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)

These workshops will be offered in two different one-hour sessions.

Workshop Offerings

(SESSION 1- 9am-10am SESSION 2- 10:15am-11:15am)

  • Design, Manufacturing, & Quality – What Makes a Well-Engineered Part  – Presented by PJ Wallbanks Spring; a 40-year automotive manufacturer Chris Wallbank (CEO), Brandon Bartneck (VP of Engineering) and Nick Hong (Manufacturing Engineer)
    • We will 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 
    • Quality is about more than checking parts at the end 
    • Manufacturing choices change what a “good” design looks like 
    • 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 a starting point
  • Robotics 102– Presented by Kevin Hope; Mentor-Team 4779- Robosapiens, Cardinal Mooney HS
    • A great session for new students, parents and mentors that answers many questions regarding the program, build and competition
    • An overview of the design process using GAME STRATEGY as a starting point
  • TEAM AWARDS Overview-Presented by Chelsea Nick; Mentor-Team 2604 Metal and Soul, Capac
    • A review of all awards available to teams this season and the criteria. We will also cover best practices for making your team stand out.
  • Budget, SWOT/risk analysis and Sustainability– Presented by Nicole Emery; Mentor Team 5860 Full Metal Muskrats’ Algonac
    • Business Overview for team sustainability
  • Business Plan Development for Sustainability-Presented by Nicole Emery; Mentor Team 5860 Full Metal Muskrats’ Algonac
    • How your Business Plan can guide team success

Concessions Menu

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

Concession

  • Water/Pop/Coffee – $1
  • Whole Pizza – $14
  • Slice of Pizza – $1.50
  • Hot Dog – $1.50
  • Bag of Chips – $.50
  • Cinnamon Roll- $1
  • Pack of Cookies – $.50