From a coaches perspective, watching the team interact as they prepare for the event tomorrow has been a bittersweet experience. The way they work together, reminds us how proud we are of “our kids”, but neither for the first, nor I’m sure the last, time this season, we are also forced to experience “The last ____” for two of our members. For the first time in it’s history, RoBovines will be losing members, not because they wanted to leave, but because they had to.

FIRST is a program for school-age youth, pre-k through High school graduation, which means that come senior year, youth are hit with the reality that it will be their last season as a team member, whether they want it to be or not.

This season, two of our members have been experiencing
a whole list of their “last _____ as a team member”:
• Last kickoff
• Last prototype day
• Last first time seeing the robot move
• Last qualifying competition
• Last state champs

More recently:
• Last time packing for an event
• Last time heading to competition

And just today: Last time doing the last minute tasks to prepare for competition. And not just any competition either, but the top competition: WORLDS

As painful as it is for us as coaches, we know it must be worse for our seniors. Every “Last” is a painful reminder that they will be absent next season, and their absence will certainly be felt.

Corin, our senior from BHBL, is in his 3rd year as a programmer for the team. Since joining us, he has also done work in CAD, 3D printing, video editing and has taken charge of our youngest programming with our countywide explore and discover programs where he introduces the program he loves to a new batch of youth each season. He has also spent extensive time working with other teams, including the Burnt Hills Mechaspartians, helping to mentor their programming team.

Henry, our senior from Ballston Spa, is on his 4th season as the team captain/manager; before that, he was a member of our FLL program. In addition to helping organize, manage, and run the RoBovines, he leads and coaches a team of his own: FLL team Potential Error. He also does video and graphic editing for the team and is the lead on our team portfolio. Outside of the team he is the Youth representative to the 4-H program committee.

While both of our seniors’ absences will surely be heavily noticed next season, fortunately, today is the last pit setup, but only the first day of this 5-day event… Which means we have many more “Lasts” ahead of us this week.

To Henry and Corin: My wish for you is to cherish, remember, and make the most of all these “Lasts”.
May they have as much of a positive effect on you both as you have had on this team and this community.
And, when the curtain finally closes, and you have taken your LAST bow as a team member, I hope you also remember that it is your FIRST bow as an Alumni and, hopefully, a future mentor, coach, and/or volunteer.