With the help of their coaches and small mechanical friends, the Willow Glen Middle School Nemonoids and the Willow Glen Elementary Hobo Robos will advance to the state-level competition in January.

On Dec. 4, robotics teams from throughout the district gathered at Gunderson High School to participate in the annual regional tournament. This year, the theme of the competition was "No Limits," and focused on constructing robots that help disabled people perform everyday chores.

Like those they wanted to help, overcoming obstacles is something the robotics teams are used to doing. Although the middle school lost its robotics class this year due to budget cuts, teacher Dennis McCarthy is carrying on the program as an extracurricular club. Since October, McCarthy has met everyday after school with five teams--the Nemonoids, the Rambots, the Cyber Rams, RoboRams and the Ramdroids--to help them prepare for the competition.

The Nemonoids, known by day as Kendall Searing and Anthony Della Maggiora, took their practice sessions outside the classroom as well, McCarthy says. The two students worked so well together that they won a first place award for teamwork at the competition.

In addition to socializing with their peers, McCarthy says the excitement and anticipation of gearing up for the competition is one of the program's major student attractions.

The atmosphere of the tournament may be exciting, but it is also high-pressure, McCarthy notes. If the students learn one thing, it's this: expect the unexpected.

"Things don't always work like they do in the classroom," he says. In the past, students have dropped their robots right before game time, shattering them into pieces. But the experience of handling stressful situations helps the students learn how to cope with life's twists and turns in the future, McCarthy says.

Nemonoid Anthony appreciates the intense and unpredictable nature of the competition.

"It's exciting because we have some pretty difficult times," he says. "One time, our robot wasn't working so we didn't get any points." Fortunately each team gets three tries, allowing the Nemonoids to rebound and qualify for the state competition.

Life also handed a few twists and turns to the elementary teams, as well. According to Eric Strasilla, coach of the Goof Bots and Hobo Robos, the teams experienced a last-minute emergency that threatened to undo the morale of at least one member--fourth-grader David Potts.

Strasilla noticed that David, a Hobo Robo, was quite nervous before the competition, despite his father and teammates' attempts at consoling him. Suddenly, a member of a rival team accidentally stepped on the box that contained the Hobo Robos' robot. The robot fell out of the box and smashed to pieces, augmenting David's anxiety even further.

Working together, the team quickly reassembled the broken robot, and went on to do well enough to qualify for the state-level tournament.

"David snapped out of his funk," Strasilla says. "He did a great job, and was excited and jumping around."

As both a coach and parent to a robotics participant, Strasilla says the skills students derive from the program will aid them in their future careers, regardless of whether or not they choose to pursue a technological occupation.

"The kids learn teamwork, confidence, skills to pursue science careers and how to think outside the box and help each other," he says. "These are things they can use across the board, no matter what field they go into."