State champion BBHHS, BBHMS robotics teams set high bar

by Dan Holland

Entering its 10^th season of competition, the world-ranked Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School Robotics team is looking to three-peat as state champions, while the BBH Middle School team is seeking its fourth consecutive state title. Teams from BBHHS have previously qualified for and competed at the world championships.

The Ken Ganley Ford VEX VRC Robotics Competitions were hosted by the BBHHS robotics teams as a signature event held in the high school gym Nov. 17-18. Featured were 62 high school teams and 42 middle school teams.

BBHHS fields nine teams, consisting of four to five members each, designated as “2011” for the school, with each individual team assigned a different letter. The middle school also has nine teams comprised of six to seven members each.  Members can assume an individual or combined role on the team, which can consist of a driver/controller, programmer, builder, notebooker or scout.

The BBHHS 2011 B and 2011 F teams won the home tournament.

This year’s game – which changes each year – called “Over/Under,” involves scoring plastic acorn-shaped “tri-balls” into the opponent’s goal. Teams also receive points for the number of tri-balls placed in the opposing team’s territory. Teams redesign their robot to coincide with the game each year.  

“The kids do all the work; they’re doing the computer programming, building the robot and everything associated with it,” explained team parent Pete Jones, whose son Sawyer, a sophomore at BBHHS, competes on Team 2011-K. “The game changes each year. Last year’s game was more like frisbee golf using discs. So, using the exact same robotic components, they had to build a robot to shoot discs across the field and score them in a low goal. It’s a complete reset every year.”

The competition consists of alliances – randomly selected school teams – paired together during the matches that are played on raised 12-by-12-foot tables called “fields” divided into four quadrants with a central bar running across the middle. Each school team has one robot in the match, which consists of a 15-second automated portion followed by a 1:45 driver-controlled match. Robots can play both offense and defense.

Team scores during the initial qualification matches set up a seeding chart for teams to compete in an elimination bracket in which teams can choose an alliance partner.

A separate skills competition, which runs concurrent with the field competition, consists of teams conducting one minute-long autonomous or driver-controlled runs in which they attempt to score as many points as possible by placing tri-balls into the opposite goal.

Craig Kowatch, who teaches technology classes at BBHHS, has been the head high school robotics coach since the program began in 2014. He said hosting home tournaments is one of the highlights of the season, which runs from October through February. State competitions take place in March, followed by the world championships in April.

“We always look forward to hosting our own tournaments. We enjoy trying to give every kid these opportunities that they may not have at other venues,” said Kowatch. “We put a lot into our tournaments. We want our tournaments to be special, not only for our kids, but for kids on other teams. The competition is fun, and we try to make it over-the-top fun.”

Kowatch’s son, Casey, who previously competed on the BBHHS robotics team, now coaches the middle school team.

Awards are earned in a number of different areas in addition to the competition and skills matches. Awards include the Design Award, Excellence Award, Judges Award, Innovate Award, Think Award, Amaze Award, Build Award, Create Award, Energy Award, Inspire Award and Sportsmanship Award. All awards and points are tallied for the final standings for each team for a combined overall school score.

“Every team gets interviewed for how they are building their robot, how they are working together and what their process is,” explained Jones. “And then, through skills and the qualification matches, the judges will determine the best team. The excellence award is a state-qualifying award; If you win that award, win the elimination bracket or are the skills champion, you qualify for the state tournament.”

Craig Kowatch said he is most proud of the progress he sees students make over time in the program. “Just the knowledge that they gain from where they start to where they finish is fun to watch,” he said. “We have a number of students in our program who are now out working in the industry.”

Assistant coach Ryan Goubeaux, who teaches STEM classes at the high school and has been with the program since its inception, said his role is to support the head coach and support and help the students develop their robotic skills and teamwork skills.

“The robotics part is great; they learn a lot about building, programming and coding,” said Goubeaux, “But the social skills; working together as teams and learning how to communicate, to compromise and solve problems; that’s the thing for me that I think is the biggest accomplishment for these kids.”

“Winning state titles is great, but we start the year with two goals: to learn and to have fun. The kids push themselves to a level where we want to be,” said Kowatch. “Each team sets goals, and we help them to achieve those goals.”

BBHHS Senior Brady McCreery displays
his robot to be used in the skills competition
for Team 2011 A. Photo by Dan Holland

BBHHS Sophomore Sawyer Jones displays
his robot for team 2011 K during a lunch break. Photo by Dan Holland.

BBHHS hosted the Ken Ganley Ford VEX VRC Robotics Competition Nov. 17-18. Photos submitted.

Photo (main/above): The Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School and Middle School robotics teams are both in search of another state title this season. This would be the third consecutive title for the high school team and the fourth for the middle school team. Photos submitted.