Youth robotics team recognized at 2 competitions

By MATT PETRAS

For the MVI

The Mon Valley Mammoths, a new Monessen-based youth robotics team, received rookie award recognition at two major tournaments in Pittsburgh and Houston, Texas. 

In late February and early March, the team, formed and coached by Bob Atkins, competed in the Greater Pittsburgh Regional at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The team ranked 39th out of 50 participants and received the “Rookie All-Star” award. 

In late April, the team traveled in Houston, ranking 67th out of 75 teams and receiving the “Rookie Inspiration” award. 

“It is basically the first way of saying that, ‘You guys are going to win or have a good chance of winning … later in your life,’” said Dottie Atkins, a team member and the coach’s daughter. “‘We see you becoming something great.’”

For these competitions, put together by FIRST, a nonprofit organization focused on youth robotics education, team members work together to create and control robots equipped to move around on wheels and complete various challenges, such as grabbing and placing objects. 

These events draw in large crowds from a wide variety of different areas. Teams from more than 50 countries competed at the Houston tournament. 

“It was madness,” Bob Atkins said, laughing. 

He most enjoyed getting advice from coaches of high-level teams. Looking to the future, he hopes to get the team working on fundraising efforts to keep going to more tournaments. There are a few on the horizon already in and around the Pittsburgh area, where the team plans to compete. 

Dottie Atkins loved competing in the tournaments and can’t wait to do more of it. Seeing a teaser about what’s in store for next season at one of the tournaments provided the most exciting moment for her. At that tournament, team members found themselves at the center of an event with a lot of eyes on it. 

“There were so many people (at the Houston competition),” Dottie Atkins said. “You had people who had never heard of FIRST that saw that this really big event was going on and stopped in just to see. We had people beyond the FIRST community there.”