Valliant robotics team has a successful year

For the first time in the program’s history, the Valliant Elementary Robotics Team exceeded beyond all expectations. Half of the students in the team were Choctaw tribal members.

“We started with borrowed parts and eventually gained our own parts through grants,” said Gina Dansby, the team’s coach. “A Choctaw member, my son Traeton Dansby, helped us get the program off the ground and waived the fees for our first two tournaments. Two of our three teams were then invited to attend a signature event match that was for tribal teams only.”

After this competition, all three teams qualified for the State Championship, and one team won the highest award in the state, the Excellence Award, which qualified them for the VEX World Championship competition.

This competition was held in Dallas, Texas, in May. Over 8,000 teams worldwide vied for the chance to attend this tournament, and only 420 were invited.

“Through attending the tribal event and because our elementary school is in the Choctaw Nation, we were chosen to represent the Choctaw Nation in the opening ceremony’s Parade of Nations,” said Dansby. “We had the honor of carrying the Choctaw Nation flag alongside 77 other nations from around the world.”

Valliant Public Schools and the robotics team would like to thank the tribe and Councilman Thomas Williston for supporting their teams this year!