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Meeting notes:

• Tournament Meals: Mel discussed the meal options for the tournament weekend, mentioning that lunch ordering is available for Sunday, but other meals may not be provided. They also mentioned the need to check if participants need help with Sabbath meals.
  • Meal Options: Mel explained that lunch ordering is available for the tournament day on Sunday, but other meals, including Sabbath meals, may not be provided. They are currently looking at options for Sabbath meals and will decide based on the needs of the participants.
  • Participant Needs: Mel asked participants to indicate if they need help with Sabbath meals. If there is no significant need, they will not provide these meals. An email was sent out to gather this information.
  • Lunch Ordering: Mel confirmed that lunch ordering is available for Sunday, the tournament day, and emphasized the importance of having lunch due to the busy schedule of the day.
• Tournament Day Lunch: Denise inquired about the lunch for the tournament day, and Mel clarified that it is not included in the registration fee and must be paid for separately. Mel will resend the order form to ensure everyone has it.
  • Lunch Payment: Mel clarified that the lunch for the tournament day is not included in the registration fee and must be paid for separately by the participants.
  • Order Form: Mel mentioned that an email with the order form was sent out earlier and will resend it to ensure everyone has it. Denise confirmed she did not receive it, and Mel asked her to email him to ensure she gets the form.
  • Team Sizes: Mel explained that the reason lunch is not included in the registration fee is due to the varying team sizes, which makes it difficult to anticipate a flat fee for everyone.
• Robot Inspection: Mel emphasized the importance of robot inspection and the need to go through the robot inspection checklist ahead of time. They mentioned that the gym will be open for inspection and practice on Saturday night.
  • Inspection Importance: Mel stressed the critical importance of robot inspection, stating that teams cannot play unless they pass the inspection. The inspection ensures safety and proper function during the tournament.
  • Inspection Checklist: Mel urged teams to thoroughly go through the robot inspection checklist ahead of time to avoid last-minute issues. The checklist includes both robot and field inspections.
  • Saturday Night: The gym will be open from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Saturday night for robot inspection and practice. Teams that pass inspection early can use the practice fields.
  • Inspection Volunteers: Mel mentioned the need for additional volunteers to help with the inspection process on Saturday night and encouraged teams to provide volunteers if possible.
• Judging Schedule: Mel mentioned that the judging will begin at 8:00 AM on Sunday, and a judging schedule will be sent out by the end of the week. Each team will have 15 minutes with the judges.
  • Judging Start Time: Judging will begin at 8:00 AM on Sunday, and teams will receive a schedule by the end of the week detailing their specific judging times.
  • Judging Duration: Each team will have 15 minutes with the judges, with judging sessions occurring every 25 minutes to allow time for deliberation and preparation between sessions.
• Driver’s Meeting: Mel explained that after the robot inspections and judging are completed, there will be a driver’s meeting led by Sam, the head referee, to cover key points for the tournament.
  • Meeting Purpose: The driver’s meeting, led by Sam, the head referee, will cover key points and important information for the tournament, ensuring all teams are prepared for the competition.
  • Timing: The driver’s meeting will take place after all robot inspections and judging sessions are completed on Sunday morning.
• Match Schedule: Mel explained that the match schedule will be handed out after the driver’s meeting, and teams will find out their alliance partners and opponents. The tournament will run with at least five qualifying matches.
  • Schedule Distribution: The match schedule will be distributed after the driver’s meeting, detailing the alliance partners and opponents for each team.
  • Qualifying Matches: The tournament will include at least five qualifying matches for each team, with the schedule outlining the specific matches and alliances.
  • Scouting: Mel emphasized the importance of scouting and communicating with other teams to understand their robots’ capabilities and strategies, which helps in preparing for alliance matches.
• Scouting: Mel discussed the importance of scouting and communicating with other teams to understand their robots’ capabilities and strategies. This helps teams prepare for alliance matches.
• Safety Requirements: Mel and Fiona emphasized the importance of safety glasses and closed-toed shoes for anyone in the pit area, practice fields, or competition field. They provided recommendations for obtaining proper safety glasses.
  • Safety Glasses: Mel and Fiona stressed the necessity of wearing safety glasses in the pit area, practice fields, and competition field. They recommended obtaining ANSI-rated safety glasses with side shields for those who wear regular glasses.
  • Closed-Toed Shoes: Closed-toed shoes are mandatory for anyone in the pit area, practice fields, or competition field. Crocs and sandals are not allowed, and participants should ensure they have appropriate footwear.
  • Enforcement: Mel and Fiona mentioned that the enforcement of these safety requirements will be strict, and anyone not complying will be asked to leave the area.
• Portfolio and Team Roster: Mel and Fiona explained the need for teams to bring their portfolio and team roster printed from the first dashboard for check-in on Saturday night. These documents are essential for participation in the tournament.
  • Required Documents: Teams must bring their portfolio and team roster printed from the first dashboard for check-in on Saturday night. These documents are essential for participation in the tournament.
  • Team Roster: The team roster must be printed from the first dashboard and include two coaches who have been screened through the Youth Protection program. Parents must sign a consent and release form for their children to participate.
  • Portfolio Submission: Teams are encouraged to have their portfolio ready for submission on Saturday night to avoid last-minute issues on Sunday morning. The portfolio will be used by the judges during the tournament.
• Formal Interview: Fiona explained the formal interview process with the judges, including the 5-minute uninterrupted presentation and the importance of having a well-prepared presentation.
  • Interview Structure: The formal interview consists of a 5-minute uninterrupted presentation by the team, followed by a 10-minute Q&A session with the judges. The total interview time is 15 minutes.
  • Presentation Importance: Fiona emphasized the importance of having a well-prepared presentation to control the narrative and ensure the judges hear the key points the team wants to convey.
  • Judging Criteria: The judging criteria are outlined in Section 6 of the Competition Manual. Teams should familiarize themselves with these criteria to focus their presentation on relevant aspects.
• Pit Interviews: Fiona discussed the importance of pit interviews and the need for team members to be prepared to answer judges’ questions enthusiastically and accurately throughout the day.
  • Interview Preparation: Fiona stressed the importance of being prepared for pit interviews, where judges will visit the teams’ pit areas to ask questions about their robots and projects. Team members should be ready to answer questions enthusiastically and accurately.
  • Judges’ Visits: Judges will visit the pit areas throughout the day to gather additional information and assess teams for various awards.
• Match Setup and Procedure: Fiona and Sam explained the process of setting up for and playing a match, including the rules for robot setup, initializing OP modes, and the transition between autonomous and teleop periods.
• Human Player Rules: Fiona explained the rules for human players, including the limits on introducing and retrieving scoring elements and the importance of avoiding contact with robots in the observation zone.
• Battery Management: Louie asked about the number of batteries needed for the tournament, and Fiona and Mel recommended having at least two batteries to ensure the robot and driver’s station remain charged throughout the day.
• Encouragement for Participation: Isaac expressed concerns about not being ready for the tournament, and Mel and Fiona encouraged teams to participate regardless of their readiness, emphasizing the learning experience and support from other teams.

Follow-up tasks:

• Robot Inspection Checklist: Ensure all teams review and complete the robot inspection checklist ahead of time to avoid any issues during the tournament. (the team)
• Team Roster and Portfolio: Bring the team roster printed from the FIRST dashboard and the portfolio to the check-in on Saturday night. (the team)
• Safety Glasses and Shoes: Ensure all team members have safety glasses with side shields and closed-toed shoes for the tournament. (the team)
• Judging Schedule: Send out the judging schedule to all teams by the end of the week. (Mel)
• Battery Management: Ensure that each team has at least two batteries charged and ready for the tournament. (the team)
• Driver’s Station Charging: Ensure that the driver’s station is regularly charged and consider using a USB battery to maintain power. (None)

The post FTC Coach / Captain Call – April 2025 first appeared on Adventist Robotics.

Ionic educational philosopher John Dewey wrote, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” While we may nod along in easy agreement with this precept and those like it—“Young people aren’t the future of the church, they are the church”—most of us recognize that we are simultaneously living in the present and preparing for the future all the time. This is true for adults no matter what stage of life they are in, and it is certainly true for children. Kids in Adventist schools are experiencing life, but they are also always preparing mentally, emotionally, and physically for the next steps: high school, college, career, family.

Society is changing at a pace that can feel exhilarating and disorienting at the same time. Heraclitus observed that “Nothing endures but change.” While Adventists would like counter this with the assertion that God also endures, most of us would con-cede the point generally. We live in a world that requires new skills, attitudes, and adaptations almost continually. Education—both pub-lic and private—has been scram-bling over recent decades to find ways to make sure students are adequately prepared for the challenges of an uncertain future, one in which many of the technologies we now rely on will be rendered obsolete. What should children be taught? How early should STEM subjects be introduced?

Mel Wade, technology director at Sacramento Adventist Academy, answers these questions unequivocally. “Kids need to be taught coding at every level,” he says. “Starting in kindergarten.” And not just coding either. Wade, who has degrees in elementary education and curriculum instruction is a strong advocate for science, technology, engineering, and math, particularly in elementary schools where these are often set aside in favor of literacy-related pursuits. Many elementary-level teachers are language arts specialists, and while literacy is obviously a crucial element in the classroom, it is important that teachers also incorporate hands-on science activities. “I’ve always had a passion for technology,” Wade says. “I want to make it fun for kids—energetic, exciting! I’ve always been crazy enough to jump in and figure things out as I go. The kids and I learn from mistakes and figure out what to do next.”

The Adventist Robotics League, of which Sacramento Academy is a member, partners with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an organization founded in 1989 by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway and the LUKE arm and a strong advocate for STEM. Every student at Sacramento Academy in grades 1 to 8 does robotics, and it is an elective in high school with a small team of about 14 kids. “We want to keep the team small at this level,” Wade says. “It’s a tremendous amount of work.”

The work is paying off. While many Adventist schools are strug-gling to maintain viability, Sacra-mento Academy has increased its enrollment by about 30 students each year over the past two years. There are many reasons for this increase, but the emphasis on robotics has been a contributing factor. “Adventist schools have this philosophy that our unique mission is Christian education, but we need to be competitive academically too,” Wade says. “The public school system takes STEM very seriously. My goal is for any student graduating with an interest in tech or engineering to be comfortable and well-prepared to enter a college program and an eventual career in these fields.”

One third of the schools in the Pacific Union Conference are involved with robotics, taking advantage of matching grants from the Union to help cover the cost. This intentional preparation for the future is paying off at Sacramento Academy. Its team, Capitals Engineering, just won the Rockwell Collins Innovate Award at the Northern California FIRST Tech Challenge Championship. This award recognizes ingenuity, inventiveness, and out-of-the-box thinking. Wade is quick to note that robotics involves far more than technical skill. “It’s not about the robot. The robot is just a learn-ing tool. Kids learn about all kinds of things—marketing, promotion, teamwork. And their achievements are celebrated just like those of student athletes in many contexts. The difference is that they can realistically go on to use these skills in their careers.” Robert Gouveia, a senior and CEO of the Capitals Engineering team, agrees: “I have refined so many valuable skills such as leadership, team building, contacting and presenting to real world business, and effective com-munication. The dynamics provided through this program allow for these skills to easily develop.”

What future are we preparing kids to enter? Eternity, yes. But also a future of opportunities to engage in the messiness of creative problem solving and to make a real difference in the mission fields of corporate America where change is perhaps the only guarantee.

The post Skills that Empower first appeared on Adventist Robotics.