Montana Volunteer came for the robots stayed for the values
Pippin Wallace started volunteering with FTC eight years ago when the program was still in it's infancy. It wasn't just the robots that kept him coming back though.
"The kids have always embraced the spirit of Coopertition and Gracious Professionalism in the FIRST events and this is the big reason I've gotten behind the program," said the Oracle cloud software system administrator.
Pippin, who started with FIRST Vex Challenge as a hardware and software inspector in 2006, said he was excited to be involved with anything robotics related, but he had no idea what we was getting himself into. His first go-round was rewarding and addictive and it wasn't long before he found himself stepping in to lead FTC in Montana as the Affiliate Partner there.
As Affiliate Partner, Pippin became responsible for organizing the State Championship and managing team growth in the region. He says he enjoys everything from working directly with teams and Coaches to organizing the events in the state.
His favorite memory from his tenure with FTC in Montana was when a rookie team showed up to the state championship with a box of parts and said they would just watch that year. Pippin quickly rallied a few veteran teams to help. Before long, that rookie team was up and running and outscoring some of those helpful veterans!
"It really emphasized how having a competition with such powerful core values can be transformative for anyone who's up to the challenge," he said.
Pippin shared another exciting moment that happened at the Montana FTC BLOCK PARTY! State Championship. After learning of a wager between two coaches to buy their team members milkshakes if 50% of the teams had an autonomous program, Pippin upped the ante and announced the "Montana Milkshake Challenge."
The deal - if all 33 FTC Teams at his Championship had a working autonomous program by the end of the day, he would buy milkshakes for every team member and coach. 300 milkshakes later, Pippin may have achieved a first in FTC! Not only did all of the teams have a working autonomous program by the end, 90% of the teams were also able to score in autonomous.
When counseling others who are considering joining the ranks of FTC Volunteers, he jokingly cautions them to weigh the decision seriously, because the potential for addiction is quite high. In reality, though, it simply becomes a desirable way to spend your time, because of the amazing community that has grown up around FTC, he added.
"Pippin's greatest gift has been his ability to share with others his vision of what FTC can be," said Nancy Paul, the FIRST Affiliate Partner Manager for Pippin's region. "He has given countless coaches the confidence to believe that they can coach an FTC team, and the tools to do it successfully. He built a close-knit community of coaches who support one another and share their experiences," she added.
After eight seasons as the FTC Affiliate Partner in Montana, Pippin will step down following the 2013-14 season but plans to stay involved with FIRST. He will continue as a FIRST LEGO League Coach until his kids are old enough for FTC.
"[T]hen I get to be a Coach at an event I have become very fond of. I look forward to seeing an FTC event from this perspective and the organizers will have a built in cheering section."
He will also continue to lend a hand with the FTC program on an as-needed basis. Thank you Pippin for all you've done to support and grow FTC through the years!
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| Pippin Wallace speaks during the 2013 MT FTC Championship Opening Ceremony (photo courtesyof Darren Steiner) |
Pippin, who started with FIRST Vex Challenge as a hardware and software inspector in 2006, said he was excited to be involved with anything robotics related, but he had no idea what we was getting himself into. His first go-round was rewarding and addictive and it wasn't long before he found himself stepping in to lead FTC in Montana as the Affiliate Partner there.
As Affiliate Partner, Pippin became responsible for organizing the State Championship and managing team growth in the region. He says he enjoys everything from working directly with teams and Coaches to organizing the events in the state.
His favorite memory from his tenure with FTC in Montana was when a rookie team showed up to the state championship with a box of parts and said they would just watch that year. Pippin quickly rallied a few veteran teams to help. Before long, that rookie team was up and running and outscoring some of those helpful veterans!
"It really emphasized how having a competition with such powerful core values can be transformative for anyone who's up to the challenge," he said.
 |
| All team members and coaches at the MT FTC Championship received milkshakes because 100% of teams had working autonomous modes! |
The deal - if all 33 FTC Teams at his Championship had a working autonomous program by the end of the day, he would buy milkshakes for every team member and coach. 300 milkshakes later, Pippin may have achieved a first in FTC! Not only did all of the teams have a working autonomous program by the end, 90% of the teams were also able to score in autonomous.
When counseling others who are considering joining the ranks of FTC Volunteers, he jokingly cautions them to weigh the decision seriously, because the potential for addiction is quite high. In reality, though, it simply becomes a desirable way to spend your time, because of the amazing community that has grown up around FTC, he added.
"Pippin's greatest gift has been his ability to share with others his vision of what FTC can be," said Nancy Paul, the FIRST Affiliate Partner Manager for Pippin's region. "He has given countless coaches the confidence to believe that they can coach an FTC team, and the tools to do it successfully. He built a close-knit community of coaches who support one another and share their experiences," she added.
After eight seasons as the FTC Affiliate Partner in Montana, Pippin will step down following the 2013-14 season but plans to stay involved with FIRST. He will continue as a FIRST LEGO League Coach until his kids are old enough for FTC.
"[T]hen I get to be a Coach at an event I have become very fond of. I look forward to seeing an FTC event from this perspective and the organizers will have a built in cheering section."
He will also continue to lend a hand with the FTC program on an as-needed basis. Thank you Pippin for all you've done to support and grow FTC through the years!
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