After two years away, the Alpena High School robotics teams showed off their critical thinking skills and teamwork at the almost-annual FIRST Robotics competition in Escanaba last weekend.

Hailed by Alpena-area heads of global manufacturing companies as the future of industry, robotics programs teach young people to think critically, to problem-solve, and to work as a team, said AHS robotics coach Bob Thomson.

During the Escanaba tournament, canceled the last two years as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19, robots designed and built by Alpena students consistently performed well against the bots of nearly 40 other teams from across the state.

Following remote electronic commands of their student creators, the robots zipped around their gym floor arena, scooped up balls, tossed them into baskets, and climbed monkey bars, to the delight of the fans packing nearby bleachers.

News Photo by Julie Riddle An Alpena High School robotics team member works electronic controls during a robotics competition at Escanaba Junior/Senior High School on Friday.

Meanwhile, the young engineers hunched intently over joysticks and computer boards, willing their robots to perform, groaning when a robot hook slipped from a monkey bar or pumping a fist as their creation flung a ball with precision.

Between matches, all day long, the teens talked robot, wielded tools and intricate electronic equipment like experts, made repairs, and tweaked and improved.

Those collaborative skills will make all the difference as the students head to college or into the workplace, said Chris Boyk, lead mentor for the AHS robotics program and chief engineer at Panel Processing in Alpena.

As manufacturing and other industries increasingly incorporate new, complex technology, from artificial intelligence to drones, companies need workers who can think at a higher level.

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News Photo by Julie Riddle Alpena High School robotics team members leave an arena after a match in a robotics competition at Escanaba Junior/Senior High School on Friday.

Employees at his company now don’t necessarily have those skills, Boyk said – but, with the help of the Alpena robotics program, local employers stand a better chance of hiring young workers already prepared to perform at competitive levels, the mentor said.

FIRST – short for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology – is an international robotics community focused on preparing young people with skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Alpena teams have consistently performed at high levels in FIRST competitions, making it to state and world competitions multiple times.

This year, the advanced AHS team, Volts Squared, walked away from the Escanaba competition with the entrepreneurship award for the best business plan among the competition’s 38 teams.

The energized, rock-concert vibe of robotics competitions is a definite plus of participation in robotics, but the young team members know the mental exercises and challenges of the program also prepare them for the future.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Alpena High School robotics team members remove their robot from an arena after a match in a robotics competition at Escanaba Junior/Senior High School on Friday.

AHS seniors Matt Guest and Tom Sheridan both plan to pursue engineering degrees, they said as they worked on their robot before the competition.

Even before they earn that diploma, robot-building can land them jobs important to the community, they said.

“Employers love to see that you’re in robotics,” Guest said. “It’s like, ‘Oh, you’re in FIRST Robotics? You’re hired.'”

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693 or jriddle@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jriddleX.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Alpena High School robotics team members and a mentor assess their robot’s status after a match in a robotics competition at Escanaba Junior/Senior High School on Friday.

News Photo by Julie Riddle Alpena High School robotics team members urge their robot on as it climbs monkey bars at the end of a robotics match at Escanaba Junior/Senior High School on Friday.

News Photo by Julie RIddle Alpena High School robotics team members leave an arena after a match in a robotics competition at Escanaba Junior/Senior High School on Friday.