Staff photo / Bob Coupland Members of the Jefferson Prime LEGO League Robotics team from Jefferson PK-8 School in Warren practice with their robot before competing earlier this month at Warren G. Harding High School. From left are team members Alexander Vaughn, seventh grade, Jadeirys Herrans, eighth grade and Deanna Miller, eighth grade. The team has 10 members, of which nine are new to the program.

WARREN — For the past 10 years, Warren resident Amanda Colbert has been one of the coaches for the FIRST LEGO Robotics team McGuffey Titonics at McGuffey PK-8 School, but she will be stepping down after this season.

Alisha Alls, who has served as a coach with Colbert for the past four years, also will be leaving as she was elected to the Warren Board of Education and needs to step down as coach.

The two coaches said they have enjoyed leading the team to state and national competitions, but many of the team members are in eighth grade and they too will have to leave the LEGO robotics team.

“We have done well over the years. The team has been very dedicated and hard working, juggling academics, athletics and putting in their time as team members,” Colbert said.

In addition to the McGuffey team, there were other robotics teams from Champion and Warren’s Jefferson PK-8 School as well as from Kent, Solon and Willoughby Heights who competed at the recent LEGO League event in December at Warren G. Harding High School.

The nine-member McGuffey Titonics team, of which five are aging out, said they plan to do their best for their last year, noting that over the years the team has made it to nationals two times, which included traveling to New York.

Colbert said exposure for the team has allowed them to travel to the Great Lakes Science Museum, where there is a STEM High School,

“The team has been invited back this summer to help make 3D prosthetics for children who are amputees in different parts of the world,” Colbert said.

She said the team members may be tired from their school work or from practice for the sports they are involved with, but they show up for robotics and put their time in.

“They have shown they can do athletics, keep up their grades and be involved with LEGO League,” Colbert said.

If teams are successful at the regional event, they advance to the district championship in January in Canfield, then state competition in Dayton and then nationals in Houston in April.

Colbert said making it twice to state and twice to nationals is something the McGuffey Titonics will always be proud..

THE CHALLENGE

The challenge for the FIRST LEGO League teams is called “Unearthed.”

Frank Bosak, the regional event coordinator and a coach for the FIRST robotics teams who begin preparing for the new season in January, said the LEGO robots are programmed to find different artifacts on a playing field and bring them to a location on the board.

Bosak said the teams also do research on how they can help archaeologists solve problems they may encounter.

“The teams present a solution to a problem before the judges. The challenges and tasks presented to the teams has the members think outside the box. The challenges help get the kids interested in engineering. They come up with solutions to problems that you may face in the world today,” Bosak said.

Colbert said 10 years ago, she was serving as president of the PTA at McGuffey and was asked to take on the duties as the school’s LEGO League coach. Since then, she and her co-coaches have led the team to many successful years, while also getting team members to return each year.

Colbert has earned honors for her dedication, including a “Coach of the Year” award.

Team member Cameron Colbert, Amanda’s son, who has been on the McGuffey team for five years, said he liked being able to travel to New York one year for nationals.

“It was huge for the team when we went to New York,” Cameron said. “The competitions were always fun. We showed working together what we could do.”

Twin sisters Autumn and Alex Alls, daughters of Alisha, who are both marking their fourth and last year on the team, also credit camaraderie and bonding among the team members.

“What I have learned on the team with building and programming a robot are skills I can take with me for the rest of my life,” Alex said.

“I think bonding with the other team members, dedication and hard work have been the reason for our success. It has been a learning experience. The fun part was always checking to see that the robot works correctly,” Autumn said.

Amanda Colbert said the team has three new members and all the others have three to five years experience.

“We are always looking for new coaches to start new teams or help sustain the teams we already have,” Bosak said.

Bosak said Austintown also has a LEGO League team, but competed in Kirkland for their regional event.

OTHER LOCAL TEAMS

The Jefferson Prime team from Jefferson PK-8 School is also preparing for the season with a team made up of 10 team members in fourth and fifth grades. Nine are new and one is a returning member.

Coaches Montia West and Kristine Hunchuck said the team is very hard working and dedicated.

“The team is excited for what is ahead. You can tell they are wanting to do whatever they can to succeed,” Hunchuck said.

The Champion team, Flash Bots, is also excited for what is ahead this season.

Coach Alex Hummel said the seven-member team is a new team and was competing in its first regional event at Harding.

Vincent Shaker, seventh grade, said the team is committed to doing the best it can and advancing to nationals in April in Houston.

The world championships are set April 29 to May 2.