When junior George Hare guided the robotics team through some team bonding activities in the Art Tech lab after school, he felt the team began to get stronger.

“I have seen bonding work for multiple teams. As you get to know each other better you are able to work better together. Just knowing everyone else’s name makes a huge difference in your ability to communicate and work together,” Hare said.

Hare said he acquired leadership skills from previous years at Park along with competing in the FIRST Lego League.

“I have been doing various capacities of mentoring with robotics for the past four years and it has definitely taught me a lot both about how to lead other people and how to help myself better, because it is very hard to teach people something you don’t know how to do,” Hare said.

According to Hare, his experience led him to become a mentor for the team.

“I mean I know a lot of different things in robotics, any one of which I am potentially interested in doing for a career. (Examples of what I am interested in doing include) computer and engineering with a specialty in cyberspace (and) industrial engineering with a secondary major in computer engineering to do specialized industrial automation,” Hare said.

Sophomore club member Serena Moore said she thinks the bonding activities benefit the whole team.

“I think it really helped a lot with everybody. We all got to know each other  better, and it was easier to work together,” Moore said.

Hare said he developed the bonding activities because of time efficiency and importance of trust.

“It’s really important that the team can operate as a team especially in our challenge because we only have six weeks to achieve something that takes some college students an entire semester, if not a couple of years to do. It is really important that we know each other really well and that we can trust each other,” said Hare.

Robotics advisor Trevor Paulson said Hare’s leadership helped implement a new perspective and bring a new life to the program.

“He comes with quite a bit of experience from another team that has done really well. With some outside references and knowledge we didn’t have before, (he helped us build) a new perspective (and) change some of the things we are currently doing to make us better,” Paulson said.

Paulson said members seem to be taking more ownership and pride in their work, becoming a strong group.

“I am there for the logistic side of things and some of those areas. They are getting their parents and outside community members involved also, as (mentors) increase some of the things I don’t (have experience with) to help that area grow through outside resources,” Paulson said.

Hare said anyone is welcome into robotics club, especially if they have no experience at all.

“Just come. We don’t care if you don’t have any experience. In fact we almost prefer you do not have any experience, so we can teach you our ways instead of having to unteach you,” Hare said.

The robotics team meets every Tuesday after school in the Art Tech Lab.