As the 2022-23 school year approached, Nebraska VEX IQ coaches were invited to a season kick-off gathering at Mary Our Queen School — a chance to preview the new game, sync on schedules, and build community heading into a fresh competitive season.
Coaches Meeting
- Date: Friday, June 3, 2022
- Time: 6:00 – 7:45 PM
- Location: Mary Our Queen School (Trinity Rooms), Omaha, NE
- Food and drinks provided
The gathering was open to any mentor or leader interested in VEX IQ — including those new to the program. The field for the upcoming season's game was on display, giving coaches a hands-on preview.
The Game: Slapshot
VEX IQ Competition: Slapshot was played on a 6' × 8' rectangular field. The competition featured two formats:
Teamwork Challenge
Two robots competed as an alliance in 60-second matches, working collaboratively to score points on a shared field.
Robot Skills Challenge
One robot competed solo, scoring as many points as possible. This included:
- Driving Skills Matches — entirely driver-controlled
- Programming Skills Matches — autonomous, with limited human interaction
The game manual was available through the VEX Robotics website.
Growing the Community
Coaches were encouraged to invite anyone who might be interested in starting or coaching a VEX IQ program — especially as teams that had paused during 2020-21 started coming back. gainingSTEAM's goal was to ensure every program had the resources needed to deliver a great experience for students.