This is our fourth year as a stand-alone Canadian team and our spirit has never been stronger. This year, our membership has slightly dropped but this year's mentors are greater in number than in any previous year's leaving us with more work per person yet more professionals to ensure it is done correctly. We are planning to compete in 2 regionals, one in Waterloo (March 24 - 27) and another in Missisauga (March 31 - April 3). The robot is nearly up to the challenge thanks to the tireless work put in by our build team. Overall our team is working extremely hard in order to ensure that this season is one of our most rewarding to date. Our ambitions are great but our work ethic will take us to the top!

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario formed a robotics team for the first time in 2001-2002 and followed up again in 2002-2003 to compete in the Canada First Robotics Championships. In 2004 we joined forces with Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and formed the first International team to compete in the much larger World Robotics Championships in Atlanta, Georgia. The next year, our team doubled in size and competed in two regional events, placing in the top 25% at both events. This was an amazing outcome from a team with a limited budget, whose design and robot building was carried out entirely by students.

The 2007-2008 Season was an amazing year for the Knights of Alloy. We hosted the first ever Sault Ste Marie FLL tournament, in partnership with Sault College. FTC saw us compete at the Ontario regional competition at Woburn Collegiate, while FRC took us once again to the Waterloo Regional, from which we returned with a Silver Medal and a team spirit award.

Fast forward to September 2008. The Knights of Alloy were once again hard at work preparing for the second annual Sault Ste. Marie FLL tournament. Every one of the of the teams in Sault Ste Marie was coached by members of the Knights of Alloy, both students and mentors. In the end 17 teams competed at a highly successful and thrilling FLL regional. Three of these teams qualified for the provincial championships in Oakville Ontario.

September 2008 was also very important for FTC in Knight's of Alloy territory. Korah Collegiate for the first time ever, began offering a one of a kind robotics course based on both the VEX and TETRIX Robotics platforms. Offered as an M level course this innovative new program attracted students of all grade levels. Although the Knights opted not to attend the 2009 Ontario regional FTC competition this season has been an awesome learning experience for all involved.

For the 2008-09 FRC season, TKOA expanded on its partnerships with local engineering companies, expanded connections with industry partners and created our best robot yet. "Holly the Wickett 'Bot" went on to Milwaukee and Mississauga and we came home with the Engineering Inspiration Award - recognizing our growing connections and promotions of Engineering in Sault Ste. Marie. In Atlanta, we finished in the top 1/3rd of all robots and came home with a sense of pride and accomplishment.