Our Team History

Robotics Explorer Post 411, aka TEAM Tesla Robotics, started in 2010 with The Newton Brothers. Six Twin Falls students and one mentor with a dream. Their dream, to bring robotics to the Magic Valley. Jay Sneddon and his six founding students competed at the 2011 Idaho State FTC Championship. They placed 6th with a strong showing against very strong FTC teams from Oregon & Washington.
 

The Newton Brothers team became a full robotics club for the 2011-2012 robotics season expanding from one FTC team to four FTC teams, and an FRC team. Bringing the number of teams in their club to five. They also became Robotics Explorer Post 411, aka TEAM Tesla Robotics. Each one of the FTC teams took a "Tesla" name for their team, Tesla Titans, Tesla Flyers, Tesla Tazers, & Tesla Coils. The FRC team used the name TEAM Tesla, hence TEAM Tesla Robotics. During the 2011-2012 season TEAM Tesla added over 26 kids to the program. They competed at the Idaho FTC State Championship and the Wyoming FTC State Championship where 2 of their 4 FTC teams earned a "golden ticket" to the FIRST World Championship in St. Louis, MO. The Tesla Flyers & Tesla Coils would be the first FTC teams from the state of Idaho to compete at the World Championships. TEAM Tesla, our FRC team, competed in the Silicon Valley FRC Regional in San Jose, CA were they were the top rookie team, winning the 2012 FRC Rookie All Star Award, and their "golden ticket" to the FIRST World Championship. Our World competing teams spent their first time at the World Championship turning heads and making a name for TEAM Tesla Robotics, the Magic Valley & the state of Idaho.

 

The 2012-2013 season began with great expectations. TEAM Tesla Robotics didn't disappoint. For the first time in the history of the Idaho State FTC Championship an Idaho FTC team won! Along with this coveted title came another "golden ticket" to the FIRST World Championship. The Tesla Titans wouldn't be the only Tesla team going back to St. Louis in 2012, the Tesla Flyers & Tesla Tazers would join them after earning their "golden tickets" at the Utah State FTC Championship. Once again TEAM Tesla Robotics turned heads as their teams consistently competed with & beat the best in the world. The Tesla Flyers finished 2nd in their division of 64 FTC teams. Another first for the state of Idaho and TEAM Tesla Robotics.

 

Our 2013-2014 season will be even better! In preparation for this history making season TEAM Tesla Robotics has added some new faces. Three new FTC teams, Tesla Lighting, Teslanators, & the Teslatronics have joined our four powerhouse FTC teams bringing our FTC team number to seven. We've also added three FLL teams, Tesla Volts, Tesla Amps & the Tesla Minions. We now have more than 50 students in our program, and more than ten of those students happen to be girls. Our FLL teams will compete in the Twin Falls Idaho FLL Regional on Dec. 7th and, if they qualify, at the Southern Idaho State FLL Championship on January 25th. Our seven FTC teams will have to travel farther from home to compete. Their first competition will happen January 31 - Feb. 2nd at the Southern Nevada FTC Championship in Las Vages, NV. Then it's back to the Idaho State FTC Championship in Moscow, ID, Feb. 14-16th, hopefully claiming another state title. Then some of the Tesla FTC teams will travel to Ogden Utah to compete in the Utah State FTC Championship Feb. 21-23rd. We expect all of our teams to do fantastic at these championships, with several of them earning an invite to our newest challenge, the Western US FTC Super Regional. This new tournament, held in the Bay Area of California, is where FTC teams will earn their "golden ticket" to the 2014 FIRST World Championship April 23-26th. Keep your eyes open, TEAM Tesla Robotics will have several of their FTC and maybe even some of their FLL teams competing at the world championship!

 

TEAM Tesla may have started with only one mentor and six students, but will continue to grow and bring the amazing world of robotics to the Magic Valley and Idaho. Only the future knows what's in store for this remarkable program!

 

Terms:

FIRST - www.usfirst.org - For the Insperation and Recognition of Science & Technology

FTC - FIRST Tech Challenge - 3rd level in the FIRST robotics leagues (7-12 grade or 12-18 years old)

FLL - FIRST LEGO League - 2nd level in the FIRST robotics leagues (4-8 grade or 9-14 years old)

FRC - FIRST Robotics Competition - 4th & highest level in the FIRST robotics leagues (9-12 grade or 14-18 years old)

Robotics Explorer Post 411 - our legal name

Post or Club - the entire TEAM Tesla robotics club

Team - each individual team within our club

 

TEAM Tesla Robotics: (Rookie Season)

FRC 4086 - TEAM Tesla (2012)

FTC 4606 - Tesla Titans (2010-2011 as Newton Brothers)

FTC 5024 - Tesla Tazers (2011-2012)

FTC 5025 - Tesla Flyers (2011-2012)

FTC 5026 - Tesla Coils (2011-2012)

FTC 6932 - Tesla Lightning (2013-2014)

FTC 7057 - Teslanators (2013-2014)

FTC 7059 - Teslatronics (2013-2014)

FLL 4538 - Tesla Volts (2013-2014)

FLL 4539 - Tesla Amps (2013-2014)

FLL 15849 - Tesla Minions (2013-2014)