On April 5, 2017, the Long Hill FORCE Robotics team attended the CREATE US Open VexIQ Robotics Championship in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The championship drew 35 Middle school and 38 Elementary school teams from across the United States as well as international competitors from China, Hong Kong, and Canada. The Long Hill team is part of FORCE (Focusing Our Resources for Children’s Enrichment), a Long Hill Township academic enrichment program, and is coached and mentored by Mr. Ilija Hadzic who volunteers his time to run the program. Additional support is provided by the parents, all volunteering their time to support the program.
The team qualified for the US Open as a result of their strong performance in multiple regional tournaments and the NJ State Robotics competition. This is the team’s second year participating in the competitive league and the first year to qualify for the US Open. The team designed, built, and programmed their robot without any adult assistance, guided only the by the teaching and mentoring of their coach, Mr. Hadzic. “The technical skills and applied STEM principles that these kids developed in such a short time are impressive, but what is even more notable are the lifelong skills in teamwork and collaboration, problem-solving, communication, and leadership that these kids are cultivating”, said Mrs. Raban-Binstock, a Long Hill BOE member and parent in the program.
All program participants recognize and appreciate the hard work, passion, and incredible dedication of coach Hadzic. “We are very fortunate to have Mr. Hadzic. He challenges our kids on a whole different level and inspires them to go beyond their typical, age-appropriate ability”, said Mr. DiGiorgio, also a Long Hill BOE member and parent in the program. For Mr. Hadzic, this is a way to give back and do his part to contribute to the development of our youth as other influential mentors had done for him when he was growing up.
(above l-r) The Team: Coach Hadzic, Mason DiGiorgio, Luka Hadzic, Gabe Snead, Daniel Senedzhuk, Aaron Binstock)
