WHO ARE WE?

How did we get together?

We are Team Number 14903, The SharkBots based in Mamaroneck, NY. We are a motivated, diverse and skilled group of 3 high school students from Westchester County. Though our team number has been around for a number of seasons, our team has changed and evolved from year to year.

At the end of the 2021-2022 season, the remaining three members of 14903, Ryan, Thomas and Jack, came to the realization that it was time to expand and grow the team so they could once again be competitive and sustainable. Meanwhile, a rookie FLL team in Mamaroneck, made up of Justin, Ben, Denis, and Vincent, was finishing up an extraordinary FLL season that led them to the Houston World Championship: At the end of their season they had to decide if they were ready to move on to the new challenge of FTC. These two teams met over late summer through a mutual acquaintance and a merging of teams made sense. The FTC experience of Ryan, Thomas and Jack combined with the motivation and skill of Justin, Ben, Vincent and Denis seemed a perfect union. They were thrilled to add Paolo, Raphael, Maia, Inaara, Charlie, Rafael and Adrien to round out the team. Though we kept our team number due to logistical reasons, we emerged as SharkBots. 

The SharkBots expanded from the 2022-2023 season and then shrunk again in this current season. We created a sister FTC team to bridge the gap between lego robotics in FLL and real-world, often fast-paced, engineering demanded of FTC.

How did last year go?

We have been given great support from the French American School in Mamaroneck to thrive as a team. We were able to use the school network to encourage members to sign up, and recruited two new teammates in the process. Centerstage was our second year as the SharkBots. We were able to effectively learn from our rookie year. The transition into the upcoming season was much smoother as a result — on the organizational and engineering front.

We introduced some new design concepts over the course of the season, starting to experiment with custom parts, integrating different systems, and developing more complex software architecture, including our state machine. This last season was crucial in applying the knowledge from our rookie season to more advanced engineering challenges.

Our efforts paid off, culminating in qualification to the World Championship. We are deeply proud of this achievement, which is a testament to the team's hard work and dedication.  This not only validates our progress but also provides valuable insights into top-tier strategies and techniques. We're excited to leverage this advanced knowledge and experience as we build a strong foundation for future innovations in the coming season.

What's planned this year?

In the Into The Deep season of FTC, we hope to continue learning and growing as a small team but also to stay competitive in our region while establishing the groundwork for a thriving, sustainable team for many years to come: one with a strong business model and robust outreach.