VEX Worlds is canceled. FRC events are canceled. Battlebots is postponed. Sports are suspended. Schools are closing. My annual post-Worlds vacation is a music festival that, although not canceled yet, probably will be.
Dan has done an excellent job of conveying the importance of safety, the reasoning, logistics, and background of the decision. I couldn’t state it better than he already has, except to personally reiterate how difficult the past two weeks have been for his staff, and how much respect I continue to have for his leadership of the REC Foundation.
So, instead, I want to talk a bit more directly to the community, the VEX competitors, mentors, and friends.
As some of you know, I also mentor an FRC team. At the end of each season, right before the final day of the FRC championship, John V-Neun gives our students one of my favorite speeches. A forum post won’t do it justice, but it essentially goes as follows:
“For the past 4-6 months, you have been on a roller coaster. It has had the highest highs, and the lowest lows. One way or another, win, lose, or otherwise, there will be a point tomorrow at which the roller coaster comes to a screeching halt. And when it does, I guarantee that it will be a jarring halt. It doesn’t matter if you have a gold medal around your neck, or are carting the robot back to the trailer in pieces - the roller coaster has come to an end, and that can be a deeply emotional moment. And - that is perfectly okay. Acknowledge it. Give yourself a moment to cry, cheer, reflect silently, whatever you need.”
There are two main reasons I love the “roller coaster speech”.
- In that final moment, you often don’t feel the emotions you may expect. I have won a world championship, and been depressed the next day because after months of 100-hour weeks, I didn’t know what to do with my time now. That can be a shock; having a reminder that it is coming can be helpful.
- It helps to put in perspective that you are not in this alone. The robotics community’s strongest asset is each other - we are all riding the roller coaster, through its highs, lows, and screeching halts.
Yesterday, the roller coaster crashed to an end far earlier than anyone could have expected. I feel like the speech is more applicable than ever.
Like most of you, this was an emotional realization for me. Over the past 13 years, I have been a student competitor, an MC, a Head Referee, an FRC mentor, a core part of the VEX Worlds planning team, the Chairman of the VEX GDC. I literally do not even remember what it is like to have spring months that are not completely consumed by robotics (and this is true for most of the staff at VEX, FIRST, and the REC Foundation). For this reason alone, public health crisis aside, the next few months are going to be… strange.
So, I guess what I want to say is, take a moment. Take a breath. Reflect on the journey of the season, reminisce about a fun moment from your league event, be proud of the robot you’ve had the opportunity to create. Wash your hands, make sure your loved ones are aware of the seriousness of this generation-defining event.
“When will I get to compete with my robot again?”
“How will we determine a world champion?”
“When will we find out the new game?”
Nope - not answering those questions today, and I encourage you to set them aside for a day as well. Today, I’m listening to my favorite music, spending time with friends, playing some Witcher 3, and reflecting on the journey. We will attack tomorrow, tomorrow, and we’ll do it as a community. (4-6 feet apart from each other, of course)