Kickoff

Saturday January 10, 2026

2026 Capac Kickoff

Schedule

  • 8:30 am – Doors open to teams for check-in and morning Workshops (Enter through North Parking Lot Entrance Follow Signs)
  • 9:00am-10:00am – Session 1 Workshops
  • 10:15am-11:15am – Session 2 Workshops
  • 11:15am-12:00pm Concessions available
  • 12:00pm – FIRST Broadcast & Game reveal in Cafetorium
  • Team Kit pickup and Lunch (Concessions available) Following FIRST Broadcast (*approx. 1pm)
  • 1pm-3pm – Team strategy sessions (Rooms available upon request)

Workshop Offerings

These workshops will be offered in two different one-hour sessions. (Session 1 9am-10am; Session 2 10:15am-11:15am)

  • Design, Manufacturing, & Quality – What Makes a Well-Engineered Part– Presented by PJ Wallbank Springs, Inc.; Chris Wallbank (CEO) & Brandon Bartneck (VP of Engineering)
    • Led by PJ Wallbank Springs, a 40-year automotive manufacturer, we’ll walk step by step through how a real manufacturing company designs a product, figures out how to make it, and then tries to make it reliably. Using a real production part, we’ll make design decisions, explore manufacturing options, and think through what can go wrong. The goal is to see how these pieces connect in practice. 
    • Key takeaways 
    • Design decisions don’t exist in isolation 
    • Manufacturing choices change what a “good” design looks like 
    • Quality is about more than checking parts at the end 
    • Real engineering requires thinking beyond your own function 
    • Understanding the whole system makes you a better engineer
  • Strategy Informs Design-Presented by John Antilla; Mentor Team 2604 Metal and Soul, Capac
    • An overview of the design process using Game Strategy as the starting point.
  • Robotics 102-Presented by Kevin Hope; Mentor Team 4779 Robosapiens, Cardinal Mooney HS
    • Information for students, parents and mentors that are new to FRC and FIRST. Answering questions on Build and Competition.
  • Budget, SWOT/risk analysis and Sustainability– Presented by Nicole Emery; Mentor Team 5860 Full Metal Muskrats, Algonac
  • Business Plan Development for Sustainability-Presented by Nicole Emery; Mentor Team 5860 Full Metal Muskrats, Algonac
  • Problem Solving 101-Jaclyn Antilla; Mentor Team 2604 Metal and Soul, Capac
    • Best practices for troubleshooting, problem solving strategies and organizing DATA
  • AWARDS-Presented by Chelsea Nick; Mentor Team 2604 Metal and Soul, Capac
    • A review of all awards available to teams, eligibility and best practices for making your team stand out

Concessions Menu

Whole Pizza Pre-Orders due by Wednesdayday 1/7 via email: janet.antilla@gmail.com

*PRE-Order payments-CASH ONLY

Concession

  • Water/Pop/Coffee – $1
  • Whole Pizza – $13
  • Slice of Pizza – $1.50
  • Nacho Cheese & Chips – $1.50
  • Bag of Chips – $.50
  • Cinnamon Rolls – $1
  • Pack of Cookies – $.50