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SoCo - BEST Robotics

You are invited!

Please join us and enjoy cheering for area Middle and High School Teams as they compete in the SoCo BEST @ Trinidad State Robotics Challenge.

KICKOFF DAY

Kickoff: Saturday, September 19, 2020
Time: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Location: Sullivan Center Pioneer Room ( Game Field will be setup in the Sullivan Center Leone )

PRACTICE DAY

Practice Day: Saturday, October 24, 2020
Time: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Location: Scott Gym on the Trinidad State Campus
This is Practice Day – students get a chance to see how their robots are performing, how they stack up against the competition and how they can make changes and solve problems for the upcoming competition day. All are welcome, no cover charge, concessions available to keep you energized and hydrated to cheer on the participants as they work out the bugs.

GAME DAY

Game Day: Saturday, October 31, 2020
Time: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM
(Spectators welcomed starting at noon)
Location: Scott Gym on the Trinidad State Campus
In a round-robin type tournament the teams will compete against each other (4 teams on the game field at a time) in multiple rounds. Great fun! Great competition! A celebratory event at Trinidad State!
Again – ALL are welcome, no cover charge, and concessions will be available.

Thanks for supporting efforts that ignite student’s spirits!

SoCo Best trophy image


Our Mission
  • To engage, excite, and inspire students to pursue careers in engineering, science, and technology through participation in a sports-like science and engineering based robotics competition.
  • Provide students with a real-world engineering experience that incorporates the practical application of math and science
  • Prepare students to be technologically literate and better prepared to enter higher education pursuing a STEM discipline and the workforce.
  • Help students develop leadership, project management, teamwork, and organizational skills
  • Develop students’ confidence and competence through self-directed learning, decision-making, abstract thinking, and problem-solving.

 

Important Dates

Teacher/Mentor Institute (TMI)

  • Monday through Friday, July 22-26; 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
  • Monday, Tuesday, and half-day Wednesday: MATLAB/Simulink programming Workshop. Students are welcome to attend.
  • Second half Wednesday, Thursday and Friday: Solidworks Workshop. Students again welcome.
  • Friday: Optional Robot Build for rookie team mentors and coaches only. No students.

Programming Workshop
~ TBD
Attendees will need to bring their laptops with Matlab/Simulink and Solidworks already installed and functioning.

"Trinidad has such a great collegiate robotics program and we really want to build a feeder program for that. Students now can spend years in robotics and follow those skills all the way up to the college level, all right here in Trinidad. I think Trinidad State has really given us a legacy that we want to continue to build upon."
David Bills, Trinidad Middle School Coach

Teams may compete in

  • oral presentations
  • technical writing
  • marketing & exhibit design
  • spirit and sportsmanship
  • CAD design
  • website design
  • video production
  • ...and more...

Registered Schools

  • TBD

Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology

BEST is about building robots and teaching students how to analyze and solve problems. What BEST students learn is what industry needs in its future workforce and what communities need in their future leaders.

Middle and High School Robotics Competition

Take plywood, PVC of various sizes, threaded rod, boxes of screws, washers and nuts, lots of other hardware, Velcro, piano wire, aluminum rods, a bicycle inner tube, an assortment of other odds-and-ends, and a VEX robotics kit, and give it all to a team of students with the challenge to design and build a functioning, competitive robot in six short weeks.

What do you get?

  • the excitement of a basketball game
  • the strategy of a chess match
  • the intellectual challenge of a science fair
  • the pressure of a competitive sporting event

…plus hundreds of screaming fans, music, dancing, and mascots.

National Website: www.bestinc.org

BEST Facts

1993 began as a single event for high schools in Texas – 14 schools, 221 students.
2013 47 community-based sites in 19 states.
2013 Over 10,000 volunteers, 853 schools, and 15,354 students participate.

BEST Mentor: “Every student who graduates high school must get a job and make a living. The BEST program improves the chances for our children to be competitive in the workforce.”

Core Values

  • Students are the sole participants and primary decision makers, designers, and builders.
  • Any student may participate.
  • The program is free to schools—no registration fee.
  • Equipment and materials are provided at no cost to participating schools.
  • Any school may participate regardless of type, size, location, or socioeconomic status.