Fourteen years after competing in the first Robotics competition, AFS Roobotics is taking a pause. Instead of building for another kickoff, the team is spending this year reflecting and rebuilding for the future of the club.
Andrew Sage, assistant in the technology office and Robotics mentor, graduated from AFS in 2017 and returned this year to guide the team through its short gap. Sage said the break has allowed the group to focus on skill building and long term planning.
“This year we’re being a lot more thoughtful and purposeful about everything we do,” Sage said.
Rather than preparing for tournaments, students are working with smaller robot kits, coding, and have in the works an creative activity like a human versus robot basketball challenge. The team also launched an Inquiry Lab to research what makes other programs successful.
“We’ve talked to over a dozen schools and mentors, and they all genuinely want to help,” Sage said.
John Rison, chief technology officer, said leadership changes and financial challenges made this the right time to step back. In past years, the team had to raise thousands of dollars to compete, with entry fees alone ranging from $3000 to $7000.
“We want a sustainable program that best serves the largest number of students in our community,” Rison said.
Even without competitions, the team finds a way to stay busy. Students connect with alumni, plan nostalgic AFS games like Robotics “zoo” for second graders, and plan to explore new ideas such as summer camps and drone projects. Sage said the free form structure has led to more experimentation.
“An unexpected benefit of this year is that without the normal end goal, we’ve been able to experiment more,” Sage said.
Safety also remains a huge priority throughout. The team invited a professional to teach students how to safely operate the computer numerical control machine.
Both Sage and Rison agree that Robotics offers more than building machines.
“It’s collaborative,” Rison said.
Robotics is still open to new members, and Sage encourages anyone interested to join.
“You literally don’t need to know anything about robotics before joining,” Sage said.
This year may not end with Roobotics Team 4373 bringing home a trophy, but it might build something even stronger. When the robots are coded back onto the competition floor, they will not just be fighting to win. They will be proving that sometimes the smartest move is to stop, rethink, and come back better than ever.
Dj • May 25, 2026 at 8:15 pm
I think stoping the robotics programming is a good idea because it gives the team time to improve and plan for the other years of competing. I also think that not being in any competitions negatively affected the club because the people in it are still learning the same things like coding and other stuff. I also think it could be good because without the competitions, the club will have more time to spend together. They also can work and try to make their projects perfect without them feeling the pressure of the competition. It would make for a stronger robotics community. This would make AFS robotics better.
Gary Logan • May 5, 2026 at 9:14 am
I think that robotics is a good hobby and subject and I also feel like it teaches you a lot of things and new skills. You learn how to do many things like code and build new things that could help you in life. certain things are Important in life and one thing is self indpendence and I think robotics teaches you that. It takes a long time to get used to because you’re gonna face challenges in building new things and struggles. Also I think that what Andrew sage did was important because he’s thinking for a long time in the program to make them better and help them in the stretch rather than just one year. this gives kids something to do and something they like outside of school that’s teaching them new information.
Makai O'Neill • May 5, 2026 at 7:12 am
I think this article shows a smart decision by the Roobotics team. Even though it might seem disappointing to take a year off from competitions, it makes sense to focus on improving and rebuilding first. I like how they are using this time to practice skills, try new ideas, and learn from other schools instead of rushing into another season. It also shows that robotics is not just about winning competitions, but about teamwork, learning, and creativity. The idea of making the program more sustainable and open to more students is important too. I also think it’s cool that they are still doing activities and finding ways to stay involved even without competing. Overall, this article shows that sometimes taking a step back can actually help a team come back stronger.
Asher DuTot • May 4, 2026 at 8:09 pm
I think pausing the robotics programming is a good idea because it gives the team time to improve and plan for the upcoming years of competing. I also think that not being in any competitions negatively affected the club because the people in it are still learning the same things, just in different ways, like coding and other fun stuff. I also think it could be good because without the competitions, the club will have more time to spend time together without feeling the pressure of the competitions, and it would make for a stronger community.
Nathaniel • Apr 22, 2026 at 9:44 pm
I definitely think that, given the challenges of finding people to lead the robotics program this year, it was a good opportunity to step back and spend some time brainstorming and discussing how the program could be conducted differently in the future. However, having talked to some of my friends on the robotics team, it seems like there is some doubt whether it’ll be possible to get the team up and running again next year, as the school still hasn’t been able to find someone to lead the team. I think that while it is great that robotics has had a year to plan and prepare, an essential aspect of the program is being able to participate in competitions. I found an article written by a teacher who runs a high school robotics program in Panama, who believes the most essential aspect of robotics is that it offers students a source of community. While the program this year has definitely allowed AFS students to build community, they have missed out on the opportunity to build community with other schools through competitions. Robotics can be a great way to meet students at other schools and form connections that normall you normally wouldn’t have a chance to make. I really hope robotics can get back on its feet next year, so it can return to being the vibrant community it has been for the past decade at AFS.
nika • Apr 21, 2026 at 9:42 am
I think it’s great that roobotics is taking the time to rebuild for the better. At the same time, I hope that the robotics team in the sense that we used to know it comes back soon. Even though I haven’t had the opportunity to become a member of the robotics team throughout high school because of other obligations, I’ve enjoyed learning about it. I remember freshman year when the team went to Texas for a competition because they advanced into the far rounds. I remember observing the robots the team designed. However, I feel like it needs to be mentioned that part of the reason we do not have a traditional robotics team this year is because there were concerns about the dynamics within the club and prejudices. I look forward to seeing what the robotics team will look like in the future and seeing more women in STEM.