We changed the spelling of metal to mettle and for us that symbolizes several important aspects for our team. We want to be known for the character traits of perseverance, courage, resolve, and grit....aka Mettle. On the back of our t-shirts for our rookie season, we included a definition for the word mettle. When we won the Springdale Qualifier Champions Award in 2013, we were described as the team that had given everyone a spelling lesson. Everyone at the event knew what the word mettle meant after we won! We went on to the Arkansas State Championship where we won the Presentation Award. We had a great rookie season and it was an honor to represent J.O. Kelly Middle School and FLL. We hope we are always a model for the highest of character in all that we endeavor....and that our Mettle always shines through everything we do!
In addition to getting our inspiration from Rock and Roll music, we are also motivated by people and organizations that tackle challenging goals. One such organization that inspires us is NASA. Their constant pursuit of lofty goals and unbelievable innovation gives us much to emulate. One of our favorite accomplishments from NASA was their successful launch, landing, and operation of the amazing rover, Curiosity. Take a moment to watch a short video clip that explains the engineering challenges that had to be addressed in order for the Curiosity rover to land successfully on the planet Mars in August, 2012. This is a great example of teamwork and what amazing goals can be accomplished when everyone understands that the higher the degree that everyone works together, the higher the degree of the resulting success. Not to mention how much fun it is to accomplish something great as part of team and therefor having many friends to celebrate with afterwards! We liked the end of the video so much that we borrowed NASA's saying...DARE MIGHTY THINGS! Thanks NASA, Heavy Mettle plans on it!