On Nov. 19, teams from all over San Diego attended workshops, mentored one another in robot-building and worked to build the playing field. Students guided their robots through the field, which consisted of PVC pipes, bowling balls and baskets. The Point Loma-based Rock Academy’s robotics program called FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is comprised of high school competitors. All students who choose to participate in FIRST are asked to practice “gracious professionalism.” “Gracious professionalism” is used by everybody in FIRST. It encourages students to help other team members, even if it might mean giving one’s own team a disadvantage. Whether it is lending an opponent a battery or helping an older gentleman cross the street, every team is involved with “gracious professionalism.” To help the Rock Academy’s Warriors team reach its goal of participating in the world championships, the team participated in “gracious professionalism” by hosting a scrimmage at the Rock Academy on Rosecrans Street. The highlight of the scrimmage was when teams participating within the blue alliance won the scrimmage and demonstrated “gracious professionalism” by congratulating the red alliance. The overall event was designed to encourage other teams to build robots, while promoting unity among the high school student community. The Warriors FTC Team 4112 is a Christian team from the Rock Academy and considered a veteran group in San Diego since it has been an established for more than a year. Last year, as a rookie team, the Warriors went to the San Diego championships, got fourth out of 40 teams, and won the Judges’ Award. This year, Team 4112 aims to compete in the world championships with a full team comprised of eight students. Many improvements have been integrated within the team’s curriculum, including: establishing a field for practice, building more efficient parts for the team’s robot, utilizing a six-wheel drive, incorporating more intricate sensing abilities and establishing a better team morale through teambuilding events. The Warriors will compete in the San Diego championships on Jan. 14 at Madison High School. For more information, visit www.usfirst.org.
