The beginning of the year is always a busy time for robotics teams. Between making game plans, establishing roles, and preparing for the build season, there is always something to do in order to ensure a successful year ahead. This Wednesday, Oct. 23, marked an important moment in this process for the CHS Zebrotics team, as members gathered to watch the announcement of the challenge they will be facing for the next several months. This fall, the team is competing in a league called Washtenaw Area Pick Up Robotics (WAPUR), before they tackle the official worldwide FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) starting in January. As always, the beginning of the season inspires a range of emotions in the team, from hope and excitement to anxiety and doubt.
Of all the people gathered around the whiteboard or scattered in chairs across the room, only a couple were new faces to Zebrotics. Four or five freshmen had signed up, but just two had come to the meeting. Still, those present felt hopeful for the year and were eager to use some of the skills they had developed in the pre-season. For Griffin Whiteside, a freshman at CHS, the kickoff of the competition presented an exciting opportunity to finally see how robotics teams do
“I’m looking forward to getting to see how strategies play out against each other, and how competing strategies develop,” Whiteside said. “It feels like it’s a lot more chaotic and fast-paced than I expected, but I kind of like it. Everyone seems to be able to adapt to new scenarios so easily.”
The coming season is a hopeful one for Zebrotics. Last year marked their best-ever performance in FRC, and the team hopes to follow it up with an even stronger one this time. Moments like this meeting allow the team to take stock of their strengths and weaknesses and make a plan for the next few months. Naturally, this can be discouraging just as much as it can be inspiring. Kamen Panayotov, a CHS senior, is doubtful of the team’s chances.
Panayotov has been a member of Zebrotics for all four of his years at CHS, and his mechanical experience has earned him the position of team lead, the most critical one on the team. However, for Panayotov the start of the season has been a time of stress and concern more than anything else, due to his responsibilities of leading and building the team in the face of limited budget, manpower, and time.
“To be honest, sometimes I want to be on Skyline’s team… this year I just want to make sure I don’t build the whole robot by myself,” Panayotov said. “It feels like I’ve been doing robotics for three and a half years too long.”
Despite Panayotov’s gloomy outlook, there is much to look forward to next year in Zebrotics. The build season has officially begun, bringing hard work and excitement with it. Whether the season goes as planned or not remains to be seen, but one way or another Wednesday’s kickoff will be the start of it all.
