Team Duct Tape has been fortunate to make to the FTC Florida State Championship every year since our founding in 2008.  Twice we’ve earned our way to the FIRST World Championship from there – once as Captains of the Winning Alliance and once as Inspire Award runner-up.  The one award we’ve always aimed for at State though – the actual Inspire Award  –  eluded us… until this year!

The Team Behind the Team

The thing is, though, we didn’t earn that honor all by ourselves. We earned it because of the support, guidance and encouragement of our great mentors, coaches, families, friends, and supporters. We’ve always said that the Team Behind the Team is what really makes TDT successful. That’s proven to be the case again this year, with our still relatively new team of students who polished their great programming, build, interview and teamwork skills through the help of remarkable professionals who dedicated hours of their time and attention to the team.  Among the most important things our kids learn is that they fail or succeed together,  and also  that “success” doesn’t always equal “winning,” and that winning doesn’t always make you successful. They’ve also learned that it’s one thing to become successful and another thing to remain successful.  

And with the success of the Inspire Award at the Florida State Championship come  new challenges.  Competing among the best teams in Florida was difficult. Competing among the best teams in the South will be even harder.

Team Florida

But Florida’s a highly competitive state, and we’ll be heading to the Super Regional with nine other amazing teams from around the state.   In addition to TDT, the Florida teams that earned a spot at the Super Regional are:

• 1369 Minotaur – Tampa
• 3846 Maelstrom – Tampa
•  3888 Greased Lightning  – Weston
• 4997 Masquerade – Tampa  
• 5257 Eagles Robotics Experience – Delray Beach  
• 5937 Renaissance Robotics – Apopka  
• 6433 Neutrinos – Lakeland  
• 6451 Tarpon Robotics Punta Gorda
• 7477 Super-7  – Oviedo   

[A Note of Apology to the awesome South Super Regional-bound teams 3888 Greased Lightning, of  Weston, and 6451 Tarpon Robotics, of Punta Gorda, who were inadvertently left of the list of the Terrific Ten of Team Florida!  Now we’re full hurricane force! ]

By the same token that it takes a village to make a team successful, we figure we’re all stronger competing together for Florida , than we are alone.   So TDT started a group called Team Florida, for our South Super-Regional-bound Florida Teams to network, plan, practice and help each other help Florida make a strong showing.  The Super Regional is a new experience for all of us, and while somewhat daunting, it’s fun to be able to be at a big event (72 teams from 12 southern states!) with so many home teams, something you don’t usually get to experience at the FTC World Championship.

TDT with Coach Jared at left, and Thad Beckert, of Lockheed Martin, far right, which donates the use of some awesome, customizable shipping crates to the Inspire Award and Winning Alliance teams.

How You Can Help

Of course, there are  costs inherent in getting our team of ten to San Antonio, and securing lodging and meals there for three days.  We can address the actual competition challenges – tweaking the robot, refining strategy, improving the engineering notebook and team presentation, practicing with other teams – but we need your help with the logistical challenges.

We wouldn’t be here without your support and encouragement,and we can’t get there without your continued support and encouragement!  Contributions of any size are deeply appreciated, and tax deductible when made through Network for Good to our parent sponsor, Learning is for Everyone, Inc. (Make a note to designate your donation to Team Duct Tape in the comments section.)