FIRST Team 1293: Pandamaniacs

We've made a tweak to our meeting schedule to support our team members better. Wednesdays are *so* last year!

The 2026 challenge, REBUILT, is here! We see a lot of similarities to FRC games we've played in the past, so we'll start kicking around ideas this week. Swing by during a meeting and we'll be happy to have your thoughts too!

2026 FIRST Robotics Competition REBUILT Presented by Haas Game Animation This is the official game animation for the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition game, REBUILT presented by Haas. The game was announced Saturday, January 10, 202...

Oh hey, we know those robots!

(And that guy, I guess.)

We are still looking for new recruits! Pandamaniacs serves 9th-12th grade from our home base near Dutch Square in Columbia. The competition season kicks off January 10th, and no experience is required! We'll build our 23rd competition robot over January and February before tournaments in March.

Meetings start back on January 5th, Mondays and Wednesdays 6-9 and Saturdays 1-6. Come when you can, communicate when you can't.

For more info, check out www.pandamaniacs.org or drop us a line at [email protected]!

Thank you to SC Public Radio for having our team on today’s South Carolina Business Review! With the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition season coming up fast, we’re excited to talk about what it offers high school students.

Even if you’re outside of Columbia, drop us a line and we’ll be happy to make an introduction to the teams and events near you.

New season of high school robotics competition starts January 10th Mike Switzer interviews Billfred Leverette, head coach of the robotics team The Pandamaniacs, who are competing in the FIRST Robotics national competition.

We had the pleasure of bringing Magikarp to Rock Hill this week to give 2026 rookies Titan a taste of the FIRST experience. We shared a bit of driving, a bit of technical game, a bit of project planning, and hopefully a bit of excitement too. We're looking forward to seeing them on the field in Charleston next year!

River Bluff High School had us over during lunches today to demonstrate our 2025 robot Magikarp for students, showing them what is possible as a part of Pandamaniacs. Thank you for having us!

If your high school student (from River Bluff or any other school!) is interested in joining us, drop us a line. We're always looking for great kids.

What are we thankful for this year? A lot!

Our 23rd season in FIRST Robotics Competition would not be possible without the help of many wonderful people and organizations. Thank you to our friends at Grainger and Argosy Foundation for their outstanding support this year, as well as our family, friends, and alumni who support us in so many ways.

As we approach the 2026 Kickoff, we'd also love to welcome aboard South Carolina Department of Education and Aflac! Do ducks and pandas coexist in nature? We aren't sure, but they sure will in our shop.

Don't forget, we're just one day away from our open house! Come explore our award-winning program this Monday night at our workshop at 118 Diamond Lane. We'll see you then!

Our open house is just one week away! Students in grades 9-12 are welcome to join our award-winning program. We serve students from any school, including charter, private, and homeschool programs. It's never been a better time to be a Pandamaniac!

Oh hey, we don’t have to blur the Volunteer of the Year trophy anymore. Congratulations to Evan Timmerman, SCRAP 2025 Volunteer of the Year!