Spartronics

Spartronics FRC Team 4915
Bainbridge Island, Washington

Established: 2013

Team Number: 4915

Team Name: Spartronics

Location: Bainbridge High School, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

First Kickoff: January 4, 2014, at Edmonds High School

First Game: Aerial Assist (video)

First Competition: Glacier Peak High School (March 7-8, 2014)

 

Worlds Competition:

• 2014 – Finished 39th – Curie Division (St. Louis)
• 2015 – Finished 28th – Carver Division (St. Louis)
• 2017 – Finished 42nd – Hopper Division (Houston)

Rankings:

• Finished Top 5% among all FRC teams (2014)
• Finished 13th at Pacific Northwest District Championship – WA & OR (2014)
• Finished Top 7% among all FRC teams (2015)
• Ranked 20th overall in Pacific Northwest District – WA & OR (2015)
• Finished 8th at Pacific Northwest District Championship – WA & OR (2015)
• Ranked #1 after week 2 of District Event Competitions in the Pacific NW – WA & OR (2017)
• Ranked 9th at PNW District Mt. Vernon Event (2018)
• Finished 7th at Glacier Peak Tournament (2020)
• Ranked #27 in PNW District out of 147 teams; 56 teams did not play (2020 season was canceled soon after the one event)
• Ranked #30 in PNW District (2023 season)

Our Robots:

• Meet ATLaS – Advanced Tele-operated Launching System (2014)
• Meet GAEA – Grabbing Actuated Elevator Automaton (2015)
• Meet ARES – Advanced Robot Engineered for Siege (2016)
• Meet HELIOS – Highly Efficient Launcher and Intake Oriented System (2017)
• Meet THEMIS – THE Mechanical Intake Scissor-Lift (2018)
• Meet CHAOS – Cargo Hatch-panel Ascending Operational System(2019)
• Meet ATHENA – Ascending Turreted Hyper Elevating Navigating Assembly (2020)
• Meet HERMES – High Elevation Radial Manipulation Engineering Sensation (2022)
• Meet TALOS – Telescopic, Actuated Lifter On Swerve (2023)

Awards, Honors & Recognition:

• District Event Winner – Shorewood (2014)
• Rookie All-Star Award – District Event – Glacier Peak (2014)
• Rookie Inspiration Award – District Event – Shorewood (2014)
• Rookie Inspiration Award – District Championships – Portland (2014)
• “Team Spirit” honor – special recognition from Bainbridge Island School District (2014)
• Girls Gen – 2nd Place – Tahoma, WA (2014)
• District Event Finalist – Shorewood (2015)
• Engineering Inspiration Award – Glacier Peak (2015)
• “Spartronics Day” 4/9/15 – Proclaimed by Mayor and City Council of Bainbridge Island
• District Event Winner – Glacier Peak (2016)
• Excellence in Engineering Award sponsored by Delphi – Glacier Peak (2016)
• Gracious Professionalism Award sponsored by Johnson & Johnson – Mount Vernon (2016)
• Creativity Award sponsored by Xerox – Pacific NW District Championships (2016)
• District Event Winner – Auburn Mountainview (2017)
• Engineering Inspiration Award – Auburn Mountainview (2017)
• Team Spirit Award – Celebrates extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit – Glacier Peak (2017)
• Industrial Design – Mt. Vernon (2018)
• Finalist Award-Mt.Vernon (2018)
• Engineering Inspiration Award – Glacier Peak (2019)
• Engineering Inspiration Award – Glacier Peak (2020)
• Concept Award – Game Design Challenge (2021)
• Team Spirit Award Award – Auburn (2022)
• Judges Award – Auburn (2023)

Team size:

• 30 students (4 girls) and 9 mentors – 2014
• 50 students (16 girls) and 12 mentors – 2015
• 53 students (18 girls) and 15 mentors – 2016
• 50 students (16 girls) and 16 mentors – 2017
• 49 students (10 girls) and 18 mentors – 2018
• 48 students (8 girls) and 17 mentors – 2019
• 52 students (12 girls) and 19 mentors – 2020
• 40 students and 19 mentors – 2022
• 40 students 10 mentors – 2023
• 36 students 17 mentors – 2024

Sponsors:

• 2024 Sponsors: Ace Hardware, Bainbridge Island Community Pharmacy, Bainbridge Island School District, Bainbridge Island Review, Bainbridge Schools Foundation, Bay Hay and Feed, Boeing, Community Sponsors, FIRST Washington, Goldfarb & Huck, Roth, Riojas, PLLC, Island Family Eyecare, Jason Shutt – Windermere, Key Bank, Microsoft Philanthropies, Modern Collision, OSPI, Sound Repro Graphics, Spartronics Families, Town and Country, Turn Point Design, WAV Group, Westside Pizza, Wildernest
• 2023 Sponsors: Ace Hardware, Bainbridge Review, Bainbridge Schools Foundation, Bezos Family Foundation, BISD, Boeing, FIRST WA, Island, Family Eyecare, Jason Shutt, Key Bank, Microsoft Philanthropies, Modern Collision, OSPI, Sound, Reprographics, T-Mobile Park, Town & Country, WAV Group, Westside Pizza, Wildernest
• 2022 Sponsors: Ace Hardware, Alaska Airlines, Bainbridge Review, Bainbridge Schools Foundation, BARN, BISD, Boeing, Cavu Networks, FIRST (National), FIRST Washington, Hagan Foundation, Island Family Eyecare, Jason Shutt, Kitsap Community Foundation, Microsoft Philanthropies, Modern Collision Rebuild & Service, OSPI, Professional Options, Qualcomm, Sears & associates, Solar Art, Sound Repro Graphics, Spartronics Families, T&C Markets, WAV group, Westside Pizza, Wildernest, Xerox
• 2021 Sponsors: Ace Hardware, Alaska Airlines, Bainbridge Review, Bainbridge Schools Foundation, BARN, BISD, Boeing, Cavu Networks, FIRST (National), FIRST Washington, Hagan Foundation, Island Family Eyecare, Jason Shutt, Kitsap Community Foundation, Microsoft Philanthropies, Modern Collision Rebuild & Service, OSPI, Professional Options, Qualcomm, Sears & associates, Solar Art, Sound Repro Graphics, Spartronics Families, T&C Markets, WAV Group, Westside Pizza, Wildernest, Xerox
• 2020 Sponsors: ACE Hardware Bainbridge Island, Bainbridge Schools Foundation, Bainbridge Island Review, BARN, Bainbridge Island  School District, Boeing, CAVU Networks, Clark Construction, Costco, FIRST Washington, First Tech Credit Union, Island Family Eyecare, Jason Shutt at Windermere Real Estate, Markedforged, Microsoft Philanthropies, Modern Collision, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Professional Options LLC, Qualcomm, Sears & Associates, Solar Art, Sound Reprographics, Spartronics Families, Town & Country Markets, WAV Group Communications, Westside Pizza, Wildernest, and Xerox.
• 2019 Sponsors: ACE Hardware, Alaska Airlines, Andeavor, BARN, Bainbridge Island School District, Bainbridge Review (Sound Publishing), Bainbridge Schools Foundation, Boeing, Dalton Family, F5, FBO Partners, FIRST WA, FirstTech Credit Union, Island Family Eyecare, Island Fitness, Jason Shutt, REALTOR, Microsoft Philanthropies, Modern Collision, OSPI, Professional Options, Sears & Associates, Sound Reprographics, Spartronics Families, WAV Group, Westside Pizza, Wildernest, Xerox
• 2018 Sponsors: BOEING, OSPI, Xerox, Bainbridge Schools Foundation, Spartronics Families, Bainbridge Island School District, Microsoft Philanthropies, GOOGLE, Nvidia, Fairbank Construction, F5, Westside Pizza, Jason Shutt, Sears & Associates, Dalton Family, ACE Hardware, Lockheed Martin, Sound Reprographics, Qualcomm, Island Family Eye Care, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, WAV Group Communications, Columbia Bank, Wildernest, Town & Country Markets, Island Fitness, Modern Collision and Repair, Eagle Harbor Books, Media Sponsor: Bainbridge Review
• 2017 Sponsors: BOEING, OSPI, Xerox, Bainbridge Schools Foundation, Bainbridge Island School District, Microsoft Philanthropies, GOOGLE, Nvidia, Fairbank Construction, Westside Pizza, Mr. Shutt, Sears & Associates, Dalton Family, ACE Hardware, Qualcomm, Island Family Eyecare, Sound Reprographics, Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, WAV Group Communications, Pane D’Amour, B.I.CYCLE, Columbia Bank, Destination Imagination, General Electric, Wildernest and Town & Country Markets, Media Sponsor: Bainbridge Review
• 2016 Sponsors: Boeing, Bainbridge Schools Foundation, Bainbridge Island School District, OSPI, ACE Hardware Bainbridge Island, Sears & Associates, Clare & Anthony Ligouri, The Dalton Family, Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island, Washington FIRST, Intellectual Ventures, Spartronics Parents, NVIDIA, Bainbridge Independent Destination Imagination, F5, WAV Group, Windermere Real Estate, Westside Pizza, , Mr. Shutt- Realtor, Town & Country Markets, Columbia Bank, Winslow Drugs, Island Family Eyecare, Media Sponsor: Bainbridge Review
• 2015 Sponsors: Boeing, Bainbridge Schools Foundation, Bainbridge Island School District, OSPI, ACE Hardware Bainbridge Island, Sears & Associates, Ligouri Family, Eagle Harbor Asset Management, Bainbridge Independent Destination Imagination, Olympic Property Management, Windermere Real Estate, Westside Pizza, Buy Bainbridge.com, Raytheon, Mr. Shutt- Realtor, Solidworks, Stewart Title, Spartronics Parents and Town & Country Markets. Media Sponsor: Inside Bainbridge
• 2014 “Legacy” Sponsors: Boeing, Bainbridge Schools Foundation, Bainbridge Island School District, OSPI, ACE Hardware Bainbridge Island, Sears & Associates, Windermere Real Estate, Westside Pizza, and Town & Country Markets. Media Sponsor: Inside Bainbridge

Our History

FIRST debuted on Bainbridge Island, WA (23,000 residents) in 2013. Spartronics Team 4915 came into fruition led by a small yet incredibly dedicated group that included a student leader, a Boeing engineer, the head of our local high school science department, the District’s STEM coordinator, and a local marketing executive who had established Washington FIRST’s Facebook page in 2011.

FRC Team 4915 – Spartronics – was the first formal robotics program in the Bainbridge Island School District. Under the leadership of Bainbridge High School Science Department chair and Physics teacher Enrique Chee, we started from scratch, without any prior FRC, FTC or FLL-related FIRST teams. In our Rookie season, we competed with some 30 students, including 4 girls, 9 professional mentors and Coach Chee.

In our Rookie Year – 2014 – Spartronics had a Championship season: We went to the World FRC Championships in St. Louis, MO, after qualifying through point ranking at the Pacific NW Championships. We also won the “Rookie Inspiration Award” at the Pacific NW District Championship. At the Shorewood District Event, our Alliance placed first, and we also won the “Rookie Inspiration Award” at Shorewood after winning the “Rookie All-Star Award” at Glacier Peak.

 

In our second year – 2015 – due to incredible community support and extensive outreach, Spartronics doubled our team size to some 50 students of which 16 were girls – four times the number that we had in our first year! We also had a dozen professional mentors and of course, our tireless Coach Chee. At the Girls Gen competition in 2015:

 

The first time we competed at this event — our 2nd year all-girls team were on the Alliance that placed 2nd in the tournament.

In our third year – 2016 – we grew to 53 students and a record number of more girls 18, as well as 15 professional mentors and more sponsors than ever before. It was in 2016 that Spartronics implemented the most exciting change to its team yet: We transition to being fully student-managed and operated, as we are committed to teaching critical thinking and deliberate action, foster self-determination, and encourage the growth of leadership skills amongst ourselves. Our goal is to maintain our successes while teaching our members the skills of proactivity and the power of deliberate action. The burden of accountability and responsibility is greater on us — the students — but we have accepted the challenge with energy and zeal.

 

In 2017, we built HELIOS, the Highly Efficient Launcher and Intake Oriented System. The continued efforts from students and mentors of the team secured us several awards. These same efforts also propelled HELIOS into 1st place in our district after the second week of District Event Competitions. 

 

While the 2018-2019 Competition Season may not have been our most successful, as we didn’t make it to Worlds, the team still considers it a very valuable year. For the first time, Spartronics built two robots! While only one of these identical robots could actually go on to compete, having two robots gave us more time for the robot to be tested and for drive team to practice. The support from our community was also stronger than ever – 28 sponsors supported us!

Now in our 11th year and our eighth year as 100% student led, in 2024 Spartronics fields a team of 36 students, 17professional mentors, and our Coach Austin Smith. We’re excited about this year’s game – Crescendo – and hope to have a great Competition Season at our Glacier Peak (Mar 1-3) and Bonny Lake (Mar 15-17)! 

 

More than robots

Since our inception, Spartronics 4915 has grown to be so much more than just building robots: we have evolved as a team through our own internal development (diversity, expansion, and transition to student leadership), and our community impacts (as they have evolved with us). We know that we are a young team, but we are passionate about our cause and have already become more than the sum of our parts. The years before us are exciting, and now 4915 hopes to continue to harmonize with other teams and together play Crescendo as we strive to return to Worlds!