Rebuilt and Ready: Reflections on Our Preseason

Team 2609
2 days ago
2 min read

As we approach the official kickoff of the 2026 FRC season REBUILT, it is worth taking a moment to reflect on everything Team 2609 accomplished during the fall pre-season. Over the past several months, our students and mentors have worked to lay a strong foundation for the challenges ahead.

Preseason is about more than just building robots. It is about building people, systems, and confidence. This year, Beaverworx did exactly that!

What We Built

Throughout the preseason, the team tackled a wide range of projects that strengthened both technical skills and team infrastructure.

Students:

Upgraded and completed the Can Crusher allowing us to start using for demos and showcases
Built and refined practice swerve drivetrains and a fleet of minibots
Prototyped mechanisms through the Firefight challenge, exploring ideas and rapid iteration
Designed and began constructing upgraded pit structures and support carts
Practiced vision setup and alignment through Limelight testing
85% of our team is capable of designing with OnShape

Each project reinforced real-world engineering concepts while giving students the confidence to design, build, test, and improve.

How We Learned

Learning this preseason was intentional and collaborative.

New members were welcomed through scavenger hunts, station rotations, and hands-on workshops
Students developed CAD skills through Onshape assembly tutorials in the robotics course and team workshops
We ran a full mock kickoff, simulating game analysis, rule interpretation, and robot archetype identification
Creative problem solving sessions encouraged students to think beyond the obvious and work together

These experiences helped de-mystify the early days of build season and empowered students to participate meaningfully from day one.

Who We Connected With

Community and collaboration remained central to our work.

Students volunteered with Trees for Guelph
We demonstrated our robots at school and community events
Competed at the STEMley Cup, gaining valuable match experience for our new students
Began planning our Impact Award submission early, focusing on storytelling and outreach
Continued our annual Bake your Day event, and prepared meals for Guelph's homeless youth

These connections remind us that FRC is about more than competition. It is about impact.

What We Are Looking Forward To

As we head into the 2026 season, we are excited to:

Apply our preseason learning to a brand-new game
Tackle design challenges with confidence and preparation
Grow our new members into skilled contributors and leaders
Refine our strategy, autonomy, and vision systems
Tell our story through outreach, media, and the Impact Award

Most of all, we are looking forward to building together, learning from setbacks, celebrating successes, and supporting one another every step of the way.

Rebuilt and Ready

This preseason proved that Team 2609 is prepared, motivated, and united. With a strong foundation beneath us and a season of opportunity ahead, Beaverworx is ready to take on whatever challenges the 2026 game brings.

We are rebuilt. We are ready. Now let’s get to work!

Wishing you Happy Holidays from our Dam,

Reli D.

Lead Mentor & Technical Coordinator

FRC - 2609 Beaverworx