Eagle Engineering invites you to become part of our unique experience. We are a year-round organization with two competition seasons, and while there is always something going on, we offer some schedule flexibility for students who want to participate in other programs. It is highly recommended that you attend the VEX Intensive which is held the beginning of September. It is a great way to get to know the team, provides great training, and gives you a sense of what build season is like.
Any Chaminade 9-12 grader can join
Deadline to join is September 12, 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What about costs? Is this program expensive?
A: First, let’s just say that we never want money to be a factor in your decision. If funds are tight, let us know (tsmeltzer@chaminade.org) and we will figure out a solution that works with your budget. Here are some of the standard costs:
- Participation Fees: $400/Fall + 100 Winter – Includes team jersey
- Build Season Meal: During build season, each family provides a meal for the team. Depending on the size of the meal, we may assign two or more families to share the cost. We can work with you if budget is a concern.
- Optional Team Travel: The team typically has 3-4 overnight travel events that vary in cost. Participation in travel events is not required. Amounts range from $300 for a local overnight to $1,500 or more for multi-day travel by air. You can decide about travel on an event-by-event basis.
- Uniform: Every student must purchase a pair of black tactical pants and safety glasses as part of the team uniform. Hoodies and other team spirit wear are extra and are optional.
- Miscellaneous: Little things pop up from time to time, such as donating a case of soda for homecoming, pitching in for lunch at a Saturday VEX tournament, or CAD training.
Q: Is it like Battlebots?
A: We get this a lot. The answer is, not really, but kinda. Think of it like this: if Battlebots is like UFC fighting, we are more like high school football. So, yes, the teams are very competitive, and we do have some “spirited interaction” as teams vie to score points, but they are not allowed to intentionally damage each other. That said, our ‘bots do typically come home with some battle scars.
Q: What if I don’t know the first thing about robotics? Like seriously, what if I don’t know how to even use one of those screwdriver thingys?
A: Zero experience is required. In fact, sharing our team’s knowledge and expertise is one of our favorite things to do. Some of our greatest success stories started with students who didn’t know diddly about tech of any sort. That’s what makes it so fun. You can start off knowing nothing and by the end of your first year, you will be excited to teach the next group of rookies everything you learned.
Q: What if I think it’s cool, but I’m not the techie type?
A: That’s cool. We offer opportunities for all kinds of interests. In addition to engineering and coding, we need students who are interested in learning PR/Marketing, Business, Web Development, Graphic Design, Animation, Communications/Presentations, Human Relations, Project Management, and Sports Strategy.
Q: When do you meet?
A: In the fall, we typically meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 to 7:30 and our tournaments are on occasional Saturdays. In winter, we have a more intense schedule called “build season” in which we meet Thursday through Sunday and spend a lot of time together. However, like all our meetings, students may schedule themselves off as needed. You may define your level of involvement with your scheduling. The “biggies” – students who are our core leaders and involved at the highest level, attend nearly every meeting. We also have students who attend between 65-85% of meetings who are still considered varsity and enjoy the full range of hands-on experience. If you attend less than 65% of available meeting times, you would be classified as junior varsity. JV has a more limited range of opportunities, but it is still a great learning experience.
Q: I’m not a freshman. Is it too late for me?
A: Heck no! We have great success stories from all grades, even students who joined us as seniors. All you need is curiosity, an open mind, and a willingness to do the work.
Q: What if you do other activities or sports? How does that work?
A: As mentioned, we have a flexible scheduling system. The schedule is posted online, and you sign up for the meetings you can attend. Students who attend more meetings tend to learn a lot faster and therefore are afforded more opportunities. It’s very much a case of “you get out what you put in.” That said, there is still a lot of fun and learning to be had for students who have to miss lots of meetings.
Q: How will this help me in college and beyond?
A: Wow, what a great question. I’m so glad you asked. Eagle Engineering is ultimately about much more than building robots. It’s about building life skills. Unlike your classwork, the answers are not definitive. Our moderators and mentors have no idea how we will solve the problems presented to us, or even if they can be solved in the way we want. We give our students opportunities to fail “early and often” as we like to say, because that is the only way you truly learn critical thinking, design thinking, and well… just thinking. The greatest thing you will take away from the Eagle Engineering experience is experience, and not just in technical stuff. Your greatest superpower will become your mastery of soft skills – the very thing that colleges and employers are seeking.
Things like:
- Leadership
- Communications
- Teamwork
- Adaptability
- Work Ethic
- Grace Under Pressure
- Time Management
- Conflict Resolution
- Self-Motivation
- Decisiveness
Q: So what is so special about Team 1138?
A: Ask any member this question and most of them will say that it really is because we are family. The Eagle Engineering team culture is second to none. We build strong bonds over hard work and long hours, but also a fair share of goofing around. Our team is managed and led by an extraordinary group of students who make it a priority to see that everyone who shows up and makes an effort will find an incredible sense of belonging and connection that will last far beyond their high school years.
Not sure yet ?
Come to a meeting and check it out with no commitments. See the calendar link below for meeting times. Feel free to email our coach at tsmeltzer@chaminade.org if you have any questions.