Momentum Robotics

We are Momentum Robotics, a FIRST Robotics Competition community team founded in 2015. We operate out of Sato Academy of Math & Science, but welcome members from any local high school.  We design, construct, iterate, and compete our 150lb robots against other FRC teams. There are 3000 FRC teams from nearly 30 countries. Each match picks 3 teams chosen at random against 3 other teams, so we are continuously meeting with other students to talk strategy based on the strengths of each team. Our team of roughly 40 members fosters a community of forward-thinking innovators with great ambition supported by mentors from engineering industries to coordinate some of the most complex projects in high school academia.

Though we've always been more than a team for building robots. We help students apply knowledge of computer-aided design and various forms of manufacturing to projects with purpose, from robots designed for precise objectives to battery holders and other workshop aides. Members gain experience in soldering, wiring, and programming as well as component design and subsystem integration, overseen by experts in their field.Beyond that, they also gain soft skills like teamwork, communication, and problem solving. Students join a microcosm of our school environment where passionate curiosity thrives and can-do attitudes are infectious. They also share these sentiments with those around them, inspiring their families, friends, peers, and other members of the local community to get involved in STEM and make a difference. Alumni from the team have gone on to attend universities such as MIT, Caltech, USC, and UC Berkeley to further their passions to change the world and motivate others to do the same.

When not building or competing, we display our robots and hands-on engineering demo boards at several outreach events throughout the year. We visit school STEM nights at the elementary and middle school levels, appear at day events hosted by our sponsors, and generally elevate interest in robotics in our Long Beach community. Our community efforts shape innovative young minds, especially those from underrepresented groups, and show that there is a space for them in STEM.

We're a 501(c)(3) nonprofit through our parent organization, Shared Science, and a great deal of our time and resources is devoted to running the team from an operational perspective. From budgeting and grant writing to fundraising and outreach, we do it all! 

In addition to paid dues from members, our team receives donations and sponsorships from a handful of the most prominent engineering firms in this country. In the past, we have been very grateful to have had the generous support of Boeing, Raytheon, the Gene Haas Foundation, and the Port of Long Beach. These donations from members who can afford it and businesses operating in the local area allow us to finance scholarships for those less fortunate. However, our robots (and the competitions we compete in) are expensive, and FRC teams of our size and scale typically need over $20,000 per season to be able to accomplish our objectives in competition and community. We rely on crowd sponsorship to fund team dinners, which we cater free-of-charge to members, dues scholarships, and demonstration materials for engaging STEM interest in the local area. These sources of funding help us continue to make an impact in the community and inspire future leaders.

With your donations, we would be able to allocate resources toward not only the robots we build and the competitions we attend, but the community we foster through outreach and service and spare parts we keep around the shop for future years and use toward building demonstrations for interfacing with Long Beach youth. 

Thank you for your support!

Chase Bricker and Kegan Leflinger

Momentum Robotics Co-Captains