In praise of FRC4451, ROBOTZ Garage

[Billfred]

South Carolina is not a powerhouse for FRC.

We have our moments of brilliance, yes, but when Palmetto wrapped up nine days ago, only one of the eight sets of medals stayed within the state*. 2056 has matched South Carolina's combined Einstein appearance count**, and done it in three seasons. While other states have experienced explosive growth, team count in the state hasn't doubled in ten years***.

*2187 won; Chairman's, Engineering Inspiration, and the five other teams in the finals were from out of state.
**343 in 2003, 1319 in 2007.
***19 in 2004, 36 in 2013. Of those 19, only 10 remain active today.

It is against this backdrop that I have to brag on a rookie team from the town Fountain Inn, South Carolina. (Never been to Fountain Inn? It's more or less the sign that you're close to Greenville.) Laurens County has a 14.3% poverty rate*, a 62% free/reduced lunch rate in their district*, not much of an industrial base...and you know what came from here?

• Palmetto #7 Seed (7-1)
• Orlando #4 Seed (8-1)
• Orlando Finalist (in three matches)
• Palmetto Semifinalist--including reaching Level 3 one timeout after falling from that high off the ground
• Palmetto Rookie All-Star
• Orlando Rookie All-Star
• Palmetto Highest Rookie Seed
• Orlando Highest Rookie Seed
• Palmetto UL Industrial Safety Award
• Orlando UL Industrial Safety Award
• The best image in the south this side of Exploding Bacon.
• And everyone, from the decade-plus mentors to the students, are just plain nice! Not gassed up, not tense, just having a lot of fun with robots and already helping other teams.

Ladies and gentlemen, FRC 4451, ROBOTZ Garage.

Watch these guys in St. Louis.