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Urban, minority, disadvantged, continuation High School. We were the place where the losers went. We were the guys on the wrong side of the tracks. The gang-bangers, drug abusers. Robotics started in 1998. FIRST in 1999.

2000 Lead Seed FIRST National Champions
2001 Botball National Champions

Now the parents of kids at the regular HS in the district are trying to get their kids into the robotics program. Problem is they have to get kicked out of their regular school

The mission statement of Foothill HS is "You will get your GED if you stick with the program. It was rare to go on to community college.

80% of the 2000 FIRST team went to 4 year colleges,
2 with scholarships that were a direct or indirect result of robotics.

Our rainbow collective is on a role. The community, school board, city, county and sponsors are proud of our accomplishments. Our team members are mostly
Latino and Asian, our mentors and teachers are black, white, yellow and tan.


The big lesson we learned from robotics competition is that our past does not limit our future, that superior attitude will beat out big budgets. Our team name is Odyssey - because it is the Journey, not the destination that is important.


*Personal note - in 1999 just before our rookie robot was shipped I read the book Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam. (Later made into the movie October Sky) I later met Mr. Hickam - his message to me is one I'd like to share with all FIRST teams. His key
philosophy for a mission to succeed is you need
"Passion, Planning, Perseverance." Each member of your team has to contribute something in these catagories in order for you to succeed.