[Wayne TenBrink]

Sure, Breakaway is a game for the powerhouse vets - just like any other game. That's why we call them powerhouse teams. A lot of other teams are doing pretty well with it, though.

Building a robot is kind of like the old scoring system they used for figure skating. If you recall that system, the skater got two scores - one for artistic impression and the other for technical merit. In robotics, you spend the first week or so brainstorming, modeling, prototyping, sketching, imagining how the game will play out, and envisioning the kind of machine would be effective at playing it. Your ingenuity is the "artistic impression". The remainder of the build season is spent to achieve the goals you set with a machine that is reliable, servicable, and robust. Your craftsmanship is the "technical merit". Good teams do both parts well.

Every year, there seems to be some feature that separates the successful teams from the rest. In 2008, the hurlers dominated the hurdlers. In 2009, the dumpers dominated the shooters.

In 2010, ball control is shaping up to be that feature. Some teams do it better than others, but teams that didn't foresee the value (artistic impression) and then achieve some degree of success (technical merit) will struggle to go far.

When teams get both parts right, they have a good year on the field. The perennial powerhouses have the brainpower, experience, and resources to get it right year after year.

Students win when they fully participate in an organization that uses, tests, rewards, and freely shares both aspects of the creative process.