2020-21 Season Summary

The 2020-21 Ultimate Goal season will be remembered as a season unlike any other.  Due to Covid-19 restrictions, competitive events were moved from a live competition format to a remote competition format.  FIRST Tech Challenge teams around the world and across Pennsylvania designed, built, and programmed robots to meet the Ultimate Goal season’s game challenges, just as they would have during a normal season.  What was different was that teams competed from their home venues, recorded matches through video, and submitted scores to FIRST’s international score-keeping system.  Teams tracked global stats online and scouted videos of competing teams’ robots and matches through social media platforms.

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Throughout the 2020-21 Ultimate Goal season, the Robotic Doges competed in 9 competitive events—2 scrimmages, 6 League Meets, 1 PA Western League Tournament, and the Pennsylvania FTC State Championship.  Leading up to PA States, the team earned 1st or 2nd ranking at each of their events, ranked between 2nd and 4th place statewide, ranked 20th to 40th place worldwide, earned the Inspire Award, and were finalists for the Motivate Award.  At PA States, the team’s robot suffered a major breakdown which could not be repaired within the timeframe, causing them to finish with a 9th place ranking in Pennsylvania and 75th place ranking worldwide out of 4,000-5,000 teams.  Though the robot breakdown was disappointing, the team won the Think Award at PA States, which allowed them to achieve their season goal of qualifying for the 2021 World Championship which would have taken place in July 2021 had Covid 19 not caused it to be canceled.
 

In addition to the normal engineering, CAD, and programming skills that students develop during a traditional season, the remote competition format propelled students to develop and deepen technology skills which are directly transferrable to today’s pivoting businesses.  Students expanded their film and video production skills, used social media to grow awareness and interactions with teams, shifted team marketing strategies, and implemented community outreach in new ways, including a virtual presentation for youth who were schooling from home due to the pandemic.
 

We are proud of our students for their resilience in persevering and adapting in unique times.  We look forward to more learning next season!

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