JCHS robotics prepares for busy Feburary

February is going to be a competition-packed month for the Johnson County High School (JCHS) robotics club, and after missing many meetings because of the flu and snow, some might say they're going into it with a disadvantage. Head coach and science teacher Amber Price is confident in her students, however. "They're extremely intelligent; it boggles my mind the things they can come up with," Price said. The club's two teams, 63303A and 63303D, have gone to four competitions since October. They have five more in February; the most important one is "BOTS at Bristol Motor Speedway," which could qualify them for the state or even worldwide championship. Price said the club, founded in 2016, has qualified for the worldwide championship at least twice and makes the state championship almost every year. The club is up against some really good teams this year, Price said, but has done fairly well. 63303D made it to the quarterfinals of two competitions, each featuring at least 40 teams. The club is student-led. Price's favorite part is listening to students excitedly talk about their plans, goals and solutions for each season. She explained that VEX Robotics, the organization that oversees competitions, announces a new "game" each year for clubs to design a robot for. This year's game involves dropping blocks into various types of goals while pushing your opponents' blocks out. The exact rules often change throughout a season and robots sometimes break in the middle of competitions, making flexibility important. Price said the club also builds interviewing skills and cooperation. "They all support one another; even members from one team will help the other team problem-solve," she said. Price has helped with the club off and on for years, but this is her first school year as head coach. She took over for Kasi Dishman, who had coached the club since its founding. "Throughout that time, many parents, community members, and fellow faculty played a vital role in supporting the team and helping it grow and thrive," according to Dishman. This will be the last year in the club for two seniors — Owen Taylor and Dylan Blevins — who have been in robotics since middle school, Price said. Junior Gavin Curd has also been in robotics since middle school and is "very knowledgeable," Price said. She has asked him to help direct the club next year. "The biggest thing is we want to get what we need earlier so we can use time during the summer," Price said. "That [way] we can start in the competition season earlier." She explained that the club is "strictly funded" by grants and donations, although the CTE program helps with travel. This year, they had to wait for a grant to be approved before they could order their VEX Robotics-compliant parts. Price said if anyone wants to donate to the club, they should contact JCHS at 423-727-2620.