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84 updates since 2015

Team Updates

FIRST World Championship 2026

From April 29 - May 2, Rebel Robotics competed at the 2026 FIRST World Championship! The team had lots of fun playing games, bowling, competing, and spending time together along with Great Neck North's Goatbusters!Read the update →

202610 updates

Optimum Visits the Robotics Lab

On April 22nd, Optimum visited the robotics lab and talked with team members. Rebel Robotics talked about their outreach and impact and showed them the robot!

Washington DC Visit

On April 13th, Rebel Robotics visited Washington DC on their way home from the Rocket City Regional in Huntsville, Alabama!

The 2026 Rocket City Regional

On April 11th, Rebel Robotics competed in the Rocket City Regional and won the Excellence in Engineering Award and finished as runner ups in the finals. They were also able to watch the Artemis 2 splashdown together!

Cub Scouts Visits the Robotics Lab

On March 28th, Cub Scouts Pack 178 visited the robotics lab. The team spoke to them about Rebuilt and showed them the robot!

The 2026 FIRST Long Island Regional

On March 21st, Rebel Robotics traveled to Hofstra University to compete in the 2026 FIRST Long Island Regional! The team received the Excellence In Engineering Award!

Techtolia Robotics Visits the Robotics Lab

On March 15th, Techtolia Robotics visited the robotics lab! Students from both teams exchanged ideas and practiced driving the robot on our field.

Congrats to Great Neck North's Goatbusters!

Congrats to our friends at Great Neck North High, the Goatbusters, on winning the Long Island championship! Wishing you all the best at the world championship in Houston. Well done to all competitors attending the Long Island Championship!

Supporting and Mentoring FLL Teams

Several Rebel Robotics team members have been mentoring FLL teams, Teams Voyager, Mercury, Pioneer and Discovery. On February 7th, they competed in the FLL regional at William Floyd High School. Congratulations to Team Voyager on winning First Finalist in Robot Design. Job well done to all FLL teams!

Alumni Night

On January 7, Rebel Robotics hosted its annual alumni night. The event was an exciting night for team members and alumni to meet and eat!

202512 updates

Ugly Sweater Contest

On December 22, Rebel Robotics assisted in hosting Great Neck South High's Ugly Sweater Contest! The school was filled several students and staff wearing creative and festive sweaters. Fantastic job to all winners and participants!

Alumni Hosts a Design Workshop

Design Workshop November 24, 2025 On November 24th, alumni Trevor held a workshop on the process of design. Through this workshop students learned more about CAD and build, further developing skills in these areas!

The Cradle of Aviation

Rebel Robotics visited the Cradle of Aviation for their annual Long Island Manufacturing Day! The team enjoyed visiting the museum, watching the Cities of the Future film, and meeting multiple companies.

Optimum Innovation Fair

Thank you to Optimum for $1500 to support our team! On October 1st, Optimum invited the team to the innovation fair, where members had the opportunity to connect with various companies. In addition, the visit included a tour around the News 12 TV studio!

The 2025 FIRST Championship

On April 19th, Rebel Robotics traveled to Houston, Texas. they played against teams around the world! On the way back home, the team stopped by Washington D.C.!

The 2025 Midwest Regional

On March 26th, Rebel Robotics travelled and competed at the Midwest Regional. The team the received of the Team Sustainability Award!

The Greater Pittsburgh Regional

On March 22nd, Rebel Robotics competed at the Greater Pittsburgh Regional!

Cradle of Aviation Museum Long Island Social Event

On March 20th, Rebel Robotics partnered with FIRST Long Island and the Wheatley CyberCats, to host the Long Island Social Event at the Cradle of Aviation. This social event provides an opportunity to teams attending the Long Island regional to connect. Teams were welcome to join for dinner and enjoy an evening at the museum.

FTC Long Island Championship, Hosted by Rebel Robotics

On March 15th, Rebel Robotics helped setup our gym in preparation for the FIRST Tech Challenge Long Island Championship. The following day, March 16th, Rebel Robotics hosted the FTC Championship, where the 24 top FTC teams from Long Island came to compete in the championship.

Debuting our Peace Pole with the Rotary Interest Club

In collaboration with our Rotary Interact Club, our team debuted the peace pole. This monument is representative of our international efforts, and the phrase "May Peace Prevail On Earth" is displayed in the languages spoken by teams that have visited our robotics lab in the past. It serves as a representation of the different cultures of our team as well as the diversity of the international teams we have assisted and mentored.

Rebel Robotics Mentors FIRST Lego League Teams for Long Island Championship

On March 9th, Great Neck FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams from grades four through eighth competed at the FLL Long Island Championship. Rebel Robotics members mentored these teams to get them ready for the competition over the course of several weeks.

Anant Gupta Has Been Named a 2025 Regeneron STS Scholar

Rebel Robotics member Anant Gupta is one of few Great Neck South's students that have been named a 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar (STS). The Regeneron Science Talent competition considered as the most prestigious mathematical and scientific competitions for high school seniors in the nation. Anant's research project title was "Assessing the Impact of Human Inhibition Factors on Wildfire Risk Prediction Using Deep Learning".

202411 updates

National MDA Ambasdor Leah Zelaya, Visits South High Students

On December 16, national MDA ambassador Leah Zelaya visited Great Neck South High. She discussed with students and robotics members about how STEM can raise awareness about muscular dystrophy and biomedical engineering. To read more about it, click here.

Kenneth R. Vessey Jr. Robotics Invitational

On October 27, Rebel Robotics competed at the Kenneth R. Vessey Jr. Robotics Invitational in Half Hallow Hills, New York. The invitational was an off-season event where the team played Crescendo one last time! Rebel Robotics won the invitational along with teams 533 and 5736.

Engineering Inspiration at Champs 2024!

Rebel Robotics attended the FIRST World Championship in Houston, Texas. The team travelled by coach bus from New York to Texas and had a trip full of adventure. The highlight was winning the Engineering Inspiration Award on Galileo. This was truly the greatest moment thus far in our 17 year history!

Rocket City Regional 2024

Rebel Robotics competed at the Rocket City Regional, in Huntsville, Alabama, winning the Engineering Inspiration Award and qualifying for the World Championship. The team also was the 4th Alliance Captain, losing in a close semi final match.

Long Island Regional 2024

Rebel Robotics competed at the Long Island Regional, winning the Sustainability Award. The highlight was when the Rebels hosted 2 teams from France and a team from Taiwan. This wonderful show of gracious professionalism brought together 3 continents to the Rebel Robotics family!

Alumni Visits Rebel Robotics

Alumni Silvana Seidita recently visited the team. She is currently a first year graduate student at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, in the Orthotics and Prosthetics Program Class of 2025. She is finishing out her didactic year this June and will be starting her first residency rotation in July. Upon graduating in December 2025, she will be a board eligible orthotist and prosthetist.

Greater Pittsburgh Regional 2024

Rebel Robotics competed at the 2024 Greater Pittsburgh Regional. The team was the winner of the Judge’s Award.

Shaan Merchant, 2023 Dean's List Winner, Appears on Crescendo Kickoff Video

Shaan Merchant, one of ten Dean's List Winners worldwide for the 2023 season, appeared on the 2024 Kickoff video! Rebel Robotics was watching the livestream when Shaan's video showed up to our surprise. Shaan was in the shop for kickoff and received a big round of applause from the team!

Rebel Robotics Receives $3000 from Optimum

South High School Rebel Robotics Team #2638 is the proud recipient of a team award and team sponsorship from Optimum, totaling $3,000 in funding for the 2024 FIRST Robotics competition season! Last May, Rebel Robotics was one of 21 teams nationwide to be honored through the 2023 Optimum Innovator Awards program. As the winner of the Inspiration Award, the team received a $2,000 grant to be applied toward the 2024 competition season. Earlier this week, Optimum informed team mentors Mr. Motchkavitz and Mr. Corrigan that Rebel Robotics is one of nearly 70 teams across the U.S. to receive a $1,000 sponsorship grant for the upcoming season. “We are thrilled, honored and excited to be chosen for this recent sponsorship from Optimum,” says Mr. Motchkavitz. “Rebel Robotics will be attending three regional competitions this year and these funds help immensely with getting our students to these important events and exposing them to robotics and technology.”

Rebel Robotics Hosts 1st Annual Alumni Homecoming Event

On Wednesday, January 3rd 2024, Rebel Robotics alumni visited and met with current team members for this fun night filled with food and games! Alumni dating all the way back to our rookie year in 2008 shared updates on their education and career progress as well as special memories from their time on the team. We ended the night with a game of Rebel Robotics Jeopardy which was really fun for all generations of members. Rebel Robotics Jeopardy!

Rebel Robotics Supports Annual Ugly Sweater Event

Before the recess, South High students, teachers, and staff participated in the school's 4th Annual Ugly Sweater Contest. On Friday, December 22, winners in the student and teacher/staff categories were awarded plaques and the coveted Ugly Sweater Trophy. The Rebel Robotics Team supported the event by creating the wooden award plaques presented to the winners, and provided face painting in the lobby before school to get everyone into the holiday spirit.

20237 updates

Rebel Robotics welcomes South High graduate and JZips founder Jordan Harouche

Rebel Robotics welcomed South High graduate and JZips founder Jordan Harouche, who spoke with students about his non-profit and thanked the team for their recent donation of t-shirts. JZips are functional zipper shirts designed especially for young cancer patients to make accessing medical ports fast and easy during chemotherapy treatments. Jordan's organization has provided hundreds of JZips to young patients, free of charge, in kid-friendly designs that bring a small sense of fun and normalcy to the situation.

World Championships 2023 and Shaan Merchant Named Dean's List WINNER!

Team 2638 were honored to be able to return to the world championships this year! Our excursion to Houston from New York is a great time for bonding and strengthening our team's relationships. Along the way, team members are able to experience new sights and food. While at the world championship, our robot performed well and we were able to collaborate with teams from around the world. An added bonus was for that for the first time, a team member won the Dean's List award. Shaan Merchant was chosen as one of the top ten out of tens of thousands of students that compete in FIRST.

Greater Pittsburgh Regional

Rebel Robotics travelled to Pittsburgh for the first time to compete at the Greater Pittsburgh regional. We were the lucky recipients of our second Excellence in Engineering award of the year. On the field, we were selected to be a part of the seventh alliance. Rebel Robotics fought valiantly to rise through all the rankings before making it to the finals where they were ultimately defeated by the first alliance. It was truly an awesome showing of the tenacity that our team exemplifies!

FIRST Long Island SPBLI #1 and SPBLI #2!

This year, Rebel Robotics was able to compete in both Long Island regionals for the first time. This was due in part through our sponsorship with Optimum/Altice. At our first regional, our mentor, Ellen Dressner, was the proud recipient of the Woodie Flowers award. As a team, we were also given the Engineering Inspiration award for our hard efforts in promoting STEM in our community. The robot ultimately finished third, losing in the semifinals, as a member of the sixth alliance. Teammate Shaan Merchant was also named a Deans List finalist, which sets him up to compete at the World Championships. At Long Island Regional #2, we won our first Excellence in Engineering award as a team for our hard work that went into creating our arm/wrist/claw mechanism. For the robot, we were a part of the fourth alliance and we ultimately finished fourth, once again losing in the semifinals.

Rebel Robotics Hosts Team 7497 From Taiwan

The Rebel Robotics team proudly welcomed students from FRC Team 7497 from Taiwan! After receiving their team, we hosted them for a St. Patrick's Day dinner, where we shared American classics like corn beef and soda bread! We had a great time with them and look forward to seeing them at SPBLI #1!

Rebel Robotics Welcomes Local Politicians and Sponsors

The Rebel Robotics team proudly welcomed local politicians New York state Senator Jack Martins, Nassau County Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip, and Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer Desena. Also in attendance were representatives Frank Alleva and Allison Aylward from Optimum, who is a proud sponsor of Rebel Robotics. Our guests were treated to a presentation about our team and got to spend time speaking with team members and watching our robot in action. As always, Rebel Robotics is grateful for their continuous support of our community.

Rebel Robotics Honorary Member Visits To Raise Money For Special Olympics

Rebel Robotics was lucky enough to have Erin Lipinsky come into the shop and speak to our members again! We wish Erin the best of luck as he continues to raise awareness for the Special Olympics. Cheer him on next week as he takes another plunge!

202210 updates

Rebel Robotics Honorary Team Member To Take On the Polar Plunge

Honorary team member, Erin Lipinsky, will once again take the Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics. He hopes to continue his reign as the top fundraiser in the Long Island region. Rebel Robotics wishes Erin all the best as he goes for another plunge!

Rebel Robotics Celebrates Annual Awards Night and Receives $3K in Awards From Optimum

The team's achievements were celebrated as were those who won individual awards. The Rebel Robotics also received an Optimum Innovator Award and a team sponsorship from Optimum, totaling $3,000 in funding for the 2022-2023 school year. This year, Optimum provided awards to 15 robotics teams in the categories of inspiration, community, inclusion, technology, and social media. Rebel Robotics was selected as the winner of the Community Connections Award, which celebrates teams that successfully utilize their skills and knowledge to connect with the community and serve others. A $2,000 award is distributed through the team's FIRST account for use during the 2023 competition season. Additionally, Optimum announced that Rebel Robotics has been added to its list of 40+ sponsored teams for the 2023 season, which includes an additional $1,000 in sponsorship funding. Optimum Innovator Awards recognize team accomplishments outside of FIRST competition events over the past three years. Applicants submitted summaries and documentation outlining their success in a particular category, and a panel of judges from Optimum rated the applications on criteria for each award. This annual award program is open to FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) teams in Optimum and Suddenlink service areas. Optimum Innovator Awards are a continuation of the company's support for FIRST and demonstrate their commitment to supporting the next generation of innovators.

Rebel Robotics Receives $5k Grant from Zebra Technology Corporations

Rebel Robotics received a $5,000 grant from Zebra Technology Corporations for winning the Chariman's Award at the 2022 SPBLI #1 Regional.

Salutatorian Ross Williams Wins Merit Scholarship

Rebel Robotics' Programming Leader, Ross Williams, has been awarded a National Merit Scholarship of $2500 through the prestigious 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP). Ross is one of the 2,500 Merit Scholar recipients chosen from a nationwide talent pool of more than 15,000 Finalists. Winners were chosen in each state based on their academic achievements, skills, and potential for success in college. According to the organization, "Less than one percent of the highest-scoring entrants in each state advance as Semifinalists in September, followed by the announcement of Finalists in February."

World Championship 2022

We finally made it to, World Champs. The apex of all FIRST competitions. The bus ride up was supposedly days long, but it felt like a few minutes looking back. Our team had been the closest together on that bus. We ate pretty well too, Houston Waffle House, Cracker Barrel, and IHOP were favorites. Some of us even tried crawfish for the first time. The George R. Brown Convention center was huge. It's been a while since some of the seniors had been to Worlds, seeing the division fields side by side was pretty cool. It was like six regionals happening in one place simultaneously. Our robot did pretty well for a low shooting bot; we might've even been the first bot to purposefully shoot low in a match since it was our bread and butter. Learning about new and veteran teams' robots was eye-opening. It was interesting to see how other teams scored cargo and climbed. At some point, we watched the Astros vs. Bluejays game at the stadium nearby and enjoyed the fireworks show. We also stopped by Washington DC, saw monuments, visited a museum, and took a picture with our robot in front of the Capitol. It was an amazing experience. Note: These photos will take 1-5 mins to load they are in 6k…please be patient! Member Pics On The Field & In The Pit Washington D.C.

SBPLI #1 Regional 2022

It was our team's second competition, and it went pretty well! We made it to the finals with the SO BOTZ and the Hicksville J-Birds on our alliance. Fun fact, we won the same regional in 2019 with them. Although we typically score cargo in the low hub, we scored in the high hub when we needed to. Just like the Figner Lakes Regional the coach, drive team, and the human player were amazing. Special shout out to our two team members who stepped up to be volunteers and help with field reset. Awards. WE WON THE CHAIRMAN'S AWARD! It's hard to truly convey how happy everyone was in words... but we were pretty happy. The finalist medal was the cherry on top. Clinking medals could be heard at our school the next day. Houston here we come. Member Pics On The Field & In The Pit

Finger Lakes Regional 2022

Rebel Robotics Completes Successful Trip to Finger Lakes Regional! Like Reid said years ago, “what a regional!” It was almost every team’s first competition in two years and we had a great time on and off the field. The bus ride to and from Rochester was a lot of fun and we all got a little closer to each other. As for our meals… AMAZING!!! Going to Dinosaur Barbecue for the first time (revisiting for others) and cracking open a cold Saranac Root Beer was a great memory I think everyone will remember. Our hotel experience was something some of us will never forget. Our drive team was fantastic, they did pretty well for their first time driving and operating an FRC robot. Henry’s Cargo game was on point and Hanlin’s driving skill was unmatched. Sarah’s voice was pretty much gone by the end of it and it took her a few days to get it back. We ended up as the 8th seed and the 5th alliance captain making it to the semifinals, which isn’t too bad considering the two-year gap. Winning the Entrepreneurship Award was the nice cherry on top to finish off the competition. It felt good to be back. Like really good. Member Pics On The Field Awards

Honorary Team Member Erin Lipinsky Takes the Polar Plunge!

Honorary Member Erin Lipinsky raises funds for the athletes of Special Olympics New York. Erin has been taking the Polar Plunge for years and plans to continue for years to come. Please visit events.nyso.org/goto/erinspolarplunge to make a donation or come to Tobay Beach on March 19th at 11am!

Check Out the GNPS Article On Our NASA Grant

Feature Article on Rebel Robotics NASA Grant Check out this article about Rebel Robotics receiving the NASA grant for 2021-22 season on the Great Neck Public Schools website. Click here for the link to the article.

Build Season is Underway

Rebel Robotics has begun prototyping potential designs and developing game strategy for the 2022 Rapid React Competition. Our members are eager to be back in person and are excitedly working towards a successful season. Veteran members are mentoring new members and introducing them to the build season. Our pre-season efforts to promote STEM among younger members include workshops to develop technical and non-technical skills that will come in handy this season.

20215 updates

SHE Q & A Panel

Press here for the full Q & A She Has Empowerment hosted their first Q & A panel with five inspiring female teachers from Great Neck South High School’s math and science departments. Students learned about their teachers’ experiences from college to their careers, and they asked their teachers questions about being Women in STEM. Take the time to watch the recording and hear the pearls of wisdom the guest speakers offered to students.

NASA Sponsors Team 2638!!!

We are thrilled to announce that Rebel Robotics has been selected as a recipient of a NASA FIRST Robotics Competition Grant Award! NASA’s sponsorship of Team 2638 is in recognition of our team’s successes on and off the field, including our emphasis on safety, women in STEM and community outreach.

9/11 Dedication

Great Neck South High School recently dedicated a memorial to coincide with the 20th anniversary of 9/11. This project was a joint effort by the South High Rebel Robotics team and Support Our Troops club, which were the recipients of a piece of steel and a piece of concrete from the World Trade Center. Both of these pieces were joined together to form a single monument to remember the events of 9/11 and honor those who were lost. Building administrators joined students and faculty from Facing History classes, the Rebel Robotics team, and Support Our Troops club for a dedication ceremony in the school's memorial garden, which is a space for quiet reflection for the school community.

Rebel Robotics and SHE (She Has Empowerment) Celebrate Women's History Month

2021 Challenge Submissions

Rebel Robotics is excited to reveal our submissions for the 2021 challenges! We decided to participate in every challenge due to our team's large size and broad skillset. Although we met virtually for most of the time, we were able to complete each challenge while learning a lot and having fun at the same time. Game Design Challenge: This was a very unique challenge for all involved, and we all had tons of fun. We went with a Lunar Mining theme. We had a great team arrangement as some members specialized in CAD, some specialized in the story and rules of the game, and others specialized in graphic design and animation. You can view our submission on ChiefDelphi here. You can view our Game Animation here. Innovation Challenge: We are creating an interactive game titled Lunar Locomotion for kids ages seven to ten. Lunar Locomotion is set in outer space and will promote the discovery of four different themed planets. The user will explore each planet by completing a series of mental and physical exercises in order to move on to the next planet. The game will allow users to play independently with the ability to compete with friends on a leaderboard. Parents will be able to view their child’s progress and manage their playing time. Infinite Recharge at Home (Judging): You can view our robot photo 1 (real-life) here. Photo 2 (CAD). Photo 3 (mechanisms). Flyer. Infinite Recharge at Home (Skills): Coming soon!

20203 updates

What We've Been Up To…

September 18th, 2020 (Updated February 15th, 2021) COVID-19: The Rebels Do Their Part Operation: Get Well Due to the COVID crisis, we partnered with Operation: Get Well to send get-well cards to hospitalized COVID patients in the New York metropolitan area to provide comfort and our well wishes. A team of highly-motivated students put together this initiative, with the goal of sending 2638 cards collectively as a team. Ultimately, we surpassed this goal by the end of the summer. In addition, one of our ingenious team members ended up creating a bot script which sent thousands of cards at once -- technology in the pursuit of good works! Gift cards and recognition was given at milestone submissions. COVID PPE Recognizing the extraordinary need for PPE supplies during the worst of the COVID crisis, a committee of team members worked all summer to solicit and donate $550 in PPE for local hospitals. Contributors were highlighted on our Facebook page and gift cards were given to those who made significant donations. 3D Printing of Face Shields Responding to the lack of PPE equipment during the difficult days of the pandemic this summer, two members from our team 3D printed, assembled, and donated over forty face shields to first-responders at a local police station. At present, they are expanding their PPE initiative by training team members to use the school’s 3D printer to make and donate face shields to essential workers. Food Drive In an effort to respond to food neediness in the local community caused by the pandemic, Team 2638 spearheaded a food drive to benefit a local church’s (St. Aloysius) food pantry. Rebel Robotics worked in collaboration with FLL and FTC robotics teams in our district, 2 high school clubs, and Baker Elementary School to collect canned goods and non-perishable food items for the over 100 families that rely on the pantry to meet their sustenance needs. As part of the drive, 322 cereal boxes were collected for the pantry. Rotary Food Drive Over the past year Rebel Robotics had the opportunity to collaborate with local rotary clubs to package food donations for families in need. Over 10,000 boxes were packaged and delivered. Rebel Robotics continues its tradition of partnering with local organizations to give back to our community. Outreach at Home and Abroad Book Drive The team initiated a one-week book drive to collect and donate books to students and adults with limited access to literacy materials. During that one-week period, team members donated 855 books as part of the “Books n’ Bots” literacy effort. The team partnered with Book Fairies, a Long Island based non-profit, to collect and distribute the books. Inspired by the work of the robotics team, the Great Neck Teachers Association (GNTA) launched a summer book drive to provide reading material to in-district students with limited access to reading materials. Once those students received packages of books and fun summer activities, the thousands of excess donated books were packaged. Rebel Robotics team mentors then coordinated the storage and pickup of the reading material so they could go to the non-profit, Book Fairies. Ugly Sweater Contest and Gift Cards for Veterans Rebel Robotics is not only committed to supporting team spirit, but school spirit as well. During the holiday season, Rebel Robotics sponsored an Ugly Sweater Contest where students could send in pictures of their homemade and store-bought sweaters for a chance to win prizes. Students were also encouraged to drop off gift cards for donation to local veterans during this event. $1,175 in gift cards were collected and donated to the veterans in a collaborative effort with the Town of North Hempstead. International Computer Science Instruction A member of our team, working in collaboration with another student at the high school, established a Java programming curriculum and executed a three-week programming fundamentals course for seven high school girls in Tajikistan. With limited resources and the unavailability of instruction, these young women were uniquely poised to receive the instruction and role-modeling opportunities afforded by this program. This outreach effort is representative of Rebel Robotics’ commitment to providing STEM opportunities for those who lack adequate technical education -- using technology to help young women to gain exposure and skills in computer programming. Boy Scouts Collaborate with the Rebels In an ongoing relationship with a local Boy Scouts troop, Rebel Robotics provided technical assistance as the scouts prepared their cars for the Pinewood Derby. Team members and mentors utilized the woodshop to prepare the wooden forms used in the derby and were on hand to help as the scouts designed and engineered their cars. This collaboration is representative of the team’s ongoing goal to work with local organizations and community groups. Connected During COVID-19 Country Roads Video A team tradition of ours for the past 12 years has been singing “Country Roads” by John Denver on our bus rides to competitions. Since 2020 meant changes to many of Rebel Robotics’ time-honored traditions due to the cancellation of in-person competitions, we decided to take our “Country Roads” tradition virtual; various team members, each singing a line of the song, contributed to a morale boosting and revamped version of our robotics tradition. You can watch it here! Virtual Appreciation Reception Awards The team’s annual Appreciation Reception for the 2020 season was held virtually. Students, parents, sponsors, mentors and school administration numbering 78 attended a Zoom reception. Awards and certificates of appreciation and recognition were given to peer mentors, sponsors and a member of district’s administration. To see the awards that were given out, head over to our Appreciation Reception Awards page. Robotics Social At the virtual robotics social, over 70 current members, mentors, parents, and alumni joined together on Zoom for a fun night. Numerous breakout rooms were opened where students hosted various online games, including Among Us and skribbl.io, while also leaving the main room open for alumni to catch up with current members. While this social may not have been like previous in-person socials, the team had an amazing time connecting with people who they hadn't seen since the beginning of the pandemic. Reconnecting with our Rebel Alumni Robotics Alumni Zoom What better way to chat with team alumni and learn about their experiences in college than to host a Zoom session to do just that? Thanks to alumnus Saad Satter, (2019), many team members had a great time and learned a lot about engineering at the college level. The meeting ended up lasting a few hours as alumni shared stories of their experiences on the team. Rebel RebootAlumni Outreach Program In an effort to gather long-term data on our alumni and to re-engage them in the FIRST community, 2638 conducted a pilot study for a new program, “Rebel Reboot.” Information was collected on their experiences on the team, accomplishments since high school graduation (education and work history), and their interest in being a FIRST mentor, sponsor, or volunteer. Results from the study show promise: 92.3% would consider volunteering for FIRST and 76.9% were interested in mentoring the team. Many respondents volunteered to participate in career education activities with current team members: talks, taped interviews and informational sessions. Alumni also had other relevant feedback concerning their time on the team and their participation in FIRST: --“(Participation on the team) . . . introduced me to things I never thought I would take (an) interest in: graphic design and animation. Other projects . . . taught me organization, management, and systematic thinking.” --“Working together you are stronger than working alone”. --“Honestly, it was kind of a light in my life in a time I wasn't doing too well. It made me passionate about something, and that was really something I had been missing in my life prior.” --“I became more comfortable in my skin, confident, and was able to learn how to network.” --“Being a part of Team 2638 made me believe that I, too, could pursue a career in this field! Getting to participate in women in STEM events courtesy of Rebel Robotics was a mind-opening experience that helped me figure out a direction that I wanted to go in during college.” --“(My time on 2638) made me realize that everything I do is part of STEM. STEM is not just something you learn in school that has no real-world application.” --“(Team membership) solidified my passion to go into STEM, since I had initially already had some before going into the robotics program.” --“(Being a part of 2638) is probably the single biggest reason I am an engineer. I mean, it's very different in practice being an engineer, but it (robotics) got me excited and I think that's the most important thing.” --“(Team 2638) helped me cement my interests and motivated me to continue pursuing a STEM bachelor’s degree and now a master’s degree.” Sustaining and Growing 2638 Scouting App During the 2019/2020 season, six team members collaborated to create a fully native scouting app for iOS and Android. The initial prototype completed, the app team worked throughout the summer to optimize the app, making it look and function in an efficient, effective manner. The goal is to test out the app and the team hopes to share it with other teams in the FIRST community. The success of this team prompted the creation of a new team committee - the Apps Committee. CAD Course For the second summer in a row, Rebel Robotics hosted their signature CAD course to 17 students who signed up. Led by six experienced members of the team, interested students were provided with video lessons matched with corresponding practice assignments. Subsequent feedback and suggestions for improvement were provided to those who participated. This program helps Rebel Robotics to sustain the quality and quantity of team members who can assist with CADing functions during the year. Robotics Shop Redesign The 2020/21 season has seen the re-design of the robotics shop to maximize the efficiency of the current space; incorporate a new drill, other machining tools and storage facilities; install a new computer area with large-scale viewing wall; and reconfigure the shop to allow for a newly-carpeted, permanent practice space for driving the robot. The permanent practice space will be utilized to allow for year-round training and practice for those interested in learning how to drive and navigate the robot. This accessible practice space allows younger members of the team the opportunity to become familiar with competition skills and develop a better understanding of handling the robot in a game. The new viewing wall will be used for training and video conferencing. Our Gender Equity Initiative Continues Establishment of SHE - SHE Has Empowerment The team launched a women in STEM group, named SHE (She Has Empowerment), to further the goals of the gender equity initiative identified by the team in 2019/20. Twenty female team members identified four working subcommittees: Branding and Marketing; Programming; Career Awareness and Education; and Outreach. Numerous activities and programs are being considered within the school, the community and the team -- such as taping career workshops/interviews with women currently working in STEM fields; career development (resume-writing, interviewing, internships) workshops; collaborative programs with girls in the middle and elementary schools and creating informal programs to provide safe social spaces for women students to meet and support one another. To date, the group has hosted a resume writing workshop, created a flyer/activity sheet for distribution to middle school young women, developed a school-wide slide show highlighting the achievements of females in STEM to run during Women’s History Month, and established a bulletin board display in the Technology wing of the high school highlighting female STEM achievers and SHE programming. Another effort being made by one of our female team members is the establishment of a high school chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). This team member is currently in negotiation with the local SWE chapter. Mentor Achievements Congratulations to our NYS Firefighter Teacher of the Year Team 2638’s lead mentor, John Motchkavitz, was named the 2020 Teacher of the Year by the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY). This award recognizes a teacher across the state who has distinguished themselves in fire prevention and safety. Safety has been the cornerstone of John Motchkavitz’s leadership on Rebel Robotics since the team’s inception as evidenced by the team’s consistent recognition for safety excellence within the FIRST community (3 international safety awards) and the team’s numerous outreach efforts to provide safety education instruction within the district and the Gold Coast Alliance. Introducing our New District-Wide Coordinator for Robotics As a result of the popularity and success of the Rebel Robotics’ program and the interest generated in robotics and STEM, the Great Neck School District saw the need to create a permanent administrative position for a district-wide robotics coordinator. This individual’s job is to provide a cohesive and developmental approach to infusing robotics into the STEM curriculum in the district. Rebel Robotics’ lead mentor, John Motchkavitz, was identified to provide this leadership to the Jr. FLL, FLL, FTC and FRC teams that operate in the Great Neck District. …And one more thing... EE4

Coronavirus Update

Yup, you guessed it…time for one of these kinds of blog posts…. We'll just get it out of the way right now. Due to the Coronavirus, our team will NOT be competing at either of our regionals this year. Our 2nd regional, SBPLI #1, was cancelled/postponed just yesterday due to the Hofstra University campus closing, and today we just found out that we are not going to Finger Lakes due to the high risk of either bringing/obtaining Coronavirus at that venue. You can read our statement about Finger Lakes below: So yeah… We are extremely sad and disappointed about this, but it is what it is. It's all outside of our control. We've worked so hard over the past many weeks but…life's life. Just stay safe everyone, and make sure to wash your hands :) > "The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" > > Rocky Balboa

Infinite Recharge is Here

And no, it's not a water game…

20197 updates

Watch the 2020 Game Teaser!

Or watch the entire Twitch stream below Watch FIRST Robotics Competition 2020 Teaser Reveal from the Hoover Dam! from FIRSTinspires on www.twitch.tv …and no, it's not a water game…

World Champs 2019

After our strong performance at Hofstra, we were ready to take on the champs. We knew it was going to be tough — we would be competing with top teams from around the country. But we knew we had a chance. If we were to simply stick to our game — and drive the robot the best we can — we knew we would go far. And we did. We finished off really strong (our best yet) in the 15th rank with only 2 losses by the end of qualifications matches. In each and every match, our robot consistently and accurately scored loads of cargo and hatch panels, topping it off with a level 2 climb. What a great birthday present for our robot operator, Jay, who had his birthday during the qualification matches! After quals, it was time for the awards ceremony. Because of the immense work we always put into safety, and with our new mental health initiative, we won the UL Safety Award at the World Champs for the 3rd time!!!! We cannot be prouder of our safety team. This award also gives us our record-setting 6th blue banner of the year! In addition, we had the chance of becoming a Chairman’s Award finalist/winner since we won Chairman’s at Finger Lakes. Although our entire Chairman’s team worked tirelessly for this award, we did not receive it. While certainly it would be amazing to become a Hall of Fame team, that is something that takes years upon years of hard work and dedication. That is one of our long term goals. After awards ceremony quickly came the alliance selections. While we had high hopes of getting picked, unfortunately we were not. Most alliances were mainly looking for tall, fast bots which could not only fill the cargo ship but also fill the entire rocket. Aside from the competition and awards, we had an amazing time and learned so much. We finished off the first day at the Mongolian Grill, an incredible place where the chefs cook the food while singing songs right in front of you. It’s a very fun place (see the video at the bottom of the page). We also got to explore the city of Detroit and visit places such as the Innovation Faire. At the Innovation Faire, we not only had fun exploring all the cool and exciting tech there, but we also discovered a program called Autodesk Synthesis that allows us to practice driving our robot on the computer — very cool! We also had a record of — wait for it — 4 team member birthdays plus a record of — wait for it — 2 promposals during the trip (and yes, both promposals went well ;)). This was surely an eventful few days! This has really been an incredible 12th season. This was the best our robot ever preformed, we won the most awards we have even won, and we learned the most we have ever learned. And, most importantly, we have the most dedicated freshmen class yet — that is the team’s future. Here’s to a great season. Note: These photos will take 1-5 mins to load…please be patient! Team Pics Awards Robot/Pit/Judges Meals Meeting Woodie Flowers Cobo Center Detroit Bus Other (Misc.) Pics Promposals Birthdays The Mongolian Grill Experience… So much scrolling, right? How about you take a ride — just click the hand to bring you right back up (and put up your sound while you're at it ;))

SBPLI #1 Regional 2019

Again, “What a regional!!!!” Not only did our alliance win the regional, but we also took home two awards, met some great people, and had an incredible time. It all started on Monday. By the time we finished competing at the Finger Lakes Regional a couple weeks prior, our drive team had already gotten lots of driving practice in. Our drivers were more confident than ever, and after playing a few practice matches on Monday, they were ready to take on the quals. And they really were ready. On Tuesday we finished our qualification matches almost undefeated, and secured our place in the #3 seed. Match after match we were able to consistently place cargo in the ship, complete the lower rocket, and climb to level 2. By that point it was almost certain we would stay as alliance captains, so once we got back home the scouters and strategists went right to work examining our data and choosing possible robots to pick. It really was the real deal here — we were going to have to form our own alliance, and do it right. After Skyping from around 10 PM to 2 AM, our scouters and strategists formed a (mostly) complete pick list, and we were ready to take on whatever would come our way that final day. We finished off our remaining qualification matches Wednesday morning undefeated, which secured the #2 rank for our team. Before we knew it, it was time to form our alliance. We selected team 1468, the Hicksville J-Birds, as our first pick, and completed our alliance with a defensive bot from team 6911, the SO BOTZ. After a quick lunch break, our alliance was re- energized and ready to face the playoffs. Our alliance competed hard in the playoffs, especially against a few skilled defensive bots preventing us from scoring. But before we knew it, it came down to the finals. Our alliance was against a very strong alliance, and we knew we were in for a tough few matches. After winning our first intense finals match by a mere 5 points, it finally came down to the end. We just needed to win one more match. Just one more. Three! Two! One! Go! Da-da da-da da-da! And we were off. This was the start of the most intense 2 minutes and 30 seconds of our lives. All throughout the match, both alliances were neck and neck. Blue alliance was winning. Then red. Then blue then red then blue then red! It was anybody’s game. However, by the time the buzzer rang, the opposing alliance finished the match 8 points ahead of us. We knew that that score is never right, but to gain at least 9 points could be a tough thing to do. After a match review that seemed like an eternity, the final scores came up....and as that blue rocket soared into outer space, we knew it — by a single point, our alliance officially won the competition!!!! It was truly an incredible experience for us and our alliance partners. In addition to the regional, we won the Safety Award and the Entrepreneurship Award, two awards in which we work tirelessly for and we couldn’t be prouder to have earned. Fun fact: we were also the fastest robot there, as reported by the Zebra Technologies DART System. Although we would have loved to stay at Hofstra for the next competition, it was unfortunately time to go. After hopping on the bus, singing a few songs, and having a special little awards ceremony to congratulate each and every member of the team, it was time to call it a day. What a season it has been. And it’s only just the beginning. See you in Detroit! Note: These photos will take 1-5 mins to load…please be patient! Team Pics Awards Arena The Winning Alliance Other (Misc.) Pics Our Reaction to Winning the Regional ✅Play a sport ✅Eat dirt ✅Touch a worm ✅Get a sense of urgency ✅Drive the robot like champions and win the regional!!!

Finger Lakes Regional 2019

Like we said last year in our SBPLI Regional blog post, “what a regional!” Our team had an amazing time at the 2019 Finger Lakes Regional, both on and off the field. We began our journey Wednesday after school, where we spent part of the bus ride upstate watching “The Brave Little Toaster,” a favorite amongst the team members (it’s an inside joke, don’t ask...). The next day at the practice matches, we practiced driving the robot and fixed some major issues. We were having a few struggles with the climbing and cargo mechanisms of our robot, but after a day of hard work, we were able to fix most of these issues. We finished off the night at Dinosaur Barbecue, where we happened to meet Andy Baker, the co-founder of AndyMark! What a special surprise! After a quick scouting meeting, we (tried) to get some sleep before qualification matches. The next day, the drive team started their day off strong dominating their first match. However, for the next few matches, we weren’t quite able to keep that up. We had a few issues with our robot, but we worked through them and were able to solve them. We finished off our matches for the day strong, scoring many hatches and cargo in match 50. The Chairman’s team, Miriam, Amal, and Sebby, also presented our Chairman’s award in front of the judges (more on that later), and we continued inspiring other teams with our safety leadership. We once again finished off the night with a delicious dinner, this time at Macaroni Grill. After another (longer) scouting and safety meeting, we fell fast asleep and prepared ourselves what would be a truly amazing next day. And here is was. The day was here. Although we didn’t know it at the time, this day would become one that we would remember forever. We started the morning off with our last few matches, where we continued to excel in our cargo, hatch, and level 2 climb. After match 80, it was time for alliance selections, and we got picked by the #7 seed, team 378, during first round picks. Our alliance was completed with team 217 during the second round picks. Although we played really strong during our two quarterfinal matches, we lost by ONE point in our first match, and lost by a close margin in the second match as well. But that wasn’t the end for us...no, not at all... During the Awards Ceremony, we erupted into cheer when we won the UL Safety Award! We as a team take huge pride in winning this award, as we work tremendously hard on teaching not only our team members but also members from other teams around the globe our safety techniques and principles. From day one we have been dedicated to safety, and we couldn’t be prouder to have won this award every year for the past 11 years. But that was only the beginning...and soon a little limerick-esque thing began to be read, belonging to a little something called the Chairman’s award... “ Judges met with students who all talked and stood Yeah yeah yeah yeah Students all convinced us that their team is good Yeah yeah yeah yeah This team was inspired by their total reorg Yeah yeah yeah yeah [Wait a minute, this year we totally reorganized our team too] Girls who can code is the new new norm Yeah yeah yeah yeah [Hold on, our team started a Girls who Code club this year too...hmm] Now judges did you hear about this one Their outreach is out of this world China Costa Rica and Turkey [Omg, wait, we literally hosted and/or helped teams from China, Costa Rica, and Turkey, wait, could this be us?] Hey Gold Coast are you having fun [Ok, ok, OK!!!! This is definitely us!!!! Gold Coast Alliance!!!!] If you believed they put the man on the moon If you believe they’ll do it safer than you [That gave it away] Then this team is cool Congratulations, team 2638 ” And there it was. We won the Chairman’s Award. Wow. It’s truly incredible. We work so tirelessly and so hard on the Chairman’s Award, and we are so incredibly happy and proud of ourselves to be worthy of this award. It was truly a team effort. After watching our Chairman’s Video, our mentor Motch handed us our medals, and we headed back home to Great Neck, singing the whole ride home. This was an amazing regional. It really was. Note: These photos will take 1-5 mins to load…please be patient! Team Pics Pit/Robot/Judges Awards Scouting Arena Dinners Meeting Andy Baker Bus Ride Other (Misc.) Pics Our Reaction to Winning the Chairman's Award Our Reaction to Winning the UL Safety Award

Team Member Named Valedictorian

Michael Lu, known by many as "Litty Ling" Rebel robotics is proud to announce that 4 year member Michael Lu has been named the valedictorian of the 2019 Great Neck South High School graduating class. Congrats on this wonderful achievement. He will be attending MIT in the fall.

Check Out Our 2019 Robot Reveal Video

If the video does not play…click here YouTube embeds seem to not be working for some reason… :((((

Destination: Deep Space is Here

And no, it's not a water game…

20188 updates

Support the Special Olympics

Plunge and/or Help Support Erin Lipinsky as he takes the plunge to raise money for Special Olympics NY! To donate and/or take the Plunge with Erin visit: events.nyso.org/goto/erinsplunge View the Polar Plunge Web Site at events.nyso.org/site/TR?fr\id=1673&pg=entry For more information, contact: Rebecca Hoffmann rhoffmann@nyso.org 631-458-1579

Watch the 2019 Game Teaser!

Here is the 2019 Season FRC Teaser for Destination: Deep Space. Presented by Boeing. Fun Fact: This season marks the 30th anniversary of the FRC competitions! Or watch the entire Twitch stream below: Watch 2019 FIRST Robotics Competition Teaser Reveal, Hosted by DeejayKnight! from FIRSTinspires on www.twitch.tv …and no, it's not a water game…

Team Member Named NMSC Semifinalist

Jay Lin, a senior on Team 2638, has been named a Semifinalist in the prestigious 2019 National Merit Scholarship Competition (NMSC) Jay Lin is among the 16,000 Semifinalists named nationwide, having scored among the highest in New York State on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which he took last year. The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. These Semifinalists, who represent less than one percent of seniors in the country, will be identified to colleges and universities in order to increase their educational opportunities. This truly shows how diverse our team is, and extremely hard workers like Jay are vital to our team's success. Most Semifinalists will go on to achieve Finalist status in early 2019. Merit Scholarship Winners will be chosen from among the Finalists to receive one or more Merit Scholarship Awards. Awards include: National Merit $2,500 (single-payment scholarships), corporate-sponsored (one-time or renewable four-year awards), and college/university-sponsored (renewable for up to four years). Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC and by some 420 business organizations and higher education institutions. Read Full Article on GNPS Website

Watch Our Robot at the Champs!

Qual 11 Red Alliance: 2638, 1599, 5460 Blue Alliance: 6401, 3244, 2052 Qual 22 Red Alliance: 3538, 2638, 3244 Blue Alliance: 558, 6933, 6175 Qual 33 Red Alliance: 379, 2638, 302 Blue Alliance: 7103, 3707, 195 Qual 38 Red Alliance: 70, 5205, 45 Blue Alliance: 7250, 1555, 2638 Qual 55 Red Alliance: 1684, 230, 5553 Blue Alliance: 4405, 2638, 5813 Qual 64 Red Alliance: 4099, 7250, 3082 Blue Alliance: 3452, 5687, 2638 Qual 78 Red Alliance: 20, 167, 1025 Blue Alliance: 2054, 316, 2638 Qual 85 Red Alliance: 2638, 236, 1718 Blue Alliance: 2265, 333, 316 Qual 92 Red Alliance: 333, 2638, 2175 Blue Alliance: 5804, 5712, 1741 Qual 108 Red Alliance: 126, 6032, 503 Blue Alliance: 2638, 1747, 4814 Video credits to FIRST

SBPLI #1 Regional 2018

What a regional! The Rebels did an excellent job at this regional, both on and off the field. Learning from their mistakes at the Smoky Mountain regional, the Rebels decided to stick to their strategy of “only doing what the robot was designed to do.” This ended up working very well. On the first day, the Rebels played superbly. They were extremely efficient in loading the Power Cubes into the Exchange and keeping their Switch. After winning most of their matches, the Rebels finished in the 7th seed for the day. On the second day, the Rebels continued to play well, but ended up placing in the 12th seed. Despite this, the Rebels had obviously shown the alliance captains how amazing their robot was — they got picked by the #2 SEED!!!! The Rebels and their alliance were able to make it all the way to the Finals, almost undefeated. However, after two close matches, they lost to a strong alliance. Aside from the robot, the Rebels won two prestigious awards. Just like at Smoky Mountain, they won the Business and Entrepreneurship Award. In addition, the Rebels erupted into cheer as one of their mentors, Mr. Corrigan, was announced the winner of the 2018 Woodie Flowers Award! This was a big surprise for the team: now two of their mentors are winners of this prestigious and honorary award. However, an even bigger surprise was coming up for the Rebels, and they were not expecting it.... WILDCARD!!!! Two Wildcards were generated at the Regional, and since the Rebels made it to the finals and were first pick by their alliance captain, they ended up winning the second Wildcard! This means that they have a ticket to the Championship! But wait, there’s more: Zebra Technologies was extremely generous, and decided to pay the Wildcard winners’ entrance fee to the Championships! We honestly cannot thank them enough for this! This regional was spectacular in every aspect, and a great experience for everyone. From our great robots to our exemplary leadership in safety to our cross-continental outreach, Team 2638 is truly changing the culture, one nut and bolt at a time. Note: These photos may take some time to load off the server. Please be patient.

New Website Announcement

As of April 2018, the Rebels have designed a new Website from the ground up for their team. The new Website (which you are visiting now) is 100% responsive. This means that it will look fantastic on any device and any screen size. Go ahead, explore this new Website on your phone, tablet, and computer, and compare it to our old Website. You'll see the difference immediately! In order to accomplish this, we had to move away from Wix and use a program called Rapidweaver. Rapidweaver alone is not so powerful, but when you add add-ons to it (called "Stacks"), you can create very sophisticated websites like this one. Specifically, this Website was built using the Foundry add-on. We hope you enjoy our new Website! - Reid Fleishman, Webmaster and creator of the new Website ——Scroll down to see the different views on different devices—— \\Note: reidf.net is just a test URL, its not the actual URL\\ Site built using Foundry for RapidWeaver®

Smoky Mountains Regional 2018

Apart from the very long bus rides, and the fact that the Rebels were facing some of the best teams down south, the Rebels did a good job at Smoky Mountain. The Rebels didn’t start out so well, as the drive team decided to switch up their strategy a bit, which caused the Rebels to lose a few matches. After a quick talk with Motch, Corrigan, the drive team, and the scouters, the Rebels were able to power up their game and climb back up the rankings. The second day, however, the Rebels weren’t quite able to keep this up, and ended up ranking 21st overall. But this wasn’t the end for the Rebels. They ended up making the playoffs by getting picked by the 5th seed in alliance selection. Although the Rebels and their alliance played hard and strong, they just weren’t able to keep up with the excellent Scale bots on the opposing alliance, and ended up getting eliminated from the playoffs. Aside from the robot, the Rebels ended up winning two awards. They (once again) proved their excellence in safety by winning the UL Safety Award, and their sharp business skills were revealed by winning the Business and Entrepreneurship Award. All in all, not only did the Rebels make the playoffs and win awards, but they also had a memorable experience down south. The dinners were delicious, and experiencing Tennessee was a cool experience for us Long Islanders. And let’s not forget the 20 hour bus ride on the way back...oh boy.... Note: These photos may take some time to load off the server. Please be patient.

FRC Team 2638 "Rebellion" Reveal Video 2018

20171 updates

2017 Reveal Video

20167 updates

WATCH THE TEASER

This season's game teaser reveals the name of the game will be FIRST STEAMworks.

2016 Championship

Only 4 members on the 2016 roster were on the team the last time the Rebels were at the championship (2013), so being able to take 47 members to St. Louis was an amazing feat. The Rebels had a very tough schedule in Galileo, and played 8 of the top 12 teams in their 10 matches. However, despite their poor record, the Rebels' robot was in the top half in scoring in the Galileo division. Sadly the Rebels were not picked for alliance selection, but just playing at the championship is an accomplishment in its own right. The team got to meet other teams, trade shirts, and team items, and learn countless amounts of information by learning about other robots and mechanisms. Last time the Rebels were at the championship they won the International Safety Award, so the team was ready to repeat. The team sent its 2 safety captains down to the field as representatives to wait during the awards ceremony, as the rest of the team waited in the stands. Then the team erupted into cheers as our number was announced as winers of the UL Safety Award, 1 of 4 teams to win at the 2016 championship. Aside from the robot, and the competition, the team explored the City of St. Louis. We ventured to the Gateway Arch, Fitz's Root Beer Factory, and Busch Stadium to see a game. Overall the trip was a great success as we came out with an award, experience, and memories.

SBPLI Long Island Regional

After coming back from Finger Lakes, Chairman's Award in hand, the Rebels had only a few days until the SPBLI Long Island Regional. At the competition, 2638, added structural support to their robot's intake, as it ha been damaged in the playoffs by a tough defender. After the minor construction, the matches began. The Rebels played strong in all their matches, but the wins just weren't coming, as they sat in 38th place after day 1, with 3 matches to go on Saturday. But the Rebels weren't about to back down, after a quick pep talk with the drive team, the team won all 3 matches on Saturday obtaining all 4 ranking points in each match pushing the Rebels into the 1 seed with 7 matches to go. The Rebels finished as the 5 seed, and chose team 527, and 271 to join their alliance. In the first round of the playoffs the Rebels lost match by a matter of inches, as one of the alliance partners, couldn't get back on the batter in time after playing stellar defense. And in match 2 the Rebels lost as a shot bounced of the tower, and the alliance we lost to went on to win the whole regional. After the competition, 2638 won the UL Safety Award, continuing their award streak at regional competitions.

Finger Lakes 2016

What a trip!!! The Rebels not only finished in 7th place with the robot (a new best) but they also won the regional Chairman's Award: FIRST's most prestigious honor. Chairman's Winner 2638 making it rain with all of the shots we hit Rough terrain? Not a problem Talking to the judges Giving CPR Demos Telling a judge about our robot Drive Team behind the wall Hey, its Woodie!!! Scout Team Setting up for autonomous Talking to judges Chairman's Winner

WATCH OUR REVEAL VIDEO

Build Season is Over

2638 has bag and tagged their robot and has put their reveal video online. Thank you to all members, parents and sponsors for making this season the best one yet. Reveal Video:

Stronghold: The 2016 Game

First Stronghold is this year's game. It is a fully emmersive game involving a variety of obstacles, firing boulders, and captureing your oponent's tower. Link to game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqOKzoHJDjA

20153 updates

Half Hollow Hill Invitational

2638 at the 2015 HHH invitational event at Half Hollow Hills West High School. Ready for the playoffs 2638 working on a 2-stack with a bin Loading the feeder station

Helping Out at the Fall Festival

Team 2638 volunteered to help our local pre-school with their annual Fall Festival. We are always involved in the community and love to help them out whenever they need it.

Teaching COPAY All About Robotics

The students ask questions about the robot, team, and FIRST We even taught them how to drive the robot!