MANSFIELD — The idea of working to continue strengthening the bond between children and parents increases as children grow to be young adults.
That’s the philosophy Jeff Williams follows.
“Fathers need all kind of opportunities to be with their sons,” Williams said while seated next to his son Coulter, 16. “I want to continue to stay involved with that because the values that I was raised with and were instilled in me, I want to share and reinforce those values with him. And that can only be done through a relationship.
“The time we spend together is about strengthening and further developing our relationship as father and son. It’s critical.”
The father and son said they have always had a strong relationship; the two hunted together, an admitted passion of Williams.
“Coulter enjoys it, but it’s more he enjoys it because I enjoy it,” he said.
Coulter said he was speaking with friends at his homeschool co-op, when one friend said she had just joined a robotics team.
“My mom was looking for things for me to do; it seemed like a good opportunity,” Coulter said. “I went to the first meeting, and it sparked a true passion.”
The tables turned as Coulter discovered an interest in engineering and constructing robots. With the amount of hours Williams and Coulter have spent building and competing with Stellar Robotics, Williams said he noticed their relationship reach new heights.
“I saw that, and then I wanted to be apart of that because I wanted to be a part of his enjoyment, his passion,” Williams said. “The neat thing is, I’m not just doing it for him anymore because I found a lot of enjoyment and a lot of fulfillment in going with him and being part of the team and help mentoring the young boys and girls who are a part of the team.”
One of Coulters’ highlights of the 2016 season came in their competition at the Queen City Regional Competition March 31 through April 2 in Cincinnati when the robot malfunctioned from wear and tear.
“I really began to get really involved with fixing the robot,” Coulter said.
“Leading the repairs,” his father interjected.
“We were able to make a huge repair in six minuets,” Coulter continued.
The team’s Alpha Centari robot had lost two drive chains, and burned out an electric motor.
“We put the chains back on to these gears, and there’s a master link we have to put back together to make the chain connect, and that holds it all together,” Coulter said.
The high school team and its robot finished fourth among 56 teams at the regional competition. There, the team walked away with the Excellence in Engineering Award, sponsored by Delphi. The award is the highest engineering award given at each event.
For its second year as a team, Stellar Robotics found success at its first competition of the season at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, March 18 and 19. The team finished third among 58 robotics teams at the end of qualification matches, worth a tie for first place in the Ohio state rankings.
The team also won the Judges’ Award, which recognizes a team that scores well in all judging categories. Stellar Robotics is a collection of students from Ontario, Mansfield Christian, Lucas, homeschools, College Now at North Central State College, and Mount Vernon Nazarene dual enrollment.
In late 2013, Chantal and Christopher Deyoe’s family created the Stellar Robotics team after noticing a lack of First Robotics teams in central Ohio. After Orion’s first robotics competition, the family was hooked.
“The Deyoe family eats, sleeps and breaths robotics,” Christopher Deyoe said laughing.
Each member of the family has a claim to Stellar Robotics. Chantal heads administrative work. Christopher helps where he is needed, but as a trade carpenter he crafts field elements the robot must overcome. Orion is a mentor for the students on the team after graduating in 2014 from homeschool. Ciaran, in is in his final year as a member of the team before graduation from homeschool. He is set to be a mentor to young students to drive robots next season.
“When we go to competitions, I’ve got my whole family with me,” Christopher said. “We are all a part of the team. We may have separate tasks, but we’re all together. We have family support; when stress gets adrenalin up we’re there to help. It’s a unique bond we have.”
Christopher said their family’s bond over robotics has led to a series of robotics conversations. He said his family seizes moments around the dinner table because now that his children are older and busier, dinner is prime real estate.
“We have a strong interest in robotics. We talk robotics 12-months-a-year. We never lack something to talk about,” he said noting the older children grow, the further away they tend to stray.
Having a bond like this helps keep his family close.
Stellar Robotics is an envelope for developing young engineers, designers and robotic fanatics, Williams and Christopher agreed.
“It’s not just dads and sons at a high school level it’s at the junior high and elementary level that there are all kinds of opportunities and varying ages. It’s such a positive and encouraging environment,” Williams said. “It’s a wonderful outlet for young boys and girls to be involved in something constructive and it also could lead to a career focus.”
