2018’s Week Zero Scrimmage on February 17, 2018 was extremely exciting as each team competed in this year’s FIRST game of Power Up! The schedule of the day was the team check ins at 10:30 in which teams would bring in their robots and fill out or hand in release forms, getting ready for the day. At 11:00, teams began to practice and test their robots for the scrimmage matches. After a lunch (46 large pizzas!) at 12:00, the Scrimmage matches began at 1:00 for a few hours of friendly competition, and the day ended at 5:00.
13 different teams from around the Pittsburgh area attended the Week Zero Scrimmage and participated playing on our Power Up Practice Field, built thanks to the hard work and dedication of many of our parents led by Mr. Young.
The teams that attended were the FRC team 3954 4H Electrotechs, FRC team 311 The Road Dogs Robotics, rookie FRC team 7274 Brashear Bulls Robotics, FRC team 2656 Quasics, FRC team 291 Creativity In Action (CIA), FRC team 1708 Amp’d Robotics, FRC team 4150 FRobotics, FRC team 3955 4-H Gears Robotics, FRC team 3260 SHARP, FRC team 117 The Steel Dragons, FRC team 4467 The Titanium Titans, and FRC team 4027 Centre County 4-H Robotics.
Matches ran every 15 minutes in which 3 teams were assigned to either the red or the blue alliance and each team to one of three driver stations. Each team competed at least 6 times throughout the day with GoS volunteers as referees and music to accompany the sounds of the robots completing the Power Up! tasks.
Another highlight was that we met briefly with Congressmen Doyle and Hoyer when they stopped by the practice field during their tour of NREC with Director Herman.
Everyone had such a great time throughout the day! Team members talked to other team members and there was great socialization.
Ji Yool from SHARP, FRC team 3260, said “It was great to have a competition before any regionals, and everyone was so kind to talk to and learn from how their build seasons went”. The competition was strong and exciting as teams displayed their mechanisms they made to move power cubes around the field, to defend, and to hang.
Kavya, from Girls of Steel, FRC team 3504, commented on the camaraderie with, “People were so kind at Week Zero and watching the scrimmages was so exciting! I really enjoyed talking to other girls to learn how they fit in to their teams and their interests in STEM!”
This year’s Week Zero Scrimmage was highly successful and was a great way to practice with other teams before the regionals that are coming up for all teams that attended.
See you at the competition!