Team 766, M-A’s robotics team, hosted their annual M-Ayhem competition on Saturday, welcoming seven other teams from the region. This tradition introduces new members to the basics of robotics, guiding members through the fundamentals of building, prototyping, and programming robots from scratch—all under the guidance of senior members and mentors.
“The scale of coordination was a lot more complex,” Team 766 mentor Michelle Viado said. “We reached out to schools we’ve rarely interacted with before and opened this event to broader schools beyond the South Bay Area.”
The competition involved the following teams:
- Team 766, Menlo-Atherton High School, with 4 teams
- Team 100, Woodside High School, with 2 teams
- Team 199, Carlmont High School, with 3 teams
- Team 4904, Nueva High School
- Team 4973, Gateway High School in San Francisco
- Team 7245, KIPP King High School in San Lorenzo
- Team 9038, SF Unity
“Team 9038, SF Unity is a community team not affiliated with a school but built by parents and mentors who want to work with kids,” said Viado, “There were a lot of logistical complexities with teams and scoring, but it was great to see such a big turnout.”
“It’s a lot of fun. It’s very well set up,” SF Unity junior Avi Katzman said. “There’s good music, good food, and easy access to bathrooms and water. Our robot didn’t break, which made me happy, and there was great spirit.”
“It was really fun seeing the things the teams built, seeing their first steps into the robotics world,” Carlmont sophomore and competition judge Ethan Chan said. “It’s important for the future of the team and the future itself. Most participants were freshmen or sophomores who came because their friends did, and many didn’t have much experience in robotics. Whether it was programming or designing, they’ve learned and grown. It’s great to see that.”
Chan elaborated on the judging process. “We have questions we ask the rookies—‘How did you make your robot?’ It’s not about whether it was good or bad. We’re focused on how they approached building it and what they’ve learned,” he said. Awards were given based on effort during the matches and the building process, rather than just scores.
“I felt like I learned a lot,” Carlmont freshman Alysha King, one of the rookies from the winning team, said. She shared her excitement about attending similar competitions in the future and looks forward to next year’s M-Ayhem.
“This competition was a great indicator of our growth and reach within the Bay Area community,” Viado said. “I’m excited to see how it develops and evolves next year.”
The M-Ayhem competition concluded successfully, continuing Team 766’s tradition of teaching and inspiring new robotics members.
