Our History

From then to now, and some more in between

Consider Isaac Newton on that one fateful day under the apple tree – a brilliant lone innovator who needed only to see the effects of gravity on one fruit on its earthward journey to be inspired. History knows how he used his scientific brilliance to enlarge mankind's pot of knowledge.

History, as it tends to do, repeated itself at San Dieguito Academy. When the original members visited their first (pun) robotics competition in 2006, the pattern replayed itself in the plural. These students - Matt, Nick, Asa - were also inspired.

In 2007, their ranks had grown, and they became temporarily known as the “Sweet Sixteen.” The growing team had formed alliances with both the metal shop and physics teachers, Mr. Berend and Mr. Stimson, who joined the cause as advisors. With all of the human resources in place for a team, they registered with FIRST and became the SDA Robotics Team 2102, or “Team Paradox.”

Our protagonists young and old then got to work. In the fall of that year, the group began building small-scale Vex robots aided by two UCSD engineering students. Word spread quickly, like a disease through a city in a swamp (only in a much less bad way). By word of mouth and involvement in school functions, Team Paradox grew. It became more than just a team in name alone, as groups of students with a diverse range of talent and interest joined the ranks.

Thanks to parents' hard work that first year, the team snagged $17,000 in grants from NASA, Asymtec and Qualcomm, along with the assistance of two engineers from the community and mentors from The Devil Duckies, a neighboring team. 2102's first year of competition was intense but loads of fun. The team took its first robot to the San Diego Regionals and did a respectable job.

The next two years were spent growing-actually, snowballing would be a better term. The team, lead by Matt and Asa, continued to expand its knowledge and became more and more ambitious with its creations, culminating in 2009 with a robot more intricate and complex than anybody could have imagined at the teams inception. Paradox had grown from a robot that shed bolts on the field to one that had automated motion-tracking, all wheeled powered Ackerman/crab steering, and variable speed firing mechanisms.

2010 provides a daunting new challenge: the first year without our founding members. After a massive exodus of 2009 seniors, the rest of Team Paradox is left to prove what they have learned from their mentors and their seniors. FIRST's 2010 challenge won't be released until January 9th, but will after intense, highly accelerated preseason training, and with an experimental practice chassis on the way (if you thought the 2009 drive train was awesome, just wait), the future is looking bright.