07-03-2025
After successful 1st season, Madison County robotics team needs help to travel for World Championship
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — A community-based robotics team from Hampton Cove and Owens Cross Roads is looking for help funding their trip to a world championship in Houston, Texas.
A spokesperson for Dread Pirates Robotics said they were inspired to start the team by the 'idea of inclusion.' All team members came from other FIRST Tech Challenge teams but felt they didn't have enough opportunities there to grow and succeed.
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The team describes themselves as a 'motley crew' of nine middle and high school boys and girls.
The spokesperson said their commitment to no one being left out has made a difference. They describe themselves as not just teammates, but friends.
'Most Huntsville City schools in the area offer students the opportunity to participate in robotics, but there are often more students than available roles,' the spokesperson said. 'This can lead to people feeling disengaged or not having the chance to fully contribute. We believe every student who wants to participate should have meaningful opportunities to do so.'
In their first season of competition, they were able to achieve big things.
The newly formed team said they would meet twice a week, beginning in the summer of 2024, to learn the basics of programming and building. They ended the year by winning the FIRST Tech Challenge Alabama State championship held on Feb. 22 at New Century Technology High School in Huntsville, and setting a state winning two state qualifying tournaments, the Pirates had nine consecutive match wins through regulation play and the playoffs. The team had the top three scores of the 2024/2025 season. The spokesperson says they beat several more established, experienced teams, including former champions.
'As a new team, we feel honored,' the spokesperson said. 'At the State Championship, we had one of the simplest robots on the field, but we did this intentionally. We wanted our robot to be simple yet reliable and effective. Winning the State Competition and qualifying for the World Championship showed that you don't have to reinvent the wheel to be competitive, you just need dedication, adaptability, and an awesome group of friends and mentors.'
The Dread Pirates finished the last two competitions with a win-loss record of 19-1. Following the state championship, their season performance ranked them in the top 91% among all FTC teams worldwide, which includes more than 7,000 teams in over 60 countries.
The team credits its coaching from a core group of three volunteer mentors, a simplistic robot design, dedicated parents and their commitment to mastering the art of robotics for helping them accomplish their goals.
As Alabama state champs, the Dread Pirates get an automatic invite to FTC's world championship on April 16-20, where the best robotics teams from around the world compete to be the world's best.
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The spokesperson said that most FTC teams outside of Alabama have years of experience, including world-class competitors from Romania, Taiwan and Germany.
The entry fee for the world championship the team is trying to attend is $2,500. The estimate to get the Pirates, coaches, their robot and equipment to Houston for five days is around $18,000. While some Pirate families can afford to take an extra expense of that magnitude, others cannot.
The team decided that either everyone goes to Houston, or no one does. The Dread Pirates said despite their best efforts, they cannot afford professional fundraisers.
'If you can contribute $5, $25, or even $1, you'll help this unlikely collection of young engineers step closer to achieving a dream that eight months ago wasn't in the realm of possibility,' the spokesperson said.
The team's GoFundMe can be found by clicking here.
Additionally, the team is developing a process to welcome new members while keeping the team size manageable. Next season, they plan to add one to two new members.
Those interested in applying can reach out to Dread Pirates Robotics by emailing them at dreadpirateroboticsftc@ or look for an announcement on the team's Instagram (@dreadpiraterobotics_25751_ftc).
Since the team meets in Hampton Cove multiple times a week, they will consider location when selecting new members.
'Our biggest goal is to spread awareness of robotics and FIRST within our community,' the spokesperson said. 'We want to help younger students discover an interest in STEM, especially those who might not have had the chance otherwise. Beyond that, we also want to support other teams in forming and growing. Whether it's mentoring rookie teams, sharing resources, or helping schools start their own programs, we believe that strengthening the robotics community benefits everyone. Inspiring the next generation of engineers is just as important to us as building great robots.'
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