The 2023-24 VEX IQ season kicked off with a coaches gathering at Mary Our Queen School in Omaha — an evening of planning, schedule coordination, and a first look at the new game: Full Volume.

Coaches Meeting

  • Date: Thursday, June 1, 2023
  • Time: 6:00 – 7:45 PM
  • Location: Mary Our Queen School (Trinity Rooms), 3405 S 119th St, Omaha, NE 68144
  • Food and drinks provided

Coaches were encouraged to invite any mentors or leaders interested in joining the Nebraska VEX IQ community — and to share the invitation with programs that might not yet be on the mailing list.

The Game: Full Volume

VEX IQ Competition: Full Volume was played on a 6' × 8' rectangular field. Like all VEX IQ seasons, it offered two competitive formats:

Teamwork Challenge
Two-robot alliances competed in 60-second matches, working collaboratively to score points together on the shared field.

Robot Skills Challenge
A single robot competed independently to score as many points as possible, in both:

  • Driving Skills Matches — fully driver-controlled
  • Programming Skills Matches — autonomous, with limited human interaction

The full game manual was available on the VEX Robotics website for teams preparing for the season.

Building the Season Together

The pre-season meeting gave coaches the opportunity to sync calendars, coordinate tournament hosting, and get enough lead time to work around school schedules. gainingSTEAM's role was to support the community infrastructure — ensuring every program had access to equipment, event support, and the community connections that make for a successful season.