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Roosevelt robotics team invited to US Create Open; board approves out-of-state trip
Summary
Coach Walsh and members of Roosevelt's Team 99 'Hammerheads' described an invitation to the US Create Open (March 16–18 in Council Bluffs, Iowa) earned after winning a design award; the Re-5J board approved the students' out-of-state trip request with no district funding requested.
Roosevelt High School’s robotics team, Team 99 “Hammerheads,” has been invited to the US Create Open in Council Bluffs, Iowa, March 16–18, the team’s coach told the Weld County School District No. Re-5J Board of Education on Jan. 21. The invitation followed the team’s win of a design award at a November tournament.
Coach Walsh described the recognition as rooted in the team’s engineering documentation and iterative design process. "Typically notebooks are around 100 pages. Theirs right now is currently sitting at 250 because they document every detail," Walsh said, noting the team had rebuilt their robot four times this season to improve performance. Students Paige and Julian described the daily practice and competition work that underpins their success: "All of it is just so great," Paige said.
The presentation outlined the competitive format — 2v2 alliance matches with skills and qualifying rounds — and emphasized the educational value of networking with other teams, including several international entries. Walsh and the students explained fundraising plans: summer robotics camps, additional tournament hosting and concessions to offset travel costs. The coach said the team is local-funding its trip through fundraising and school-admin support and did not request district travel funding.
Board members asked several procedural and programmatic questions about the invitation and team readiness. Vice President Sissano moved to approve the out-of-state trip request and Director Johnson seconded the motion. The board approved the request unanimously.
The trip gives the five-member junior team an opportunity to compete on a larger stage and further develop engineering, teamwork and leadership skills. Coach Walsh emphasized that student work drives the program: "It's not my robot," she said, describing her role as adviser and mentor rather than designer.
Next steps: the team will continue fundraising and logistics planning ahead of the March event; the board did not commit district funding for the trip.
