FTC – First Tech Challenge
GE Aviation and Kentwood Public Schools support Five FTC Middle School teams in the Kentwood district. This is our 11th year participating in the middle school program. We believe providing access to and support in advanced technology for middle school students via programs like FTC provides many benefits to our students including:
- Exposure to high-tech learning
- Experience in potential career fields
- The opportunity for FRC kids to mentor FTC students
- Finding kids with passion for robotics that may want to participate in the high school FRC program, etc.
For the 2021-2022 season the game that was played was Freight Frenzy. With Covid-19 being more under control and reaching out to more students, Red Storm Robotics would introduce another FTC Team, This team would be Red Storm Robotics Green. The First event that all the teams would attend would be the Kentwood Qualifier. At this event it was proven to be tough with no teams being able to make the play-offs, but some of the Red Storm Teams would win awards at this event. With Red storm White winning the Connect Award, 2nd place for the Motivate Award and 2nd place for the Connect Awards, they would punch there ticket for states. Red Storm Red would also go on to win awards and were 2nd place for the Controls Award, 2nd Place for the Think Award and was 3rd place for the Inspires Award which would Punch Red Storm Red A ticket for States. Red Storm Blue would be winners of the Motivate award and Winners of the Promote award. The Second event for Red Storm Blue and Gray would be the MI The G.R.A.Y.T. Kettering Qualifier. This event was tough and was a learning experience for all of red storm. The second Event that Red Storm White, Red and Green would represent Red Storm Robotics was MI Pellston Qualifier. Red Storm White would go on and represent Red Storm in the play-offs and be knocked out in the Semi-Finals. But that wasn’t the end of the story for Red Storm. Red Storm White would be 2nd place for the Motivate award. Red Storm Red would be Collins Aerospace Innovate Award Winner which double qualified Red Storm Red for States. Red Storm Green would be 2nd place Think Award which punched a ticket to states for Red Storm Green.
In the 2020-2021 season the game that would be played would be the ultimate goal. This season we would only have two teams to represent Red Storm due to Covid-19. At the first event Kentwood Qualifier Red storm Red would rank 14th out of 18 and Red storm White would rank 11th out of 18. At the second event (MI FTC Rochester Hills Qualifier) Red Storm Red would improve there ranking from the first event and rank 8th out of 20 and Red Storm White would also improve there rank and place 5th out of 20 which was one rank shy of punching a ticket for states. At this event Red Storm White would be 3rd place for the Motivate Award and 1st place for the Controls Awards.
For the 2019-2020 Season the game that was played was SkyStone. With reaching out to more students this year, Red Storm would have create another team who would be Red Storm Robotics Stormy Gray. The first event that Red storm participated in was the Kentwood Qualifier which would be a tough event but that didnt stop two of the Red Storm teams to making it to the play-offs. Red storm Red and the rookies Red Storm Gray would both paticipate in the play-offs. With close matches, both Red storm teams would get eliminated in the Semi Finals. Red Storm Robotics Gray would then be third place for Inspire which would punch gray team a ticket to states. At the next event, we would send Red Storm Red and Red storm Blue to represent Red Storm at the Constantine Qualifier FTC Qualifier. This event would be prove to be a difficult event and Red Storm would learn a lot from the event. For Red Storm White and Red Storm Gray, they would represent Red Storm at the GRAYT Kettering FTC Qualifier which was another difficult event. Red storm Gray would go on to represent Red Storm in the play-offs but would be knocked out in the semi Finals.
For the 2018-2019 Season the game that was played was rover ruckus. The first event that Red Storm attended would be the Kentwood Qualifier which is the event that Red Storm Host. This event would be proven to be hard with none of the Red Storm Teams participate in playoff but that didnt stop one of our teams from getting awards. Red Storm Red would go on to be 2nd place for the Connect Award and Second place for the Inspires Awards which would punch a ticket to states for Red Storm Red. The second Event that red storm would participate in would be Sunset Coast Splash FTC Qualifier which also was proven to be a tough event. Red Storm White would go on to win the Connect Award at that event.
For the 2017-2018 Season the game that was played was Relic Recovery. The first event that Red Storm would participate in would be the event that Red Storm hosted, Kentwood FTC Qualifier. At the event, Both Red Storm Red and Red storm white would come out ready and make it to the play-offs. They would get out in the semi-Finals, but that wasnt the end of Red Storm for the event. Red Storm Blue would 2nd place for Compass Award, 2nd place for Motivate Award, Winner for Promote Award and Winner for Connect Award. Red storm White would go on to be 2nd place for Controls Award, Winner for the Think Award, Winner for Compass Award and Third place for the Inspires Award which would punch Red Storm White a ticket to states. At the second event(Allende Qualifier), Red Storm White would represent Red storm in the play offs, but would be out in the Semi Finals. Just like at Kentwood, Red Storm would get awards again. Red Storm Blue would go on to be 2nd place for the connect Award, and second place for the inspire award which would punch Red Storm Blue a ticket to states. Red storm White would go on to be second place for the design award and be the winner for the Inspire Award. That would have Red Storm White qualified for states two times this season and for the first time in Red Storm History, they won the highest award in FTC.
For the 2016-2017 Season the game that was played was Velocity Vortex. At the first competition that year(Big Rapids), Both Red Storm Red and Red Storm Blue were able to get to the finals with Red Storm Blue winning the competition. That would punch a ticket for Red Storm blue to states. Red Storm Red finished ranked number 2 at that competition just shy of getting a ticket to states. Red Storm white would go on to win the Controls Award at this event. At the second event, Red Storm would go to host the Kentwood FTC Qualifier. At this event, this is event was to be proven much harder, but that didnt stop Red Storm from represent FIRST. Red Storm Red would get the Controls Award while Red Storm White would get, 2nd place for Motivate Award, 2nd Place for Promote Award, and 3rd place for the inspire award, which would put Red Storm white just shy of a ticket to states.
For the Season 2015-2016 the game was the game was FIRST RES-Q.
The game for the 2014-2015 season was “Cascade Effect“. One of the two Kentwood teams advanced to the state competition. We are proud of all our Kentwood FIRST teams!
2013 was another good year for the teams, this time organized for all Kentwood middle school students, not just Crestwood. Once again, Kentwood hosted a regional competition at Pinewood. One of the two teams even progressed to the next level of the competition. The game for 2013 was “Block Party”.
In 2012, Crestwood’s FTC program returned, this time with two teams, due to the amount of students interested at the school. These teams are numbered 5292 and 6482. The game for their Fall 2012 season was called “Ring It Up”, and the first competition for both was in December 2012, hosted at our own Pinewood Middle School.
In its first year, the team was named “The Outsiders” by its members, and attended two competitions with its simple, but effective, driver-controlled robot. The team’s first competition was held at Harbor Lights Middle School in Holland, Michigan. After a long competition, the Outsiders’ alliance ultimately won in the finals, demonstrating that the Crestwood team was certainly a talented group. The second, larger competition, held at Novi Middle School in Novi, Michigan, was also a success for Crestwood, with the team reaching the finals of the “Edison” division, and achieving second place in the finals with the help of its alliance partner. With two successful competitions completed, the team ended its first season on a positive note. It also cooperated with two FTC teams sponsored by Grandville’s Code Red FRC team to demonstrate how the FTC worked at both of Red Storm’s FRC competitions.
In the 2011-2012 season, FIRST in Michigan began an experimental program to start FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) teams at middle schools throughout the state, with the program formerly being restricted to high schools. One of the middle school FTC teams formed was at Crestwood Middle School in Kentwood. It received support from the EKHS Robotics team and the community, and, given its success, the team will definitely continue in the future.