On Saturday, December 20, the bustling energy of the FIRST FTC Qualifier in Revere was the stage for a significant display of skill and spirit from the Needham High School Robotics Club. The club, a vibrant community of 47 students, fielded three distinct competition teams: T-10, the all-girls/non-binary HackHers, and Liquid Oxygen (LO2).
The day kicked off with a memorable family affair. The very first match was nearly an all-Needham showdown, pitting the HackHers and another team against T-10 and LO2. In a thrilling start, Needham emerged victorious in that round.
Each team carved its own path to success. The HackHers faced a unique challenge, competing without their software team. Undeterred, they sought help, overcame obstacles, and managed to score baskets throughout their matches. Their perseverance was rewarded with an 18th place finish in matches and 12th in overall Advancement Points. Most notably, they were honored with the Sustain Award, recognized for their strong, ongoing commitment to STEM education, growing robotics opportunities in their community, and fostering the FIRST mission beyond just their own team's success.
Team T-10 demonstrated precision and planning. Their well-designed robot executed effectively, scoring in both the Autonomous and Teleoperated periods. They finished 15th in matches and 10th in overall Advancement Points. Their meticulous work was celebrated with the Think Award, which honors the team that best documents and demonstrates their journey through the engineering design process, showing a strong grasp of engineering principles and innovation.
Then there was LO2, who asked that no one call them the "rookie team." Their robot proved to be "the little engine that could," consistently scoring baskets and finishing an impressive 5th after the matches and 6th in overall Advancement Points. Their performance earned them an alliance captain position during the Alliance Selection. They were then chosen by the 2nd place team to join their alliance, fighting their way to the final match and putting up a good fight against the first-place alliance. For this achievement, they received the Finalist Alliance 1st Team Selected Award.
These accomplishments are a testament to the club's mission. Meeting in the DaVinci Workshop at Needham High School for at least four hours each week, the student-run club strives to provide a fun, learning environment where all students, regardless of background or experience, can explore engineering design, technology, and teamwork. The program emphasizes not just mechanical and software design, but also leadership, creativity, problem-solving, writing, and presentation skills. This effort is supported by teacher advisors and community volunteers and funded through contributions, mostly from local companies.
