OUTDOOR EXPLORATION, EDUCATION + CONSERVATION I ROBERTA LENERT
3, 2, 1, LEGO! Introducing tomorrow’s innovators and today’s student athletes! Coronado Middle School Robotics Story & Photos by Roberta Lenert
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he crowd quiets in anticipation as the robotics teams line up at their competition tables. The judge at each table gives a thumbs up, and when the last thumb is raised the countdown starts … 3, 2, 1, LEGO! Almost simultaneously, each team pushes the start button on their super engineered Spike Prime robot, each one custombuilt by its team, rebuilt and repaired dozens of times and meticulously coded over the course of nine months. The robots accelerate into action, weaving from challenge to challenge using components installed by their team such as internal gyroscopes, optical sensors and specially designed mission attachments. The crowd holds its breath as challenges are completed or missed and points are earned or deducted, until the digital display shows two and a half minutes elapsed. Releasing their tension in a roar, the students and crowd go wild! This competition is like nothing you have ever seen before! Competitive student athletes, trained judges, complex three-dimensional competition tables and a score board that is continually updated as each round is completed. This is not the afterschool robotics hobby of the past. This is something completely different. This is the newest school sport: one that combines science, technology, engineering and math, with teamwork, sportsmanship, cheering sections, a scoreboard and prestigious awards. Specifically, this is the Coronado Middle School Robotics Team. And they are outstanding at what they do. Each of the teams are comprised of student athletes who develop skills at engineering, coding, website design, digital art, innovative problem solving and public speaking. Organized by LEGO, the teams can go to regional, state and national tournaments to compete, share their knowledge, compare ideas and display their robots. Robotics Competitions Teams practice for competitions judged in four sections. The first judging session, Core Values, is designed to determine how the team works together and demonstrates inspiration, teamwork, gracious professionalism and competitive
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CROWN CITY MAGAZINE
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JUNE 2022
