessary in order to build a robot in only six weeks. I understand not everyone will be able to attend every meeting, which is fine. But, just like other sports (or their future work places), students will get out of this program exactly what they put into it. Students that attend the majority of meetings, and who are there to help are more likely to be promoted, or to be given unique responsibilities.

I joined this team my 8th grade year, I graduated high school in 2009 and took over coaching 2012.
I have seen some amazing students, parents, and mentors come and go. None of these individual things make the team great though. A even balance of parent help, the hard work of mentors, and the motivation of the students to learn and create, makes this team great. So I just want to thank you for taking the time to read this and, more importantly, taking the time to help us keep this team running at peak performance!

Thank you

Jon Uren

Coach of Team 1684