We are the PantherBots, the Potomac Middle School VEX robotics competition team. The PantherBots are divided into teams, consisting of 4 - 5 members. Each team is responsible for keeping an engineering notebook, building and programming their robot to play this year's game, and participating in all robotic events.
Team meetings are being held in person. Our team currently meets Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Additional meetings may be scheduled when teams are preparing for tournaments.
Robotics events and qualifying tournaments take place on Saturdays and/or Sundays. Teams compete at local tournaments to earn a spot at the state championship. The Virginia State Championship is a two-day event that takes place on Friday and Saturday.
New members are accepted in early Fall. Space is limited. Application online by clicking the link on this page.
Competitive robotics is a year round sport and lasts through parts of all of the sport seasons. If you are in Robotics you may not be able to participate in any other sporting activities at school.
Beginning with the 2019-20 school year, High School students can now Letter in competitive robotics as part of the Virginia High School Sports League.
The PantherBots must be committed to excellence, not only in robotics, but in their academics as well!
Announcements
We will be accepting applications for new members for the 2025-26 school year in May. Click the link on this page to complete the application online. We will be scheduling an information meeting. Tryouts take place in August.
Robotics experience is not required. There are many roles on a robotics team which include but aren't limited to: Builder, Programmer, Scout, Pit manager, and Historian.
Robotics is a co-ed sport. An individual robotics team may be all boys, all girls, or co-ed.
If you have any questions about the Pantherbots, please contact Coach Correa at [email protected]
Potomac PantherBots Robotics Team Application 2025-26
***must use Student Email to access application***
2025-26 Vex Robotics Challenge "Push Back"
Search for more design ideas on YouTube by searching for "VEX Push Back Robots "
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=VEX+Push+Back+Robots
Upcoming Robotics Events
All Team Members are expected to attend Tournaments.
Parents/Guardians are responsible for transportation. Carpooling is encouraged.
Saturday, September 20, 2025 (ALL TEAMS)
Robotics Fun Day for Eastern Middle and High Schools at Potomac MS
*This event is hosted by PTMS Robotics. Parent/family volunteers and donations will be needed for the concession stand.
December 2025 (Teams Participating TBD)
Battle of the Bridge at Woodbridge High School, Woodbridge, VA
January 2026 (Teams Participating TBD)
VRC Middle School Qualifier at Lake Ridge Middle School, Woodbridge, VA
**Other events may be added later.**
Teams compete in local tournaments to earn a spot at STATES. The Virginia State Championship will be held in March 2026
Teams qualify for Worlds at STATES. The World Championship will be held in Dallas, TX in late April/early May 2026
Team Mentors/ Parent Volunteers
I am always looking for parent and community mentors for our robotics teams. No experience is necessary. Contact me if you can spare some of your time.
New Competitive Robotics Platform... SEAPERCH!
During the 2022-23 school year, we were added three Seaperch teams and were the first PWCS middle school to participate in the International Seaperch Challenge.
The SeaPerch Competition is in MARCH 2025 at the PWCS Aquatic Center. Teams that qualify will compete at the International Seaperch Challenge in May at the University of Maryland.
Wondering what SeaPerch is? Check out this video!
Links
*Must use Student Email and Password to access application
Learn more about the platform used at the middle and high school level; find information about the current robotics challenge
- Programming Skills Challenge
Overview of the programming skills challenge