Wow…..blue cobra wrote:I haven't directly asked, actually, but seeing as the C coach had the suspicious shifty eyes and told me to go pack up my bridge immediately after testing at regionals so no one could see it, as well as how they pack all their building events in opaque boxes and have even begun to play mind games on the other teams () I doubt they'd look too kindly upon finding a picture of my bridge on here. And thanks again!
I’m not sure what I’m missing here, but I’m sure I’m missing something.
“Fearing what your coaches would do”/you being B-Div/talking about “the C-Div coach telling you to…”
Fear is a pretty strong word. I’d like to think that its just you not understanding where “they” are coming from. Coaching by instilling “fear” in students would be against…..everything that Science-O is about, which is why I find it hard to believe- that that’s how “they” work, -and that “they” would even consider “doing something” to you if you shared/posted a picture of something you created. Is it your team coach, or building events coach, or bridge coach, or the C- coach you refer to? If its one of your team coaches, and you’re moving on to high school next year, what do you “fear” they might “do”? If it’s the C- coach, I would assume they coach for the HS you’ll be moving up to, but why would they ….. have anything to say about what you do as a member of your B-Div team?? If this is where your fear is coming from, I’d have to assume it’s your fear (valid or not) of…..how they’ll handle you next year- being on the team, being on events you want to be on, etc. To do anything…..vindictive; to limit your potential, your success, your participation and enjoyment in S-O, because you shared a photo of something you created and are- and should be – proud of. I find that really hard to believe.
Over the years coaching, I’ve run into some coaches that are…..pretty far out there; that are…..IMHO, way too caught up in the competitive aspects, and have …..lost the perspective that S-O is about science education. Yes, part of coaching is teaching about being competitive – how to do the very best you can, how to understand, and push within the limits of, the rules, how to approach things, how to do the hard work it takes to do really well, to win. Part of – and I would argue the more important part of- coaching is also what science (and engineering) is- how it works; and that encompasses both the …..technical aspects/details, as well as how the science process and community works. Scientific understanding and progress comes from the sharing- as in publishing- of work done and discoveries made, and others in the scientific community understanding, adding to, expanding on, and sometimes making leaps from that growing “body of knowledge”, and then sharing their progress. Yes, there are exceptions to that open sharing – “national security” work is one example; “trade secret” work – where someone has invested significant money, and stands to make significant money (or loose it if “secrets” are revealed), is another. But neither S-O, nor your school, nor the C-school you’re headed for, nor the coaches for either, fall into or even close to any of these exceptions.
This board is…..our very small part of the scientific process; the literature, if you will, of S-O Elevated Bridge; sharing insights/progress; posing and answering questions, expanding our collective understanding and knowledge, and sharing accomplishments and successes. The photos in the Gallery – for all events, including bridge are an important part of that “literature”, and a great resource for all.
Whether and how you choose to share your knowledge, your accomplishments, your work is, again, IMHO, totally and completely up to you. The “intellectual property” of what the bridge(s) you have created look like is, or better be, yours. Unless “your coaches” designed and built it, it isn’t “theirs.” If they taught, and guided you, that’s (a very appropriate part of) coaching, and the end product is yours. You have good reason to be proud of what you have accomplished. Posting a picture is not going to “give away” any “secrets” of any value, to anyone.
Let me end this with a bit of context that makes any reluctance – wherever it might be coming from – to share anything about, and/or a photo of a 2009/2010 S-O Elevated Bridge that isn’t going to Nationals, and doesn’t involve …..cool tricks/insights that might win Nats, somewhere between silly and ludicrous. It won’t help anybody next year, because this event won’t be there next year. There are some valid competitive reasons between now and Nationals for some to…..keep quiet, and sit on things they’ve figured out, but that’s not the situation you’re in.
