To all of our adoring fans who read this blog regularly (I know you're out there somewhere), I sincerely apologize for not posting since the Friday of competition. Things have been busy, and I realize that's no excuse. So, to make it up, here's a pretty long post (I'm also doing this to procrastinate on a paper for school, so it's a win-win.)
To recap the competition:
On our final match, we FINALLY got the robot to do what it was built to do- release discs into another robot's chute. It worked beautifully :') Alas and alack though, we did not get chosen for eliminations. It was great fun though, watching the robots that did compete, and our former alliance partners LASER came out with another astonishing win. So, congrats to them!
And now here's the mushy gushy part. I'll try not to tear up as I write this, but it has to be said.
I love this team. Even though I may not always be the most dedicated captain, being a part of the RoboLions has been a huge deal to me and has actually changed my life. It sounds cheesy, I know. But it's true. Besides FIRST being an amazing program in and of itself, it's been my team, especially two particular members, that has amazed me the most.
When we started four years ago, we had no clue what we were doing. And yet somehow, we made it through that first crazy year, and the following four. My two co-captains, (and yes, I'm proud to call them that,) Mike and Dan, have been there since day 1, and though I joined a few weeks later, the three of us have had an incredible journey through these four years of high school. I think I speak for all of us when I say that FIRST has left an indelible mark on each of us.
To Mike and Dan, I truly appreciate everything you two have done for the team. So here's to you guys, to our days as freshman, to the starry nights where we escaped for "Captain's Meetings" (still some of my favorite memories), to sharing inside jokes, to getting through the days where we all just wanted to quit. To mustering the strength to coordinate an FTC team, to the competitions that we all loved so much, to Mike never even batting an eye at wearing that ridiculous (and hot!) lion costume to drive in. This is to you guys. You two are the best co-captains (and frankly, friends) a girl could ask for. So, thank you. I hope we can all still keep in touch and remain connected by the threads of FIRST as we move on with our lives. Best of luck to both of you. :)
Love and peace,
Captain Grace
