Arizona FTC head ref "Hooked on the Vision of FIRST"
By the time Rich Gomez, a challenge course supervisor at Northern Arizona University, started volunteering for FTC in 2012, he was already sold on what FIRST offers students.
Rich, who is a retired U.S. Navy officer, began volunteering with the FIRST LEGO League in 2008 as a head referee.
"The inspiration I saw in the young men and women, as well as the parents and mentors, fostered my belief that the FIRST program is a wonderful organization for youth development and what is needed in our society to develop stronger leaders."
His first role in FTC was as the Head Robot Inspector at the Arizona FTC Championship for the Bowled Over! season. He said the level of competence he saw in the teams was overwhelming and that he had a great time interacting with the teams in the pits.
One team Rich encountered during his first tournament really stuck out in his mind. After failing their initial inspection, this team continued to have an uphill battle with getting their robot to perform adequately. Despite the frustrations facing them, the team managed to stay engaged and continued to press through the tournament.
"In the face of adversity, there was no defeat, only a desire to move forward and succeed," said Rich.
Rich returned to FTC for the Ring It Up! season as a Head Referee, a role in which he strives to be both fair and equitable to all teams. He considers the teams the heart and soul of the program and are what inspire him to give all he can to help celebrate their achievements. He said he would hate to leave a tournament with the feeling he made a call or ruling that was biased toward one team or another.
"Each team has their own personality, strengths and vision that contribute to making the tournament a celebration," he said. "To take that away from a team due to a bad call or somehow holding one team above another is counter to what FIRST offers our future leaders, and I hope I never do that."
Rich stepped up his level of involvement for the FTC BLOCK PARTY! season. According to Christine Sapio, one-half of the FTC Affiliate Partner duo in Arizona, he turned into a real road warrior, racking up over 1500 miles traveling to and from the four tournaments in the region!
"Rich's commitment to the ideals of FIRST are evident from the moment he arrives to the last buzzer of the last match. He's always upbeat, fair, professional and excited to work with teams," she added.
Rich's primary reason for participating in FTC is because it allows him to be a part of something that means a lot to his son. Being part of an FTC Team has spurred his personal growth and I can see it's a good place to be.
He also appreciates the aspects of FTC that develops future leaders. He said it's tremendous to watch the personal growth of students in such a short period of time. It's especially rewarding, he added, to observe the growth and maturity in the long term. After being involved with FIRST in the Arizona region for six years, he's had the privilege of seeing students who started in FLL go on to continue their learning and training in FTC.
"The depth of the vision and the investment of time in the FIRST organization is incredibly rewarding and gives hope to our future," he said.
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| Rich Gomez |
"The inspiration I saw in the young men and women, as well as the parents and mentors, fostered my belief that the FIRST program is a wonderful organization for youth development and what is needed in our society to develop stronger leaders."
His first role in FTC was as the Head Robot Inspector at the Arizona FTC Championship for the Bowled Over! season. He said the level of competence he saw in the teams was overwhelming and that he had a great time interacting with the teams in the pits.
One team Rich encountered during his first tournament really stuck out in his mind. After failing their initial inspection, this team continued to have an uphill battle with getting their robot to perform adequately. Despite the frustrations facing them, the team managed to stay engaged and continued to press through the tournament.
"In the face of adversity, there was no defeat, only a desire to move forward and succeed," said Rich.
Rich returned to FTC for the Ring It Up! season as a Head Referee, a role in which he strives to be both fair and equitable to all teams. He considers the teams the heart and soul of the program and are what inspire him to give all he can to help celebrate their achievements. He said he would hate to leave a tournament with the feeling he made a call or ruling that was biased toward one team or another.
"Each team has their own personality, strengths and vision that contribute to making the tournament a celebration," he said. "To take that away from a team due to a bad call or somehow holding one team above another is counter to what FIRST offers our future leaders, and I hope I never do that."
Rich stepped up his level of involvement for the FTC BLOCK PARTY! season. According to Christine Sapio, one-half of the FTC Affiliate Partner duo in Arizona, he turned into a real road warrior, racking up over 1500 miles traveling to and from the four tournaments in the region!
"Rich's commitment to the ideals of FIRST are evident from the moment he arrives to the last buzzer of the last match. He's always upbeat, fair, professional and excited to work with teams," she added.
Rich's primary reason for participating in FTC is because it allows him to be a part of something that means a lot to his son. Being part of an FTC Team has spurred his personal growth and I can see it's a good place to be.
He also appreciates the aspects of FTC that develops future leaders. He said it's tremendous to watch the personal growth of students in such a short period of time. It's especially rewarding, he added, to observe the growth and maturity in the long term. After being involved with FIRST in the Arizona region for six years, he's had the privilege of seeing students who started in FLL go on to continue their learning and training in FTC.
"The depth of the vision and the investment of time in the FIRST organization is incredibly rewarding and gives hope to our future," he said.
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