Last weekend I had the satisfaction and reward of volunteering as a robotics inspector at my nearby regional FIRST Robotics competition. The capabilities and work ethic of the kids in these teams was amazing!

Some of these teams had to wake up at 4AM to get there on time for the event. I have to say it again, it was amazing and very inspiring to see their dedication, passion, and ingenuity.

This year, the robots has to pick up plastic balls from the game area and launch them into a corner “bucket.” Teams competed against each other as red and blue teams all day until the competition finals at the end of the day.

The attitudes, skills, and teamwork that FIRST Robotics teaches kids are exactly the attributes that will bring us successful engineers, scientists, and creators in the future. I love to see events like these happen.

If you want to be a part of this future, get involved with FIRST Robotics whether you are a student, parent, teacher, professional, or retiree.