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Sound Mechanics: Tender Defenders win portion of robotics invitational competition

By Douglass Huxley 4 min read

PARKERSBURG -- The Tender Defenders have returned home victorious after winning first place in the Core Values portion of the FIRST LEGO League Razorback Open Invitational at the University of Arkansas.

"It's the build of the foundation, like the rules we go by," Tender Defenders member Kayley Kalika said about the award.

This was the first time a team from West Virginia was invited to the competition.

"It felt unexpected," team member Hayden Carey said about winning. "I didn't think we were going to win, because we're just this small team from West Virginia."

The robotics team consists of Jackson Middle School students Will Bashaw, Thomas Hayes, Evan McCleary, Kayley Kalika, Lilly Pfeifer, Hayden Carey, Jaelyn Kalika and Elliot Lambert, along with coach K.C. Doepker.

"Just for perspective, from a U.S. standpoint, teams have a 1.25% chance of making it to an international invitational," Doepker said. "It's very difficult to achieve. Not only getting invited but then to win first place is pretty exceptional."

Competition is judged on the elements of innovation project, robot design and core values. At least three judges evaluated the team.

"They give one award (per team)," Kayley Kalika said. "We could have won a different category, but they want to be inclusive to everybody and make sure everybody gets a chance."

Doepker said this was the award the team wanted to win because it encompasses everything they stand for. They said community outreach is very important to them.

"We impacted over 750 kids this season and mentored a lot of rookies," Pfeifer said.

"Since they're a lot younger, and they haven't been doing it as long, they won't have as much experience," Bashaw said. "We're trying to teach them how to do things."

Doepker said she could only make an impact on these eight team members, but as a team, their reach can be farther and more effective.

"Which I think is one of the most important things for FIRST Robotics, that's what they stand for," Doepker said. "And it's really that systemic impact that these kids have done."

Doepker said team member Jaelyn Kalika coached an Explore Team, consisting of students in kindergarten through fourth grade, teaching them how to code, about core values and how to use their creativity to inspire others. Doepker said Explore is a non-competitive program that allows flexibility for members to grow. She said that team member Bashaw would also help them with coding.

"My favorite part was passing down our knowledge to the younger generation so that we can hopefully make the world a better place," Bashaw said. "Hopefully they can pass that on to other generations, as well."

The group also helped to start an Explore Team for special needs students at Cameron High School in Marshall County.

"We basically taught them our Lego Talisman, or lesson plan, and we ended up getting them to start an Explore Team there," Pfeifer said.

Doepker said they really wanted to spread the message that robotics isn't just for a certain group of students but for everybody interested.

"So, they were able to help inspire them to know they could do it, too," Doepker said.

The team said they are still thinking about the future and they aren't sure yet what that might look like. They said FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) is an option.

"Which is just a higher level of robotics," Hayes said.

Doepker said bringing outreach to the forefront was something they were looking into.

"Because that's the beauty of FIRST. They really promote that systemic impact," Doepker said. "So these FRC kids are impacting the Explore and Challenge (Teams) and helping them to develop and be young innovators and leaders."

Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com

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