Uncommon valor, acts of kindness, selflessness, are all descriptors often used to give depth to the meaning of a hero.  While the engineers of Team 148 are definitely heroes, they are more than that, they are the kind of men who have taken the opportunity to change the world.

Sometimes the process of building a robot and competing can sound so very simple to the casual observer, but it is the tedious commitment of time and energy from these men that make the entire building program quite the undertaking.  Often it is the determination to make the difference in the life of just one student that keeps each man returning night after night for six weeks or its just the fact that what they do does count and matter in this big world of ours.

Teachers and students can raise money, they can organize community activities, and in many cases, can build some form of a robot.  While this is a way of participating, the Robowranglers engineers show students a way to take everything to the next level, the level of pride in your work, pride in your life.

For one reason or another, teams will dedicate their competition season to one person, a cause or even develop a motto to follow in order to keep their eye on the finish line.  Team 148, the Robowranglers, has something else in mind, the 2006-2007 robotics season has become very special, and for that reason, the competition season is being dedicated to our "unsung heroes," the engineers.

We want to thank Chris Carnevale, Chris Follett, John Hodapp, Ben Kolski, Brandon Martus, Steve Maxwell, Adam Reppond, Kevin Rodgers, Ken Stroud, Ricky Torrance, John V-Neun and Casey Welch for believing in the power of teamwork.  We are in absolute awe of the devotion of Tony Norman and Bob Mimlitch for their commitment to our program and to the development of a team.  We want to honor them for treating every student as an individual, for taking the spirit of education to heart and teaching not just about the power of engineering but about the power of living life to its fullest.

Over the next few months, we will be competing in two regional events and one national event.  While we are competing we will be representing our families, our school and our communities.  We take with us the power of teamwork, the heat of a lion and the spirit of success, as we have already won so much just by our development of a very unique robot.

In the play Henry V, there is a wonderful section where Henry talks to his men before going into battle.  The men are tired and really don't have the energy to face even one more hurdle.  Henry tells them, "There will come a day, when those who have gone to battle will roll up their sleeves and show their scars.  Other men will consider what they have done in life and consider their efforts pale in light of those who fought with Henry."

There will come a day, if it hasn't already, when people will ask our engineers, why in the world would you spend the time and effort you have to build a robot with students.  Our engineers will know why they have done so and in their explanation to the skeptic, the uninvolved will hear Henry V's words, because those who do not volunteer and give of themselves to the greater good, will only live a life pale in the light of those who have given to others.

It's going to be a great spring and we are a team, ready to compliment our engineers with nothing but effort and determination.

Click here to view a larger version of the Team 148 engineers drawing,
sketched by sophomore Adam Risley.

When an invitation is issued by the Robowranglers, then it probably will be an excellent career move to accept that invitation!  Governor George Bush stopped by L-3 Communications for a brief visit with the team and look how far he has gone.  Our homework assignment from FIRST founder Dean Kamen is straightforward, contact our legislators and invite them to attend a competition.

We are in the process of not only contacting every elected local, county and state official, but also, our nationally elected officials from Texas.  We hope the Lone Star Regional is a very VIP affair as they all come to Houston the last weekend in March to watch the most amazing weekend they have ever experienced.  It will also be a welcome break for them from the drudgery of state business and a complete celebration of the educational opportunities they work so hard to ensure.

As the building season begins for 2007 competition, our team has to give credit to our Vex six.  These guys have been hard at work with Mr. Tharp since October preparing our Vex robot for competition.  We can't wait to take the Team 148 creation to the Southwest regional and then onto national competition in Atlanta.

We welcome a new corporate sponsor in RackSolutions.com, as our team comes full circle in our affiliation with two engineers that began our team.  We also welcome a new group of engineers who are giving their time to mentor the students.  Woodie Flowers always uses the phrase, "if you keep doing what you have always done, you will keep getting what you have always had."  With our new workspace, our dedicated mentors and a fantastic team of students, we are definitely changing the face of the Robowranglers.

We have to thank our alumni for spending time with the team also.  Michael Risley and Kevin Morris have given their winter college break to the team to begin the building process.  We have a pledge from Kevin to drive in from Tyler each weekend to work with us.  Michael will be watching us from Aggieland and sending us advice along the way.  Now where would we be without our website mentor, Matt Mahrer.  Not only is Matt an award winning website builder, but he lends his expertise to the team and mentors students through the website process.  From Matt's experience with the team, he has quite a business flourishing with his website designs.  These three young men are only three examples of the success of the Robowranglers as they take their team experience on to the work of the "real world."

We have many fresh faces on the team this year and they have already made lasting contributions to our growth.  It's going to be a great building season and I hope you follow our progress through the website.  While it would be futile to make an updating schedule I could actually follow, I do promise to keep the Coaches Corner filled with information about the team and our unique progress.

As always we invite you to click our buttons, visit our website and make sure you close each session with a big Yee Haw!!