BALLSTON SPA — Two Ballston Spa Central School District FFL Challenge Teams competed at the Hudson Valley Qualifying Tournament on March 27. The Golden Creators and Motors in Action teams consisted of 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, while other teams at the tournament were made up of 7th and 8th graders.
The teams were given the opportunity to share their innovation projects, robot design, and teamwork during a presentation with judges. For their innovation projects, the Golden Creators proposed a phone app to help people exercise more by presenting challenges that requires movement to collect coins. Motors in Action designed a sensor mat and wristband to track exercise movements.
Feedback from the judges was very positive. They were impressed with the challenges the teams overcame this year to be able to compete in the tournament – they had been meeting virtually since October due to the pandemic – and encouraged them to continue as a team, noting that they would be very successful in future years. Although, neither of the teams won awards in the core judged areas, the Golden Creators were recognized with a Head Referee award for showing the most excitement and fun while learning.
