FIRST robotics is a very unique program. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen as a program that would encompass the challenge of sports, while building the self-confidence and problem-solving skills of the participants.
The common theme among all of the FIRST teams is that the program is more than robots. The robots can be thought of as the “campfire” around which we gather to help the students learn life skills that they can use throughout their lives. Some of the key things they will learn include:
Understanding and developing strategies
Exploring new skills and ideas
Problem solving, creativity, and persistence
Impact (consequences) of decisions…and dealing with them in a positive manner
Respect for each other…and other teams
How to work together as a team…and understand we are better when we work together
How to fail...how to succeed…and how to celebrate both!
Don’t be mistaken: FIRST is still a competition and everyone (from students to mentors) wants to win every time they step onto a field and square off against other teams. But it is not an adversarial competition….it brings to life the terms “coopertition” and “gracious professionalism” (coined by the founders of FIRST) where teams will gladly help each other make their robots the best they can be…even if it’s a team that you are competing against! Those core values show us that through friendly sportsmanship and respect for each other, mutual gain can coexist and all of us will have the opportunity to improve ourselves and our communities.
The FIRST challenge theme for 2024-25 is FIRST Dive
FIRST Lego League (FLL) Elementary – Submerged
FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Grades 6-8 – Into the Deep
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Grades 9-12 – Reefscape
FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC)
Our enthusiastic, young FTC team, Robo-Raptors #11181, competed with more than 35 other teams in both the Flint and Goodrich Qualifiers. They finished the season with a record of 6-4-0 in a game which required the robot to have the ability to pick up and score samples (blocks) in goals of increasing difficulty and to climb a series of increasing height rungs to raise the robot off of the “sea floor.”
In addition to building a robot, the team also prepared an engineering notebook detailing the process of developing the concept of their robot and the entire build process. They then had the opportunity to present their work to a team of judges who interacted and quizzed them on all aspects of their experience and what they learned…both as individuals and as a team.
Team Members:
6th Grade | 7th Grade | 8th Grade | Youth Mentors (High School) |
|---|---|---|---|
Charles Craft | Kaidynce Costigan | Kevin Phillips | Tori Wares |
Layla Hockin | Damien Hockin | Grady Wooster | |
Harley Joseph | Stephanie Kinsman | ||
Allison McNiel | |||
JR Spivey | |||
Dakotah Walker |
Mentors: Daryl Spaulding, Fred Timkovich, Sean Timkovich-Camp
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)
Our small, but seasoned FRC team, truly learned the value of hard work and overcoming adversity at nearly every turn this season. Encountering unusually long lead times for necessary parts, longer than expected build times, and fewer hands (compared to previous seasons) to work on the robot, the team kept a positive outlook at every turn and found a way to put a competitive robot on the field at the qualification events.
At their first Qualifier competition at Kettering University, the Robo-Raptors FRC Team #5612 experienced catastrophic damage to their robot during their second match. The team showed their resilience as they quickly determined how to best alter the damaged robot and their strategy so that they could field a robot that was still competitive and perform well enough in their remaining matches that they could be (and were) selected to join an alliance and advance to the elimination rounds. The Robo-Raptors joined Alliance 4 with partners #5114 Titanium Tigers of Fenton and #5907 CC Shambots of Detroit Catholic Central HS in Novi. The alliance finished in 4th place in the semifinals.
The team then travelled to Livonia for their second competition where they performed much better and finished in a very respectful 10th place in a field of 39 teams. The Robo-Raptors participated in the 4th Alliance with alliance partners #6532 TechnoPaths from Detroit and #4737 Atomigators from West Bloomfield. Our alliance was unfortunately eliminated in the semifinals which doesn’t adequately describe the great weekend the students had in holding their own at every turn (with a patched together robot) while competing with some of the best teams in the state.
Team Members:
Owen Kingsley
Hailey Madill (Goodrich HS)
Kevin Phillips (Home School)
Blake Woodliff
Grady Wooster
Mentors: Patti Camp, Daryl Spaulding, Mike Kingsley, Gordon Madill, Fred Timkovich, and team alumni Drake Star and Sean Timkovich-Camp
Last thoughts from a mentor’s perspective:
It was a season full of great fun, learning/teaching opportunities, frustrations and excitement. The thing that is most rewarding (and keeps me coming back each year) is watching the students grow year-to-year in their confidence and skills (both physical and mental) and teaching them two things that help them in life (no matter what they do): figure something out and then do something. Two very simple concepts, but ones which will serve them well in life. When faced with a choice/obstacle, the best thing a person can do is make a correct decision. The next best thing a person can do is make a wrong decision. The worst thing a person can do is make NO decision. – Daryl Spaulding