What is Robotics?
The Steel Sturgeons 9176 is the Greenspire High School’s robotics team located in Traverse City, Michigan. Each year, teams of high school students across the country design, program, and build industrial-sized robots to play and compete in an action-packed game, much like a league. Each FIRST Robotics Competition team creates a team identity, raises funds to meet its goals, and advances appreciation for STEM in its community.
Our Story
The Steel Sturgeons’ rookie season, 2022/23, started out as an idea from our principal, Erica, and our teacher, Roddy. We didn’t completely understand the scope of what we had taken on, but that didn’t stop us from succeeding. To our surprise—and with the help of other teams collaborating with us—we made it all the way to the FIRST Michigan State competition, and then the World competition in Houston! We also received the 2023 Rookie Inspiration, Rookie All Star, and Highest Rookie Seed awards that year.
And we’ve learned even more since then. Yet no matter how well we do in competitions, the experience of being on the Steel Sturgeons team is a reward in itself. Robotics teaches students STEM skills, teamwork, and collaboration while preparing tomorrow’s builders, engineers, programmers, designers, and electricians. It transforms our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming leaders.
“We learned how the competition works and what we needed to grow upon as a team…It felt amazing that other teams trusted our skills enough to pick us for an alliance.”
– Jayden, team member 2022–2025
Our Robots
2022/2023: “Fry”
GAME: CHARGED UP
Each alliance brings energy to their community by retrieving their game pieces from substations and scoring it into the grid. Human players provide the game pieces to the robots from the substations. In the final moments of each match, alliance robots race to dock or engage with their charge station!
2023/2024: “Pleco”
GAME: CRESCENDO
Two competing alliances are invited to score notes, amplify their speaker, harmonize onstage, and take the spotlight before time runs out. Alliances earn additional rewards for meeting specific scoring thresholds and for cooperating with their opponents.
2024/2025: TBD
GAME: REEFSCAPE
Teams will use their STEM and collaboration skills to explore life beneath the surface of the ocean. Along the way, we’ll uncover the potential in each of us to strengthen our community and innovate for a better world with healthy oceans.
Our Team
Our 2024–2025 team consists of about 16 student members, 4 community mentors, and parent volunteers. We meet several times a week, starting in January (when the game is revealed) into March/April (competition season). In our summer off-season, we spend time organizing and fundraising.
Media
Word is getting around about the Steel Sturgeons! Check us out in the local news and at FIRST competitions. Please contact us for more information or any digital media files.
Audio Interview from 2022
Listen to an interview with three of our team members from the 2022/2023 rookie season.
Traverse City Record Eagle
'All of us were screaming': Team robotics competitions pick up steam
"The Steel Sturgeons will compete at another FIRST Robotics tournament at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie on Friday and Saturday."
Traverse City Ticker
The Most Unlikely Story Of Potential World Champions
"Students from Traverse City's Greenspire High School will be competing at the First Robotics World level competition in Houston -- if they can raise the funds."
Traverse City Record Eagle
Local robotics teams compete on world stage
"The Greenspire Steel Sturgeons, from Greenspire High School in Traverse City, also will be heading to the FIRST Robotics World Championship at the end of April."