Dare Mighty Things

Now more than ever, it's critically important to provide students and families with STEM learning opportunities to continue growing academically, intellectually, and socially through these challenging times. To meet this goal, I launched a new afterschool enrichment program in Murfreesboro to connect and inspire students in Middle Tennessee and beyond to learn 21st-century work-life skills at our new learning center. 

Our mission is to inspire the next generation of bright minds to dare mighty things in Technology, Robotics, and Computer Science (TRC) while making a positive impact in our community and eventually the world. 

Like many programs, in 2020, we were forced to shut down our program due to COVID-19. In July of 2022, we rose from the ashes of COVID and relaunched our program with a bigger vision than ever before impacting many more students with in-person learning. On July 16, 2022, to honor my son Ben's vision on his birthday, I launched the new Tennessee Robotics Center, a 21st-century learning center in Murfreesboro with three learning labs, a student lounge, GearShop, and a parent waiting area. In 2023, we expanded our robotics learning center to promote high school engineering education and advanced robotics competitions. I look forward to the impact TRC will continue to forge in the Middle Tennessee community and beyond.

I am confident that as students participate in our TRClasses and TRCompetition teams, they will gain a better understanding, respect, and appreciation for the rigors and benefits of a quality STEAM education program like TRC. In the coming year, I will continue to offer new classes offered in new and innovative ways inspiring our students to pursue their dreams and future career goals becoming future science and technology leaders and making a positive impact in the world.

Thank you for visiting my program website and please reach out if you have any questions.

Dare Mighty Things!

Coach Mike

Coach Mike

Michael Puckett, Owner and Founder

Tennessee Robotics Center | TRC Education


Similar to numerous successful American businesses, TRC originated in a two-car garage during the summer of 2011. Coach Mike created TRC with the aim of introducing his two sons, Ben and Dylan, as well as local neighborhood friends, homeschoolers, and community students, to the exciting world of technology, robotics, and computer science. Fast forward 11 years and the Tennessee Robotics Center was founded in the summer of 2022 on July 16 to commemorate Ben's idea to start a robotics club with his friends.


TRC has been instrumental in mentoring and coaching many teams participating in the FIRST LEGO League and FIRST Tech Challenge robotics programs. In 2020, the TRC FTC team 11161 achieved the prestigious Inspire Award at the Tennessee FTC State Championship, propelling them to the World Championship in Houston, TX. Throughout the past 12 years, TRC has emerged as a force for change, igniting the passion of students inspired to explore technology, robotics, and computer science. What initially began as a small robotics lab in Coach Mike's garage has evolved into a thriving robotics learning center for K-12 students interested in pursuing a career or education in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Design, & Mathematics).


Coach Mike resides in Murfreesboro, TN, and is an active member of World Outreach Church, serving on the Media Team. A veteran of the US Navy, he generously volunteers with the Civil Air Patrol, holding the roles of Deputy Commander and Aerospace Education Officer. Michael holds a Master of Education in Learning Design and Technology from Purdue University.


Dare Mighty Things is not just our motto, it's what we do!


Our Mission
To Inspire the next generation

Our primary goal and vision are to engage students in stimulating technology education, expedite talent development in Technology, Robotics, and Computer Science (TRC), and inspire the next generation of young minds to pursue careers and education in pathways that will make them future leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Our Vision Impact

To accelerate talent development for K-12 students in Technology, Robotics, and Computer Science (TRC) inspiring them to pursue careers and education to become the future leaders in Science and Technology and apply what they learn to make an impact improving the world around us in a positive way.

Our FIRST Values

Values that drive us

TRC promotes the FIRST Core Values emphasizing friendly competition, respect for the contributions of others, teamwork, respect, learning, and community involvement.


TRC Competition teams express the FIRST philosophies of Gracious Professionalism® and Coopertition® through our FIRST Core Values:


Discovery: We explore new skills and ideas.

Innovation: We use creativity and persistence to solve problems.

Impact: We apply what we learn to improve our world.

Inclusion: We respect each other and embrace our differences.

Teamwork: We are stronger when we work together.

Fun: We enjoy and celebrate what we do!

Together, we RISE

Our coaches and mentors are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of Respect for everyone, Integrity first, Service for others, and Excellence above all else.

Together, We RISE.

Respect

Inclusion

Service

Excellence

Dare Mighty Things

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."  
~ Teddy Roosevelt
"The Strenuous Life"

It all started in a garage.

The idea for a robotics club was first thought about when my oldest son, Ben, asked to join a robotics team. After researching the opportunities, we found the FIRST LEGO League robotics program. Ben's dream was soon realized and he was the only founding member to have participated in all three FIRST Robotics programs (FLL, FTC and FRC) and even volunteered as a Judge for FLL. Ben won TRC's first Dean's List award in 2019 and traveled to Houston where he met FIRST founder Dean Kamen (pictured left). Ben continues to mentor FIRST teams in Alabama and volunteers as an FRC Robot Inspector. Ben is currently studying Aerospace Engineering at UAH in Huntsville, AL.

FIRST® Inspires

Our driving vision is to inspire the next generation to dare mighty things and pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering, art/design, and mathematics (STEAM) and RISE together with other bright-minded students who are just as passionate about Technology, Robotics, and Coding (TRC).

A Force for Change


More important than any competition success or awards TRC may earn, our team members RISE together by growing academically, intellectually, and socially building lifelong friendships. They gain a better understanding, respect, and appreciation for the rigors and benefits of participating in a quality robotics and STEAM education program. During their time in the Tennessee Robotics Center, students are inspired and motivated to pursue their dreams and achieve their long-term educational and career goals. 

TRC Celebrated our 10th year of FIRST Robotics in 2021

In 2011, we began mentoring a FIRST Lego League team in our garage which grew quickly to become the Tennessee Robotics Center (TRC) now mentoring a continuum of robotics students from K-12.


Our driving vision has always been about inspiring students to transcend the game of robotics to pursue education and career paths in science, technology, engineering, art/design, and mathematics (STEAM). We are proudly using the vehicle of FIRST robotics to build America's future science and technology leaders and educators in the 21st-Century. 


We look forward to building the next generation in 2022 and beyond.


Reach higher, embrace change and learn from failure.

"Most of the time you will fail, but you will also occasionally succeed. Those occasional successes make all the hard work and sacrifice worthwhile." 

—Dean Kamen, Founder of FIRST

2023 Tennessee State Championship
Design Award- 3rd Place

Industrial design at its best
 This judged award recognizes design elements of the robot that are both functional and aesthetic. The Design Award is presented to teams that incorporate industrial design elements into their solution. These design elements could simplify the robot’s appearance by giving it a clean look, be decorative in nature, or otherwise express the creativity of the team. The robot should be durable, efficiently designed, and effectively address the game challenge. 


2021-2022 COVID 

2020 Alabama FTC State Championship
Design Award- 1st Place

Industrial design at its best
 This judged award recognizes design elements of the robot that are both functional and aesthetic. The Design Award is presented to teams that incorporate industrial design elements into their solution. These design elements could simplify the robot’s appearance by giving it a clean look, be decorative in nature, or otherwise express the creativity of the team. The robot should be durable, efficiently designed, and effectively address the game challenge. 


2020 Tennessee FTC State Championship
Inspire Award- 1st Place

Best embodies the ‘challenge’ of the FIRST Tech Challenge program
The team that receives this award is a strong ambassador for FIRST programs and a role model FIRST team. This team is a top contender for many other judged awards and is a gracious competitor. The Inspire Award winner is an inspiration to other teams, acting with Gracious Professionalism® both on and off the playing field. This team shares their experiences, enthusiasm, and knowledge with other team, sponsors, their community, and the Judges. Working as a unit, this team will have shown success in performing the task of designing and building a robot.

2020 Tennessee FTC State Championship
Championship Winner, Captain Winning Alliance
Control Award sponsored by Arm, Inc. - 2nd Place

Mastering Robot intelligence
The Control Award celebrates a team that uses sensors and software to increase the robot’s functionality in the field. This award is given to the team that demonstrates innovative thinking to solve game challenges such as autonomous.

Required criteria for the Control Award:
• Team shows respect and Gracious Professionalism® to everyone they meet at a FIRST Tech Challenge event.
• Team must apply for the Control Award by filling operations, improving mechanical systems with intelligent control, or using sensors to achieve better results. The control component should work consistently in the field. The team’s engineering notebook must contain details about the implementation of the software, sensors, and mechanical control, but does not need to include copies of the code itself.

2020 FIRST Dean's List Award
Nate Dunlap- Dean's List Finalist

Demonstrated leadership and commitment to the ideals of FIRST
In an effort to recognize the leadership and dedication of the most outstanding FIRST Tech Challenge students, the Kamen family sponsors an Award for selected top students known as the FIRST Dean’s List. Since its introduction in 2010, the FIRST Dean’s List Award has attracted the attention of prestigious colleges and universities that desire to recruit FIRST Dean’s List students. 

The students who earn FIRST Dean’s List Award status as Semi-Finalists, Finalists, or Winners, are great examples of student leaders who have led their Teams and communities to increase awareness for FIRST and its mission. These students have also achieved personal technical expertise and accomplishment. It is the intention of FIRST that these individuals will continue on, post-Award, as great leaders, student alumni, and advocates of FIRST.

2019 Rocket City Invitational
Best Autonomous Score, Alliance Captain Runner-up

Huntsville Christian Academy
This invitational is hosted each year by our good friends in Huntsville, the Browncoats #7842 and it is one of our favorite events of the season. It marks the ending of one season and the beginning of a new one. This year our team had a great time competing with and meeting new teams from Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. 

2019 FIRST Dean's List Award
Ben Puckett- Dean's List Finalist

Demonstrated leadership and commitment to the ideals of FIRST
In an effort to recognize the leadership and dedication of the most outstanding FIRST Tech Challenge students, the Kamen family sponsors an Award for selected top students known as the FIRST Dean’s List. Since its introduction in 2010, the FIRST Dean’s List Award has attracted the attention of prestigious colleges and universities that desire to recruit FIRST Dean’s List students. 

The students who earn FIRST Dean’s List Award status as Semi-Finalists, Finalists or Winners, are great examples of student leaders who have led their Teams and communities to increase awareness for FIRST and its mission. These students have also achieved personal technical expertise and accomplishment. It is the intention of FIRST that these individuals will continue on, post-Award, as great leaders, student alumni, and advocates of FIRST.

2019 Tennessee FTC State Championship
Collins Aerospace Innovate Award- 1st Place

Bringing great ideas from concept to reality
The Collins Aerospace Innovate Award celebrates a team that thinks outside the box and has the ingenuity and inventiveness to make their designs come to life. This judged award is given to the team that has the most innovative and creative robot design solution to any specific components in the FIRST Tech Challenge game. Elements of this award include elegant design, robustness, and ‘out of the box’ thinking related to design. Learn More about this award.

2019 Tennessee FTC State Championship
Design Award- 2nd Place

Industrial design at its best
This judged award recognizes design elements of the robot that are both functional and aesthetic. The Design Award is presented to teams that incorporate industrial design elements into their solution. These design elements could simplify the robot’s appearance by giving it a clean look, be decorative in nature, or otherwise express the creativity of the team. The winning design should not compromise the practical operation of the robot but complement its purpose. Learn More about this award.

2019 Alabama FTC State Championship
Control Award- 3rd Place

Mastering robot intelligence
The Control Award celebrates a team that uses sensors and software to increase the robot’s functionality on the field. This award is given to the team that demonstrates innovative thinking in the control system to solve game challenges such as autonomous operation, improving mechanical systems with intelligent control, or using sensors to achieve better results on the field. The control component should work consistently on the field. The team’s engineering notebook must contain details about the implementation of the software, sensors, and mechanical control. Learn More about this award.

2018 Alabama FTC State Championship
Think Award- 1st Place

Removing engineering obstacles through creative thinking
This judged award is given to the Team that best reflects the journey the Team took as they experienced the engineering design process during the build season. The Engineering section of the notebook is the key reference for judges to help identify the most deserving Team. The Team’s Engineering section must focus on the design and build stage of the Team’s Robot. Journal entries must include descriptions of the underlying science and mathematics of the Robot design and game strategies, the designs, redesigns, successes, and opportunities for improvement. Learn More about this award.

2017 Alabama State Championship
Rockwell-Collins Innovate Award- 3rd Place

Bringing great ideas from concept to reality
The Rockwell Collins Aerospace Innovate Award celebrates a team that thinks outside the box and has the ingenuity and inventiveness to make their designs come to life. This judged award is given to the team that has the most innovative and creative robot design solution to any specific components in the FIRST Tech Challenge game. Elements of this award include elegant design, robustness, and ‘out of the box’ thinking related to design. Learn More about this award.

TRC 2011-2020

Reach higher, embrace change, and

 fail forward fast.

Highlights of our 2020 FIRST RISE Season from May 2019 to February 2020. Another great year of growth and robotics fun. This year, our team won the Inspire Award for the first time thus receiving our first invitation to the FIRST Championship in Houston. We were also the Captain of the Winning Alliance for the first time winning the tournament championship. Houston, here we come!