FRC 10015 Bubbles Makes Its Debut at STEMley Cup

In October 2024, FRC Team 10015 Bubbles stepped onto the FRC stage for the very first time at the STEMley Cup, hosted by our mentor team, Makeshift Robotics. For our young team, this event marked an important beginning: our first real experience inside the world of FIRST Robotics Competition.

Most of our students came directly from FIRST LEGO League, where they had built a strong foundation in problem-solving, teamwork, robot design, research, and presentation. However, FRC was a much bigger and more complex challenge. The robots were larger, the field was faster, the engineering requirements were more advanced, and the competition environment was completely new to many of our students.

At STEMley, our students had the valuable opportunity to drive Makeshift’s robot and experience what FRC is really about. This gave them a hands-on understanding of the speed, pressure, coordination, and technical depth involved in FRC matches. It was not just a chance to observe. It was a chance to participate, learn, adapt, and grow.

Although Bubbles was still a rookie team with limited FRC experience, our students had already been trained to work independently, research deeply, and take ownership of their learning. Through years of FLL experience and student-led development, they had built the mindset needed to face new challenges with confidence. STEMley became the perfect bridge between their FLL journey and their new FRC season.

What stood out most was how welcomed we felt by the FRC community. Teams, mentors, volunteers, and event organizers supported us, encouraged us, and helped us understand the culture of FRC. For our students, this was an inspiring moment. They saw that FRC is not only about robots and competition, but also about collaboration, mentorship, learning, and gracious professionalism.

By the end of the event, Bubbles proudly became a STEMley Cup Finalist and received the Buoyant Break Away Award. These recognitions meant a great deal to our team, especially at our very first FRC event. They gave our students confidence and showed them that even as a new team, they had the potential to contribute, compete, and grow.

STEMley was more than our first competition experience. It was the beginning of Bubbles’ FRC journey. It gave our students a first taste of the excitement, challenge, and community that define FIRST Robotics Competition. Most importantly, it confirmed that our young team was ready to take the next step.

We are deeply grateful to Makeshift Robotics for hosting the event and supporting our team as mentors. Their guidance helped open the door for Bubbles to enter the FRC community with confidence. From that first experience at STEMley, our students returned more motivated, more prepared, and more excited for the season ahead.

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