Southold Robotics Team Headed To World Championships

SOUTHOLD, NY — For the second time in two years, the Southold robotics team has made the community proud, headed next week to the world championships.

Christine Schade, co-advisor to the Southold robotics team, was brimming with pride Sunday as she described the team's success at the SBPLI's Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics competition, held at Hofstra University in Hempstead Saturday.

The Southold Team RICE 870 soared to a second place finish; with first place going to alliance team comprised of students from Long Island City, Spencerport, and Smithtown, she said.

And not only did Southold score a stellar second place win, they won a wild card, which will allow them to compete in the World Championships, to be held in Detroit, MI on April 25 to April 28.

The students worked tirelessly on their robot, "Clank." The robot, Schade said, was based on an arcade game. The name of this year's game is FIRST Power Up; the game includes two alliances of video game characters and human operators who are trapped in an arcade game, Schade said.

The goal of the game is to defeat the boss to escape; the robots do so by controlling switches and scales, earning power ups and ultimately, climbing the scale in the middle of the field. Each match is two and a half minutes long, Schade explained.

With the team headed to the world championships Wednesday, April 25, the team still needs to pay for travel and hotel expenses, Schade said; donations are gratefully welcomed. The robot will be shipped to Detroit Tuesday.

Donations can be sent to Southold Robotics, Southold High School, P.O. Box 470, Southold, NY 11971.

Asked how she feels about the students' tremendous success, Schade said she and co-advisor Bob Gammon, who have been working with the team for four years, couldn't be more proud. She said the goal of both she and Gammon, along with a core group of dedicated mentors, including her husband Tom Schade, Eddie Chilton and Board of Education member Judi Fouchet, have been to teach the students "how to be patient — that truly hard work pays off. This is exactly why we want our kids to learn. For these kids to reap the rewards from their hard work is so incredibly gratifying. It's indescribable," she said.

Of the four years that she and Gammon have been co-chairs, the team has gone to world championships twice, an achievement that's made them both "happy and proud."

Also, during the past three years, Greenport students have also been invited to join the team. Currently, Schade said, there are 16 Southold students and 10 Greenport students on the team. "We have a great group," Schade said. "We're small, but we went to these competitions and encountered some diversity but they just persisted and got the job done — and it's just incredible."

The team has soared to success with the support of a proud community giving them wings, Schade said.

"We went to this competition and somebody stopped us and said, 'Your community must really love you kids, because you have such a long list of sponsors,'" Schade said.

While some teams at the competitions have one large, high profile sponsor such as Xerox, Southold's sponsors is a mighty list of local businesses who have pooled their resources to give the kids all the help they need to compete on the international canvas.

Of the outpouring of small town support, Schade said, "It's very heartwarming. We are always in the July 4 parade and the reception we get — you need to be on the float to feel the love that the community feels for this group of kids. It's wonderful."

When word spread on social media Saturday about the team's success, friends, family and supporters excitedly planned to meet the bus on its way home; the escort met the kids in the parking lot, to happy applause.

The team has much to celebrate: Not only did they win the chance to compete in the world championships, but they won the "Gracious Professionalism Award," Schade said. "It's something we're equally proud of because it says a lot about the kids — what it's all about, and why we do, what we do."

And, as well as the wild card to the World Championships in Detroit, the team was awarded the Zebra Technologies Holtsville FIRST Championship Award that covers the students' entry fees to the championship event in Detroit.

Southold and Greenport Schools Superintendent David Gamberg was thrilled by the team's success. "We are so proud of the students staff and families who all collaborate to make our robotics program so successful. This program is the epitome of authentic learning that brings together the arts and sciences in a meaningful and thoughtful experience."

Fouchet said, as the business mentor for the team, seeing the students blossom is an extraordinary experience. "Watching all of the pieces come together — fundraising, designing and building the robot, developing game strategy, practicing for competition and scouting other teams — is always amazing. When it results in a dedicated group of students bringing home a 11 - 0 record in qualifiers and playing in finals at the regional and receiving the Gracious Professional Award, it's phenomenal," she said. "The opportunity to continue onto the World Arena is something this entire team deserves!"

Patch courtesy photos, video.