Xavier Middle School Vex Robotics Club
What is VEX Robotics?
VEX Robotics is a worldwide game and competition program where teams design, build, program, and operate a robot in an arena. Teams compete with and against each other to achieve game objectives, earning points for reaching specific goals. This program provides students an opportunity to learn about areas rich with career opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Beyond science and engineering principles, VEX robotics encourages teamwork, leadership, and group problem solving with peers. General VEX robotics information can be found at www.vexrobotics.com.
VEX robotics offers a team-oriented, hands-on learning experience for your child. Team members make a commitment to contribute to the team so it can accomplish its objectives. Team members work together toward a common goal and contribute in a positive way to prepare for the competitive tournaments. Roles and responsibilities within a team differ based on the requirements of the tournament and the skills/experience of the team members. An effort is made to place students in an area of interest or a position where they demonstrate skill or aptitude. Designers, builders, drivers, and programmers are the most common roles but others such as demonstration, presentation, and public speaking exist as well.
Coaches and mentors guide and assist students in the engineering and building process, but adults do not design or build the robots. That is the student's (player's) role.
How is VEX run at XMS?
EXTRACURRICULAR
VEX Robotics is an extracurricular activity and participation is voluntary and open to all students.
TEAM FORMATION
Teams are formed in early September. Incoming 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th graders can choose to be in the VEX IQ program. Only 7th & 8th graders will be in the VEX EDR program, provided enough players, equipment, and coaches are available to accommodate the player's choices. Teams will be formed on a first-come-first-served basis. This decision was made to allow 7th and 8th graders to compete at the highest possible level in the VRC program, especially at national and world competitions. All-girls teams will be formed if numbers allow and the player's parents agree.
There will be 4-6 players per team. Coaches and mentors are needed for the season. Teams that were together last year will have the option of staying together. Teams will be formed by the goals the players wish to achieve. For example, some players may want to be highly competitive at tournaments, and some players may want to focus on less competitive league play. We will do our best to align players with teams that are geared toward the player's objective.
Please be patient and understanding as we work to form our robotics teams this season.
GENERAL INFORMATION
For a tournament to count only 2 team members need be present. It's okay for team members to miss some practices and even some tournaments. Overall it's a lot more informal than a tournament sports team.
Teams are autonomous and can plan their activities and control their tournament schedule, but they typically meet about once per week and maybe more often in the week or two before a tournament. League play and tournaments start in November and run through February. League play is six weeknights roughly every other week from November-January. Tournaments start in November and run through February and are typically a full Saturday.
The XMS Robotics will pay the entry fee for league play, tournaments hosted at XMS, and two additional tournaments and State. If teams wish to play more tournaments, the entry fees will be the responsibility of the team. The VEX Robotics Coordinators will work with coaches to get teams signed up for tournaments. If a team drops out or misses a tournament after a tournament has been paid for by XMS, it is the team's responsibility to reimburse the XMS VEX program for those funds.