Robotics “Slapshot” Season Wrap-Up with Ripley County Teams

As the regular season comes to a close, Ripley County Robotics has a reason to be proud. Thanks to Jac-Cen-Del, Milan, South Ripley, and Genesis: Pathways to Success’s partnership, four new robotics competition events were created for schools in Southeastern Indiana. Both Milan and Jac-Cen-Del hosted the competitions, one each month starting in November and ending in February. Each event averaged around 24 teams in attendance. As a result of the teamwork from these schools, four teams from Ripley County have earned spots at the State competition on March 25th at Lucas Oil Stadium.

If you have never had the chance to attend a robotics competition, it is a very different atmosphere than your typically sporting event. At a robotics competition, there is always something happening as four fields are set up for qualification and finals matches. Each match runs for a total of one minute, so there is never a dull moment at a robotics competition. This year’s finals matches were intense as teammates cheered on their teams at the field trying to earn the most points in the last matches of the event. Teams can only participate in the finals matches is they are ranked in the top 10 of all teams.

Various awards were presented at the competitions, but the most coveted are the Teamwork Champion and Excellence Awards. These awards earn teams a spot at the State competition. Ripley County teams took home a total of 14 awards throughout this robotics season.

Robotics in Ripley County has become an important part of the STREAM initiative, providing students will the opportunity to use their problem solving and collaboration skills in a competition that has worldwide standing. Teams worked hard this year to build robots to participate in the 22-23 VEX IQ Competition: Slapshot. In this rousing competition, teams have to work together to accomplish a task set forward by the VEX Robotics organization. This year’s task, Slapshot, challenged teams to remove pucks from various dispensers and then shoot those pucks under a bar to the far side of the field where they scored various points depending on what zone they landed in.

First year coach Amanda Hoff said, “I was really surprised and impressed by how the kids adapted to challenges with the robots. There were complications that I never knew we would encounter and the kids were tackling it like it was second nature.”

Good luck to teams heading to the State competition on March 25th, and thanks to all the coaches and volunteers for another great season for Ripley County Robotics.