What? So what? Now what?

I very much enjoyed the community service event last Sunday at the coliseum. I noticed that as the event progressed, the members of my team, and possibly the other teams as well, grew gradually closer together and were able to communicate better with one another. I also noticed that as a team, we were determined never to give up, even if a particular task was difficult and took many attempts. We always tried to come up with a good solution to each problem and as a result we succeeded in the end.
The experience was indeed quite different from what I expected. Initially I thought we were spending the entire time building bicycles, as if it were some engineering workshop. I did not expect to be split into groups and have tournaments. It was the competition that made the event so enjoyable. The fact that we were willing to win helped teammates form strong bonds as we tackled the obstacles placed in front of us. There was nothing in particular that I disliked. Maybe the actual building of the bicycle could have been part of the competition (i.e. who can build a bike the fastest). But overall the event was a lot of fun, and I did get to know many new people. I learned from others that teamwork is key, and that everyone has to participate evenly. I also learned that as long as we put all we have into something, we can easily accomplish it.
The way I could apply what I observed in my research lab, is I can make what I do fun by interacting with others around me. I should not be afraid to ask for help or speak up is there is something that concerns me. The only way I would perhaps change the activities, is by including the bike-building as part of them. After all, that was the ultimate purpose of the event.