CHENEY- A heavy bass beat and bright lights welcomed spectators to a high-energy showdown at Eastern Washington University (EWU) last weekend with 50 teams of 6-to-18-year-olds from across the state competing at the FIRST Washington Robotics District Championship at Reese Court April 7-9.
West Valley High School's (WVHS) Team Chuck 2147 was among the top finishers placing sixth in the event and qualifying for the World Championship in Houston.
President of FIRST Washington Robotics Erica Beckstrom said the organization is pleased to be back with in-person events following the pandemic.
"We are just so happy that this year we're able to meet again in person," Beckstrom said. "You can feel the energy after two years just percolating to a full boil."
Although robotics competitions look like sporting events, they differ significantly from their athletic counterparts in many ways. Under strict guidelines, young programmers and engineers engage in games similar to three-on-three basketball with robots they designed, programmed, and built for the competition.
"It's the varsity sport of the mind," said WVHS robotics mentor and engineering teacher Eric Groshoff.
At this past weekend's event, teams battled for the chance to go to the FIRST World Championship held April 20- 23 in Houston. West Valley is the only Eastern Washington team competing in the Lone Star State.
"Houston is the world's (championship) and when they say world's, they don't mean just America. Actual other countries are there," said West Valley senior and team Chuck scouting captain Anna Ryburn. "Not only do you get to be at the top rung, you get to see these other teams and learn from them."
West Valley has been competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition since 2007. Chuck took second at both the Yakima and West Valley tournaments this season to qualify for the district championship.
"This year has been surprisingly great," said WVHS drive team coach and mentor Gabe Rose. "It's the best robot we've had running. It's really come down to the kids' determination to keep things going."
Rose explained that the adults' leadership in the program comes from a mentoring approach. They let team members make the decisions concerning the design and building of the robots.
"We are definitely more shoulder to shoulder with the kids rather than leading from the front," Rose said. "We'll give them options and advice but it's really up to them to take it."
Groshoff was impressed with his students' ability to troubleshoot technical difficulties at this competition.
"We had problems the kids were solving between matches," Groshoff said. "They had plans for it all. They've got spares parts for everything, just in case."
Team Chuck ranked third after their qualifying rounds.
"It was exciting to be so far up in the ranks for the majority of the competition," said West Valley senior Faythe Loyd.
Groshoff echoed Loyd's sentiment.
"It's a dream world," Groshoff said. "We're usually a low resource team. To be third was phenomenal."
Although the robots are built, programmed, and operated by the students, robotics competitions like the one at EWU wouldn't be possible without the dedicated volunteers that support their efforts.
Eric Stokely is a team mentor and robotics teacher in Shelton. He's been involved with FIRST Washington as a volunteer for 24 years.
"Our entire volunteer base has spent their own money to get here. They're paying for their hotel rooms," Stokely said. "They had to take vacation days to be here and they did it happily because they see the impact of being here."
Stokely feels that his work with FIRST Washington has made him a better teacher.
"I am the most effective when working with students through a robotics team," he said. "At events and working with them after school, I know I can show them that there's a world beyond their own, where engineers and nerds are respected and valued."
Although his team didn't qualify for the district championships, Stokely came to show his support to groups like West Valley. He also worked as a volunteer at the WVHS robotics competition on Saturday, April 2.
"Chuck is a well-respected team in this state," Stokely said. "I'm overjoyed to be associated with them."
FIRST Washington is the largest after school STEM program across the state. Its goal is to inspire 6-to-18-year-olds to get involved in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through robotics.
Reader Comments(0)