5 minute read
A Spark of Innovation, A Rookie Robotics Team Member’s First Competition (The Glen, Winter 2024)
While most students were still sleeping, enjoying one of their last days of freedom before the end of the December break, our school’s FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) robotics team ALT-F4 was hard at work getting ready for the 2024 FRC kickoff. Each year, a new challenge is introduced. Teams have approximately two months to design, fabricate, manufacture, programme, and test a robot's capabilities to get it competition-ready. Each year the robotics team participates in two district competitions, and a Provincial competition to qualify for the World Championships in Houston, Texas.
At the start of the school year, a call went out to meet in Room 109 after school to join the robotics team. After some much-needed convincing from my friends, I decided to join. In the first few weeks, I was almost overwhelmed with the number of things I was learning, from how to use a drill press, to the basics of CAD design. When our coach told the team that there would be an off-season competition with an emphasis on the team’s rookie members, I jumped at the opportunity.
The STEMley Cup, an annual FRC off-season competition, allows teams to replay last year’s competition and get a chance to practice their skills before the competitive season begins. It is an excellent opportunity for new members to experience the highs and lows of a competition. The competition lasted two days, so we had to stay overnight in a nearby hotel. Each day there is a separate competition with diverse teams. We participated in both to try and replicate as closely as possible an event during the season which takes place over multiple days.
On the first day of the competition, I had no idea what to expect. When we entered the host school, I saw dozens of robots and booths lined up against the wall. When they announced the qualification match schedule, I was tasked with writing them all down. Even though I knew this was a large competition, I was shocked by how many teams were attending. It was a long and harrowing competition, but we eventually made it into the playoffs as the third-seeded alliance. Following a loss to the seventh-seed alliance in Round 2 of the playoffs, we stayed in the lower bracket until the finals against the first-seed alliance. We were stressed. We checked over our code, then checked it again, then checked our battery a few times for good measure.
Round 1 of the Finals was upon us. Even though we knew this was an off-season competition and that it wouldn’t count for much, we were still stressed and were all on the edges of our seats when the match started. We won the first Finals match, but there was still a chance that the other alliance would gain the upper hand. At the end of the match, we were more stressed out than before.
Once the second match started, the auditorium was bursting with different team cheers. At the end of the match, when they were about to announce the scores, the auditorium was silent.
I didn’t even get the chance to look at the massive screen displaying the scores before our team erupted into cheers and yells. As I desperately tried to get a glance at the scoreboard, I heard one of my friends shouting, “We won!” That answered the question. Joining my teammates in our collective jubilation, I knew I would remember that moment forever.
We went to Domino’s for pizza to celebrate. After staying overnight at a nearby hotel, we were refreshed and ready for day two. Other teams seemed intimidated by us because we had won the first competition. We didn’t let that slow us down and ended up in the first-seed alliance for the playoffs. During the playoffs, we didn’t lose any team, and ended up in the Finals against the second seed team. After losing the first round of the Finals, everyone was on edge. If the other team won this next round, the game would be over, and we would lose. Even though everyone was stressed, we persevered. Even though I knew everyone had done their jobs properly, I was terrified that something would go wrong with our robot and that we would lose.
I shouldn’t have been worried. We won the game, securing us the first-place spot. I didn’t think we could be louder than we had been after yesterday’s win, but we were. While it was certainly an exhilarating win, it was tinged with melancholy. We had won, but that meant that the competition was over. The next event would be our competition at Centennial, in March of 2024. After the win, it was a blur of accepting awards, taking photos, packing up our pits, and saying goodbye.
At the start of the school year, I was apprehensive about joining this team. The only people I knew were my fellow ninth graders. As I learned more and more about things like CADing, coding, and writing, I also got more and more comfortable in the robotics lab. It went from a place where I went a few times a week to a place where I could learn and make new friends. Deciding to join the robotics team was one of the best decisions I have made this year.
As one of the first teams to win both days of the STEMley competitions, we intend to continue putting our best foot forward and upholding our core values; respect, responsibility, compassion, integrity, equity, and balance.
