From Kickoff to Spin Cycle

With build season behind us and competition season about to begin, it is the perfect time to reflect on everything Team 2609 has experienced over the past several weeks. This year has been fast, loud, chaotic, and incredibly rewarding, and the team has grown in ways we could not have predicted back in January.

Kickoff with WWFIRST

We started the season with an amazing kickoff experience. Students and mentors attended the WWFIRST kickoff event, where we had the opportunity to sit in on several seminars and learn from experienced members of the FRC community. Watching the game reveal together with the WWFIRST group made the start of the season feel special, and it set the tone for the weeks that followed.

A Game We Already Love

This year’s game, Rebuilt, is quickly becoming one of the team’s favorites. The fast pace, the

number of scoring options, and the countless strategy combinations make it one of the most interesting games we have seen in years. The amount of flexibility in how teams can approach the game makes every match exciting to watch.

Also, balls. Lots of balls.

Preseason Work Paying Off

Every year we say that build season begins with prototyping, but this year the truth is that a lot of that work was already done. Thanks to the training and projects completed during preseason, especially the Firefight mock game, students entered kickoff with experience designing and building shooting mechanisms. Because of that, the team was able to move into real design work much faster than usual.

Strategy First

Early in the season, the team completed a full MCW analysis. We broke down what we must have, what we could have, and what we would not have. From that discussion we landed on a robot archetype that is ambitious, challenging, and capable of playing the game at a very high level. It was not the easiest path, but it was the one we believed would give us the most impact on the field.

Build Season Chaos

Build season was exactly what build season always is. Long nights, short timelines, constant changes, and a shop full of activity. There were moments where the clock felt like the biggest opponent we had. But when the dust settled, one thing remained.

Spin Cycle.

This robot is one of the most impressive machines the team has built. It represents the work of every student, mentor, and alumni who put their time and effort into the season. From design to fabrication to programming, this was a true team effort.

Practice Field Experience

One of the highlights of the season was the time we spent working at the WWFIRST practice field. Being able to test the robot in a real field environment, collaborate with other teams, and receive help from experienced mentors at a moment’s notice is something we are incredibly grateful for. Opportunities like that make a huge difference in how much a team can learn in a short time.

Looking Ahead

Now the robot is built. The tools are packed. The code is running.

Competition season is here.

As we head into our first event, the goal is simple. Keep learning. Keep improving. Keep supporting each other. No matter what happens on the field, this season has already been one to remember.

We are proud of what we built.

We are proud of how we built it.

And we are ready to compete like never before.

Reli D.

Lead Mentor & Technical Coordinator

FRC - 2609 Beaverworx