Many teams at GHS follow old and rich traditions. The robotics team, however, is ever-changing. Every year the members of the team attempt to improve on past work, develop stronger technology, and reach new heights never reached in seasons prior.

Greenwood Robotics, along with many other robotics teams across the country, compete under an organization called First Tech Challenge (FTC).

FTC qualifying tournaments began Nov. 16 and continue about once a month until the state championship at University of Indianapolis on March 9. Tournaments consist of the team-build robots partaking in a skills competition where they must perform better than their competitors.

“If we want to qualify well, we have lots of work to do. We are still in the process of building our robot, which means until it is built, it is impossible to properly test,” sophomore Grady Havens said.

The robotics team has many returning veterans with experience, but the team also is open to newcomers with a sister team at the middle school preparing students for high school. There are many practices and team outings to help orient true newcomers.

“My school in Norway does not have any opportunities similar to the robotics team. I have always enjoyed coding, and getting the chance to apply my coding to something like this has been great so far,” junior Sebastian Cronblad said.

The season showcases many highs and lows throughout the season, but the strong team bond remains a constant.

“Even though we are behind schedule compared to past years, I know it will still work out because everyone is reliable and wants to get back on track,” Havens said.

Team members have many team bonding opportunities and chances to raise money as a team.

“My favorite practice was a special Halloween event where we got to wear our costumes, hang out, and eat pizza, ” freshman Evan Fautz said.

Despite all of the team bonding and events, there are still a handful of factors limiting the team from their true potential.

“Communication is definitely the number one issue we have. Some members are out of the loop in terms of our discussions, and it is difficult to talk with our sponsors. Many of our sponsors are based through GMS so reaching them can be inconvenient,” Fautz said.