Robot: The Precious
Competition: San Jose Regionals, Houston Nationals
2003 was nothing like the first two years, not in the slightest. Almost every member of the 2002 team returned plus an additional 15 or so interested members. Not only were there an abundant number of new team members, Mrs Laura Janik joined the ranks as the new teacher advisor. Managing so many new people was an overwhelming task. Everyone had to be kept busy otherwise productivity would come to a standstill. Team management was a new skill that needed to be learned. With so many hands available, the team extended a helping hand to a local rookie team, Team 1147 from Elk Grove High School.
Learning from the previous year, the design team agreed that simple is best. The robot was designed with a low profile to prevent any possible tipping when traveling up the ramp to the plastic top surface. However, one trip around the field on practice day made the driver wonder how good of an idea it actually was. Let's consider the height of the ramp, the height of the bins, and the height of the driver, "I can't see the robot!" Some quick engineering, velcro, zip-ties, and a few kite flags remedied this problem well enough. The flags were even color coded to discern front from back! As for playing the game, the designers decided that it was not necessary to stack and manipulate bins when 25 points was sitting at the top of the ramp for just... sitting on top of the ramp. The girls decided that "putting their foot down" at the end of the match would bring them more points and more chances at victory.
At the first Sacramento Regional held on the Cal Expo fairgrounds, this decision proved to be correct. With only 30 some odd teams and after 14 or so matches, the team sat in the #3 seed spot. Completely and totally unexpected. Alliance 3 consisted of the Fembots, Rocky Mountain Robotics from Colorado (#662), and our rookie school Elk Grove High School Robotics (#1147). This alliance managed to dominate each and every match through the elimination rounds. With the announcement of the final score for the final match, a flood of spectators flooded down onto the field in excitement. The Fembots claimed the very first Sacramento Regional championship title. And as if the team needed any other awards, the judges of the regional also awarded the team with the Motorola Quality award for the robot's robustness and the Spirit award for showcasing excitement for the first Sacramento Regional.
With this win, the team was guaranteed a spot at the FIRST National Competition held in Houston, Texas that year. But before this adventure, the team participated at the Silicon Valley Regional once again. With a win under the belt already and one more competition to attend, this regional was used as more practice and mainly a just-for-fun event. The Fembots returned home with nothing in hand, but that did not matter as Houston was just around the corner.
In a matter of four chaotic weeks, the team with the help of St Francis High School was able to raise the needed funds to get the team to and from Houston. This event itself was unlike anything that the Fembots had experienced up to this point. It was definitely an experience of a lifetime. The Fembots performed to the best of their abilities. They cheered as loudly as they could in the Astro Dome. The drive team fought as hard as they could amongst the best of the best. But win or not, none of that mattered so long as each Fembot had the time of her life. In the end, 2003 was a year that went beyond anyone's expectations.
