Tag Archives: SparX

Gentlemen and ladies, start your robots!

11 Mar

An exciting competition is taking shape this weekend when our very own One Webster SparX 1126 robotics team takes part in the Finger Lakes Regional First Robotics Competition at RIT‘s Gordon Field House, and everyone in the Webster community is invited to attend to cheer on our team.

This year’s game is called REBUILT, and it has an archaeological/restoration theme. The robots have to recover “artifacts” (represented by yellow 6-inch foam balls) and use them to power up their alliance’s HUB, the central scoring structure, by placing them or throwing them in. There are obstacles (of course), including a trench that robots can drive under if they’re short enough, and bumps they have to drive over.

If you’ve never been to one of these events, try to picture something between a high-stakes engineering lab and a high-energy rock concert. It’s loud, fast-paced, and despite its competitive nature, is quite the community event — for the audience members and competitors alike. The stands are filled with students in bright, themed costumes (including capes and tutus). There’s constant music and team chants, and an emcee offering play-by-play commentary.

Each match lasts 2 minutes and 30 seconds, during which time alliances are made, robots move alternately in a pre-programmed mode, then student-operated mode as they work towards completing their task, finally sprinting through last 30 seconds and a “climax” task. In the “pits,” students work feverishly to repair or upgrade their robots, and sometimes help other teams fix their broken robots as well; that kind of professionalism is a core FIRST philosophy, balancing competition with kindness.

A few images from a competition held last September

The excitement begins on Thursday (March 12) with practice from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The competition begins in earnest on Friday beginning with opening ceremonies at 8:30 a.m., then qualification matches from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturday, final qualification matches begin at 9 a.m., concluding with the playoffs at 1:30 p.m. and awards ceremony at 4:30 p.m.

Visitors are welcome — and encouraged — any day at any time, to watch the robots in action. (Admission is totally free.) If you’re able to attend, look for the large “1126” lights in the stands and join your Webster neighbors for a day you will not soon forget. If you’d like to see the action but can’t make it to RIT, you can see it streamed live on YouTube with these links:

Thursday 3/12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSUl8OYfMdM
Friday 3/13: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBUUJt3CxgE
Saturday 3/14: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IESUgr0WfvE

More about our hometown SparX 1126 team

Students learned about the competition game on January 10 and have been meeting every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday (with the occasional Thursday) since then at their workshop at Webster Thomas High School. The team is made up of 15 students divided into sub-teams — electrical, software, mechanical, a drive team and a promotions team — all made up of 9th through 12th graders from both Schroeder and Thomas. The team’s 12 mentors have backgrounds in these areas, as well as marketing and web design and truly come alongside students to help them learn, rather than build for them. 

So far the team has raised $18,000 to build their robot, which is about 110” diameter base, and stands almost 30” high. It has an extending hopper to hold up to 24 balls (fuel) which it can propel into the hopper on the game field. 

* * *

(posted 3/11/2026)

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

Tags: , , ,

SparX Robotics hosts community open house

1 Oct

The community is invited to an open house hosted by the One Webster SparX robotics team on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. at Webster Thomas High School. This event is a great opportunity to see the incredible talent and innovation of the SparX team, which is made up of students from both Webster Thomas and Webster Schroeder high schools.

The team will be fresh off the Rah Cha Cha Ruckus competition held on September 28. This local event gives robotics teams a chance to use last year’s robots to practice their skills and get new members up to speed.

Images from a few of this year’s competitions

The SparX Open House will give students an opportunity to showcase their robotics projects and share their experiences in STEM education. This is also an opportunity for students to connect with community leaders and inspire the next generation of innovators. For anyone interested in serving as a mentor, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the program. (If you’re interested but can’t attend the open house, email team coach David Schenk at david_schenk@webstercsd.org.) 

The SparX team competes annually in the FIRST® robotics competition. The team will receive this season’s new challenge in January, where they will be tasked with building a robot to compete in a high-pressure, specialized game with other robots.

About FIRST® Robotics

The FIRST robotics competition is a global competition that combines the excitement of sports with the rigors of science and technology. It’s run by the nonprofit organization FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), which was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen. Each year, teams of high school students, along with professional mentors, are given a new, action-packed game to play with their robots. They receive a standard “Kit of Parts” and have just six weeks to design, program, and build an industrial-sized robot to complete the game’s specific tasks.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 10/1/2025)

Tags: , , , ,

SparX Robotics team had strong showing in Albany

8 May

SparX Robotics Team 1126, made up of students from both Webster Schroeder and Webster Thomas high schools, recently competed in the Tech Valley FIRST Robotics Competition in Albany. The event was held March 26 to 29 at the MVP Arena and brought together 56 high school robotics teams from across the region, out of state and Quebec, and even as far away as Türkiye.

The team traveled to Albany that Wednesday, with students, mentors, and several supportive parents all making the trip. Thursday was spent practicing and preparing, with official matches taking place on Friday and Saturday. This was SparX’s second competition of the season, after competing earlier that month at the Finger Lakes Regional at RIT. In total, the team has played 18 matches so far this year. 

The team’s next event will be the Flower City Frenzy on Saturday, June 7 at East High School in Rochester. 

SparX competed with their robot, affectionately named Luisa, in honor of a beloved mentor who recently passed away. The team finished in 18th place, with four wins, four losses, and one tie, and no disqualifications. Team members worked hard all weekend and represented Webster with pride.

The robot’s driver, Nathan, and operator, Zela, worked side by side on the edge of the field. Austin programmed Luisa for the autonomous period, which is when the robot runs on code alone at the very beginning of the match. Lance supported the robot as the technician, and Jessica served as the team’s coach on the competition floor for every match.

SparX Robotics is sponsored by the Webster Central School District, Xerox Corporation, Bosch, and Boulter, along with many other generous local businesses and families, including MKS, Wegmans, Crossfield Heating & Air, Lavoro Group, OptiPro, VitalSigns, ASQ, and the Watson, Fici and Gramlich families.

You can meet the SparX team and see Luisa up close at Community Arts Day on May 10 in the gym, where the team will be selling baked goods, holding a raffle, and collecting donations to help support future competitions.

Want to support these future innovators, too? Consider mentoring the team or making a donation. To contact the lead mentors for mentoring opportunities and to donate, visit the team’s website.

Click here to learn more about FIRST Robotics and follow the exciting world of competitive robotics. You al also watch SparX’s Tech Valley matches here.

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 5/8/2025)

Tags: , ,

Sparx Robotics finished strong at recent competition

21 Mar

Last weekend, Webster’s very own Sparx Robotics team participated in a regional event at RIT, competing against 53 other teams who traveled from all over New York State, from Buffalo to the Bronx, but also Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. While they didn’t bring home any awards, they finished strong and made Webster proud.

The following report and photos from the weekend were submitted by Sparx parent mentor Tricia Isham:

The Sparx Robotics Team 1126, made up of talented students from Webster Schroeder and Webster Thomas High Schools, recently took part in the exciting Finger Lakes Regional FIRST Robotics competition. Held from March 13 to 15, 2025, at Rochester Institute of Technology, this event challenged teams to dive into the ocean’s ecosystem with this year’s theme, “Reefscape.”

Months of Hard Work and Teamwork

Since fall, these dedicated teens have been meeting twice a week in the evenings, increasing to a minimum of three times a week after the new year, putting in an impressive average of 16 plus hours weekly (and often many more). Their dedication paid off with the design and creation of their robot, lovingly named Luisa in memory of a favorite loving and encouraging mentor.

The Reefscape Challenge

The competition, announced on January 4, 2025, gave Team 1126 just nine weeks to build and program their robot. Luisa was designed to perform specific tasks both autonomously and under human control, simulating the harvesting of algae and planting of coral in an oceanic environment.

Team Spirit and Future Competitions

Sparx met every match with enthusiasm and a positive attitude, embodying the spirit of FIRST Robotics. Their journey keeps going – the team is set to compete in the New York Tech Valley Regional in Albany from March 26 to 29, 2025. You’ll be able to watch that competition live here.

More Than Just Robotics

Sparx Robotics Team 1126 has shown remarkable teamwork and perseverance. Their performance is a testament to the hard work and dedication of these young engineers.

FIRST Robotics isn’t just about building robots; it’s about fostering innovation, teamwork, and leadership skills. It’s an incredible way for students to learn STEM concepts while developing confidence and creativity.

Get Involved

Our current sponsors are: One Webster School District, Xerox, Bosch, Boulter, MKS, Wegman’s, Crossfield, Lavoro Group, Vital Signs, OptiPro and the Watson and Ficci Families.

Want to support these future innovators, too? Consider mentoring the team or making a donation. To contact the lead mentors for mentoring opportunities and to donate, visit the team’s website.

Learn more about FIRST Robotics and follow the exciting world of competitive robotics, and this year’s REEFSCAPE theme here.

The Sparx Robotics Team 1126 is a shining example of what our local youth can achieve with passion and teamwork. Their journey from design to competition is a testament to the power of STEM education and the importance of programs like FIRST Robotics in shaping our future.

Tricia also reported that while the team didn’t do as well as they had hoped, their final ranking was nothing to sneeze at.

“Team 1126 was ranked 24 out of 54 teams at the competition with a record of 5-3-1,” she wrote, “and goes into the Tech Valley competition at an overall rank of 906 out of over 1900 teams participating in total this competition year.” Not too shabby.

Here are a few more photos from the competition:

* * *

email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).

(posted 3/21/2025)

Tags: , , ,

SparX blazes into the 2020 robotics season

7 Feb

Copy of Team Photo 1

Webster’s Team SparX is off and running with this year’s FIRST Robotics challenge,  called “Infinite Recharge.”

The challenge was described as

Two alliances work to protect FIRST City from approaching asteroids caused by a distant space skirmish. Each Alliance, along with their trusty droids, race to collect and score Power Cells in order to energize their Shield Generator for maximum protection. To activate stages of the Shield Generator, droids manipulate their Control Panels after scoring a specific number of Power Cells. Near the end of the match, droids race to their Rendezvous Point to get their Shield Generator operational in order to protect the city.

The moment the contest was announced, teams around the nation went to work creating 120-pound robots designed to tackle the challenges of the game. Teams have just six weeks to build, test and practice with an operating robot capable of completing the tasks (hopefully) faster than any other team, using a standard “kit of parts” and a common set of rules. The first big tests for their finished robot will be the Rochester Regional, scheduled for March 12-14 at RIT, and the Buckeye Regional in Cleveland, March 26 to 28.

Community members are welcome to attend the competitions free of charge. But if you can’t make it out to RIT, you can meet the team members and see their robot at a SparX Open House on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 1:30 p.m. in the Webster Thomas High School café, 800 Five Mile Line Road.

Webster’s team 1126 is comprised of 38 students from Webster Schroeder and Webster Thomas high schools plus 16 adults. For more information about the robotics program, visit www.FIRSTInspires.org, and to learn more about our local team, visit www.GoSparX.org.

* * *

email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

Tags: , ,

Webster’s SparX team heads into competition season

2 Mar

SparX

Webster CSD’s SparX robotics team

Webster’s high-flying robotics team is heading to space.

The One Webster high schools 1126 SparX FIRST Robotics team has been working hard for weeks to prepare for this year’s competition season, which begins the weekend of March 14-16 with the Rochester area regionals at RIT.

This year’s theme is “Destination: Deep Space.” The goal is to use the 130-pound robots to deposit cargo (13-inch playground balls) into a rocket ship and cargo ship. Each match lasts 2-1/2 minutes, and robots can score extra points by climbing up blocks. Six robots from different teams compete for points at the same time on the same field.

Our Webster SparX team is comprised of 47 students and 21 adults, who for the last six weeks have been working together to design, build, test, and practice operating a robot capable of completing the Destination: Space challenges. Following the RIT competition, the team will travel to Cleveland’s Buckeye Regional the weekend of March 28.

All SparX events are free to attend, and these kids would love to see (and hear) some Webster fans in the crowd.

For more information about the robotics program, visit www.FIRSTInspires.org, and to learn more about our local team, visit www.GoSparX.org.

* * *

email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

Tags: , ,