Our morning started bright and early once more, as we packed up our gear and set off for the dome to stake out seats in the “Canadian section” that we’ve created over the past days. 
Teams 1114 and 2056 and 781 are great teams to sit and cheer with!
Qualification matches were played in the morning. We played some excellent defense!
By 10:30 AM we were awaiting alliance selection. 
We were not selected, which was not a big surprise since we were sitting in 75th place. What was very exciting was to see 2 Canadian alliance captains, and to see one entirely Canadian alliance created amongst teams 2056, 1114, and the rookies from Alberta, team 4334.
We watched and cheered through the Archimedes finals, and as the games progressed our cheering section expanded to include the families of team 4334, and SWAT (team 771), and after their final matches we we joined by team 610 as well.
Flags waved and fans cheered as the Canadian alliance won the finals on Archimedes and continued onward to the championships on Einstein.
We took our team picture, and packed up our pit equipment then crated our robot before heading to get seats for the final matches.
Between matches awards were presented. We are excited that team 1114 won the championship chairman’s award, and are now in the hall of fame.
As the Einstein matches were played, there was a bit of an event going on outside of the dome as well. There was a tornado warning in effect, and we were not allowed to be near windows in the foyer or hallways. Rain poured down with hail the size of ice cubes, the sky was a greenish gray, and the winds whipped the dome area.
Some people with Internet access told us that a tornado was spotted 30 miles from the dome.
The weather impeded our plans for a speedy departure. Once we got the all clear from the security officials, we loaded up the bus which was now 2 blocks away, and then we set off for the border.
A quick bus rave was followed by a long sleep.
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When we awoke, we crossed into Canada…
…then switched back to the McCoy bus that had been repaired.
Thanks to everyone who has been following along and cheering from home. We appreciate the support of our friends and family, our mentors, and our sponsors. We look forward to another fun season next year!
Dawn was breaking as we walked to the Edward Jones dome, and the streets were very quiet. 
We arrived at 6:15AM and found ourselves among familiar company….our good friends team 1114 and 2056! We are in the same division as they are, so we stuck close by them as the crowds grew larger.
We saw many familiar teams as we waited. Some of these teams we remember from regional competitions, and others we see only at the championships.
We followed our buddies to the Archimedes area of the dome, and settled down in the stands behind them. Close behind us followed our friends team 781 from Kincardine.
It was a reunion of sorts….we’ve seen each other play so frequently at the Ontario competitions.
This year, unlike last, we have all 4 fields in the dome! 
While scouts were scoping out the competition during practice matches, our pit crew readied our robot for competition. Part of the task included attaching our freshly constructed bumpers. 
Last night our bumpers transformed from this…..
…to this….
…and finally this!
They are much more sturdy this time, and the reversible flaps work much better. 
Practice matches were played in the morning. During this time our pit scouts and photographers gathered information behind the scenes, and our drive team got to experience the excitement of competing on the world stage.
In the afternoon we started the qualification matches, and were scouting in full force!
As a break from scouting, we split into two groups and toured the St. Louis arch. Here’s one of the touring groups. We have Captain Canada with us, and it’s causing quite a stir as we walk around the streets of St. Louis with a mascot!
From the top of the arch there are commanding views of the city and the river. We can see our hotel and Busch stadium!
When not otherwise involved in team events, we have some time to explore the pit areas and see other teams, and see many exhibits.
We saw SWAT (team 771) and Sabre Bytes (team 772). We’ve got mentors from both of these teams working with us this year!
Part of the activities available in the pit area is the bedazzling of safety glasses. There’s never too much bling!
When we need a break from FRC robotics, there’s always FTC (First Tech Challenge) robotics to enjoy. Some of these robots had very tall scissor lifts!
You never know who you’ll find when you’re walking in the pit area. Several of our students saw Woodie Flowers….
…and got his autograph.
All in all it was a very exciting and exhausting day. Our poor blue bear got a little bit sweaty with all of the dancing!
Matches continued until just after 8PM. K-Bots were all in bed by 10PM, ready for another early wake up call tomorrow!
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our 
It takes a lot of teamwork to load up the bus! Thanks to all who came to see us off. We’re glad of the support of our family, friends, and mentors who were not able to join us.
The bus ride was pretty fun, until ….
…there was a problem. The bus was making a strange noise, and the drivers were sure that they could not continue.
We had to get a new bus. Luckily we were near Lambeth, which is apparently just outside of London, and a new bus could be arranged quickly.
We unpacked all of our gear at the side of the road, and transferred it to the new bus.
This bus had fewer seats for us. It’s ok….JNo and Henry are good friends….they were excited to share seats.
We stopped for breakfast at McDonalds before the sun came up. It was there that we discovered that size large is really big here in the states!
Here’s our new bus in the daylight! It’s pretty nice.
We stopped for lunch, but we weren’t sure where we were–somewhere in Illinois.
On the bus we played lots of video games…
….and had quality time with our friends.
We slept for a lot of the trip too! It was a thrilling moment to see the arch and know that we were really close to St. Louis.
Five of our team members went directly to the Edward Jones Dome to set up our pit area and get our robot inspected. The rest of us checked into the hotel, which took a bit of figuring to get the rooms sorted out. We’re thankful that our team is so patient!
The rooms we got have some fantastic views! Some see the arch. 
Others see right into Busch Stadium. We had a few moments to relax before meeting our groups for dinner. Some of us enjoyed a quick swim.
At dinner time, we were pretty excited to eat. Some of us enjoyed the “burger buffet” at the hotel.
We ate very fancy hamburgers…with pinkies up! FYI: Russell is feeling better now, after a bit of a rough patch on the bus.
After dinner we split into groups to explore the downtown area. In St. Louis the fountains are pretty colours. 
We got up close and personal with the Gateway Arch.
It is a very large structure!
We counted about 190 paces between both ends of the arch….
…and we noticed that it looks almost on fire when the sun sets.
We also had a close enounter with a “crocogator” which may or may not exist in that pond.
As the sun set, we returned to the hotel to do some homework and then have a meeting.
After the meeting we had a game of “guess the ref signals” for identification of cards and fouls. Do you know what these mean?
Our robot was seen doing much better. With a lot of hard work, and thoughtful analysis, our system was debugged. We were shooting 2 point shots very consistently from the fender, even when being heavily defended against.
We are so proud of our drive team, and our pit crew, both students and mentors for persevering through many tense moments and finding ways to make it all work out in the end.
We gave hugs all around today! Hugs to each other….
…and hugs to the little kids. Our blue bear was one of the favourite mascots in the venue. 
We saw other mascots in the pit. This one reminded us all of Captain Canada who came to New York…
….and to St. Louis with us last year.
We know that Captain Canada was in action at the Arizona Regional with our friends Team 610. Congrats to Team 610 on their regional win! We’re looking forward to sharing Captain Canada at worlds!
Meanwhile back at the pit, we received an award from team 1305. We were given the “personality in the pit” award. 
Back on the field, we were selected by team 781 to be on the 6th alliance. We selected team 288 to join us, and we set off to prove ourselves in the elimination rounds.
We needed to pass inspection once more before eliminations. We put on our final touches and then took to the field.
In the quarter finals we had our autonomous mode working, scoring high baskets even when slightly nudged by our alliance partners! We staged an upset, taking down the 3rd alliance, and making a debut of a new defensive strategy.
Morale was high, and we were dancing up a storm in the stands….
…and on the sidelines. We played very strongly in the semi finals, against a very strong alliance. We lost a heartbreaking last match by only one point!
The number 1 alliance, led by teams 1114 and 2056 worked so well today with rookies 4372 to win the regional. There was one surprise “upset” though, when team 2056 was tipped over while crossing the bump. It is rare to see them up-ended like this!
In our last match, a motor was knocked off, and we weren’t sure how badly our robot was damaged. In the pit we realized that a bolt had been sheered, but the electronics and motor were still in working condition. The robot then got bagged and tagged, and loaded up with the rest of our tools onto the bus.
We gathered for a team photo before heading home. It was a very exciting day, full of hard work, good fun, lots of dancing, and a robot that scored more balls today than any other day!
We stopped on the way back to Kingston for dinner. Our waitress took one look at our group and said “You guys look like a lot of fun!”
It was great to have time to unwind and have a few laughs, and to discuss what we need to do next. When mentioning bumper repair, it was suggested that they get bedazzled….“My favourite colour is sparkle!” -Michael, Queen’s Mentor. 
As is our team tradition, on the bus ride back, we played music, and cracked open the glowsticks to have a “bus rave”.
Returning home to the school, we unpacked the bus….and started to load back into our classroom.
But we were faced with a rather shocking scene when we returned:
Our room had been broken into, and computers taken.
The police came and took over the scene….
…and we packed all of our robotics gear in another area for the time being.
K-Bots: enjoy a few days of rest from robotics, be proud of what you have accomplished this season so far. It will soon be time to gear up for St. Louis! Thanks to all of the friends, families, and sponsors who have been cheering for us. We appreciate your support!
We waited until the doors opened and we headed to ideal scouting location in the stands. Our top secret super surprise knitting project, the prop for our Chairman’s presentation, and largest hat that we’ve made so far, took its place of prominence with us in the stands.
Did you know that K-Bots are everywhere? Not only are they dressed up in purple and hats cheering on our team, but they are also dressed up in volunteer shirts, helping out the entire competition.
K-Bots are also in disguise as University of Waterloo students. Today we were thrilled to have Harry with us once more. He graduated last year, and is now studying civil engineering.
Several of our founding mentors came to cheer us on as well. Thanks so much JNo and Mike for making the trip to see us! We miss you.
As matches were played, our scouts took their places and recorded data on each robot. It takes a lot of focus to be a scout. Everyone worked really hard today to take great notes on everything that happened.
After the first few matches we found ourselves in 4th place in the rankings! We didn’t last there for very long though.
A series of various technical glitches were worked out during the day. We were glad of our time on the practice field when we were able to get it.
Several of our matches were played in rapid succession, so quickly that we could not return to the pit for any repairs.
At that point, we had to change batteries and make adjustments while in queue for the next match.
This morning our Chairman’s team made their presentation to the panel of judges. We believe strongly in our team, and how we’ve knit ourselves into the fabric of our community this year.
After the presentation, we were ALL smiles! 
We ate lunch outside on the grass. The food choices at the regional have been so great. We are eating very healthy and tasty food. It is even better to be able to eat it in the fresh air!
The wildlife spotting of the day was a Canada Goose that was violently pecking at the door to the Physical Activities Center! 
We were ahead of schedule this afternoon, so between matches there was a competition for humans to balance the bridge. Pairs of big and small people were chosen to test their skills.
As with most things on our team….it all starts with a hug. The bridge was quickly balanced after that!
As scouting continued, all of the data got entered into a computer database to be analyzed for our scouting meeting in the evening.
.At the close of the day, we joined many other teams in some lively dances like the YMCA and Cotton Eye Joe. 
Awards were presented, and we took home the Imagery Award in honour of Jack Kamen.
Eating dinner together like this is a fun way to wind down after a busy and sometimes hectic day.
When we returned to our hotel, the entire team got to hear the final version of the Chairman’s presentation–good job team, it sounded great even at the end of a very long day!
Our scouting meeting was a very crowded one! We projected our database onto the wall and made our optimal pick list for tomorrow’s alliance selection. We are very thankful to our scouts for the great data that they collected, and to all of our photographers for making sure that each robot was represented well.
Tomorrow will be an exciting day. We’re all going to bed early to prepare!
We got to the Waterloo University PAC around 7:15 and were the first team there by far. We’re not used to this, and were a little surprised not to see our friends 1114 and 2056. We think they were there just as early but at another door.
We made good use of our time to nap a bit, chat a bit, knit a bit, and get excited. 
When the stands opened up we realized quickly that things can very easily fall down through the open areas and get lost under the bleachers. We aren’t supposed to go under the bleachers to retrieve things, so we decided to tie all our important tools to ourselves so they don’t fall down. Here’s how we keep our scissors safe.
The pit crew worked hard to set up our tools and get the robot pieces back together again. Yesterday we created a long list of tasks, and decided on priorities. Today we worked our way through them all!
We put up all of our pit decor, proudly displaying our sponsor logos on the wall. Our sponsors have been extremely supportive this season, and some have already redoubled their efforts to support our team now that we are going to the Championships. Thank you very much sponsors!
We are one of 30 teams at this regional competition. The venue is divided up into two areas. The pits are 10 foot cubes of space for each team which acts as our home base for robot repairs and battery charging. Judges come by the pit to talk about our robot and our team. Teams come by our pit to scout as well.
The other half of the venue is the playing field. We’re glad that we got here early to get some pretty great seats. We were sitting right behind our friends team 771. One of our mentors was a 771 student a few years ago! 
Our mentorship team is really special. We have many Queen’s University students who are alumni of FIRST teams (1114,610,771,772,1620, and our own 2809). Each of these mentors brings with them different skills, talents and experiences from these teams. We also have many mentors who have experience outside of FIRST which provides us with a wealth of ideas and approaches to solving problems, mechanical and otherwise.
One of our K-Botics alumni, John, came to visit us today. He is studying mechatronics engineering at Waterloo. John gave us a great campus tour and explained about how being a part of a FIRST team has helped give him hands on skills, and how important it is to work hard in high school classes to learn the basics so well that you can do them quickly. 
We saw a really cool solar car on the wall….
…and dinosaurs….
….and we even snuck into a lecture hall to see what being in a university class would be like. Thanks John so much for your great tour full of fun facts!
While some of us were on a tour, the pit crew was hard at work getting our robot to pass inspection. We connected the shooter again, positioned the new electrical box, made a new battery mount, and put a second camera on. It was a very very busy day, and we accomplished a lot.
Once there were lots of robots on the field playing practice matches, our veteran scouts started to train our new scouts. We record data about each robot’s performance in each match which gets compiled in a database. After 4 years we have an scouting system that works pretty well for us. 
When not scouting, we made time for other fun activities like knitting lessons….
….or walks in the sunshine to see the wildlife of Waterloo.
Our robot passed inspection, and was even under weight…by a good 6 pounds. We were able to take to the field to test out the systems in a real game scenario. There were a few bugs, but we’ve got a plan to work things out tomorrow.
When we realized how underweight we were, we were able to put on an upward facing bridge tipper that’s nice and robust. Vacuums are very handy to have when drilling through metal on your robot. Metal shavings can cause a lot of damage and some very exciting sparks when they get into the electronics. We worked hard to avoid that scenario.
By the end of the day, we were feeling a whole lot better about our robot! 
Part of our debugging plan included bringing a target back to the hotel to test the camera code. We looked pretty funny as we rushed through Waterloo University campus with our backboard!
We had dinner at the Mongolian Grill, which was a really fun experience, and the food was great too!
We returned to the hotel, absolutely exhausted, and were in bed by 9:30PM. The competition begins tomorrow. Here’s our match schedule.
Here’s a link to the 
It was great that so many parents came to see us off at the bus. We know that parents will be cheering us on, and watching the 
Our precious cargo got seats on the bus with us.
We had a pretty great bus ride. There was a lot of music and dancing….and for a brief time, there was a nerf-gun war….We had many games of MASH, and giggles about what everyone’s future life would be like.
One of our K-Bots has forgotten their hat. Hats are an important part of our uniform. When hats are lost or misplaced or forgotten, they are often replaced…but with hot pink accents. This hat is starting off with a beard! It will grow over the course of the tournament.
When we arrived at our hotel, many of us took time to relax. Parents and teachers will be glad to know that some of us got right to work on homework and assignments.
Others took advantage of the time to catch up on sleep.
Our chairman’s team has been working very hard, and takes all opportunities to practice their presentation.
We are looking forward to sharing the story of our team with the judges at Waterloo. To help pass our message along, we created a little book. Time was tight, so the book got shipped to our hotel, and we got our first look at it today!
After the pit crew loaded our robot and equipment into the venue, we gathered at East Side Mario’s for our dinner. Our team is so big we take up 2 huge tables!
We had a delicious dinner, and enjoyed the time together. Our big purple family meal times have really bonded us together this build season.
This evening’s business included a strategic meeting for our pit crew. There are many tasks to complete before noon tomorrow. We need to re-attach all of our components that we removed to work on between competitions, and then start calibrating our robot for this event.
With a list of priorities firmly established, everyone headed to bed. Lights were out by 10:30PM. It’s the start of a busy few days, with early wake up calls for breakfast bagel parties!
Our scouts set off at 6:45AM to hold our spot in line. We are usually one of the first 5 teams to arrive. Our friends 1114, 2056, 188 and 610 were there before we were. They must have left SO early!
After an hour’s wait, the doors were opened, and we joined the 
Everyone was thrilled to be at competition. Our parent mentors thought it was just like Christmas morning–they were too excited to sleep last night!
Our good buddy James is the M.C. for this competition. He’s doing a really good job announcing all of the teams as they play their matches.
We’ve got lots of friends in the stands. Our youngest scout came wearing an historic GPA! 
While scouts worked hard saving space in the stands, the pit crew and drive team worked hard in the pit to prepare our robot, adjust programming, and get ready to talk to the judges….
….who came to talk to our pit a lot! By the end of the day judges were spotted everywhere with our little knitted hat pins.
We had an exciting day of matches. We shot and scored in autonomous and in tele-op, and we even balanced a bridge with a dragon-bot!
Our bridge tipper had a bit of an injury….but after a little surgery we feel that it will make a fine recovery.
We had some conversations with mentors who couldn’t make it to competition to keep them up to speed with the developments. We know that there are lots of people who are watching the webcasts from home. Thanks for all of your support!
As the matches progressed throughout the day we ended up in 3rd place at one time.
By the end of the day, we were in 4th place and optimistic for things to come tomorrow.
During the awards ceremony we were excited to receive the “Engineering Excellence Award sponsored by Delphi” for the modular design of our components and our diagnostic ability with our circuits and sensors.
We are bringing home a trophy for our display case!
After the competition was done for the day we had a great meal and lots of fun at the social event. We enjoy eating together, but it was nice to meet some new people too.
Some of us are particularly good at making new friends. “It all starts with a hug”-Sam, grade 10.
Our team left the social a bit early to prepare for our scouting meeting. We have the entire breakfast room to ourselves. We put all of our information from the day’s scouting into a database, and then projected the stats on the wall. We have to create a list of robots we want to work with tomorrow in case we end up as an alliance captain and have to choose our partners.
